Hagen's response to body-shaming bought by 4th Estate

Comedian Sofie Hagen’s debut, an “intelligent, funny, provocative response to body shaming”, will be published by 4th Estate.

Sarah Thickett, assistant editor at the HarperCollins imprint, has acquired world all language rights for FAT by Hagen from Chris Quaile at Independent Artist Management.

Calling out widespread advertising and social media posts endorsing weight loss, Hagen’s debut is described as a "celebration of the fat body, and an agenda-setting call to arms to eradicate fat phobia". She will share her experiences as part of the fat positivity movement, speak with fat liberation champions, describe how she ended a negative relationship with her own body and provide practical tips for readers to do the same.

Billed as an “intelligent, funny, provocative response to body shaming”, FAT will be published in spring 2019.

It promises to continue the conversation from Roxane Gay’s Hunger (Corsair) and Sara Pascoe’s Animal (Faber), and "bust dangerous societal misconceptions about what constitutes a ‘good’ body and demand a redefinition of our current standards of beauty".

“I was eight years old the first time it was decided that I should go on a diet, launching almost twenty years of self-loathing, eating disorders and depression,” Hagen said. “I have gone from someone struggling with being chubby to someone proud of being fat, and from feeling sad because of how my body looks to feeling furious that there are people who judge me because of how my body looks.

“I am so incredibly honoured that 4th Estate is willing to give me this chance, because I genuinely believe that if I had read this book when I was a teenager, I would have had a much better life from much earlier on, so that is what I am doing: I am writing this book for my teenage self.”

Thickett said:  “I’ve been a huge admirer of Sofie’s for a long time: her work as a comedian and podcaster is so original and intelligent, never afraid to shy away from complex issues, but also devastatingly funny and feminist.”

She said the book will “examine the overwhelmingly toxic consequences of body shaming, but also how to find self-acceptance outside of the ideals it promotes”.

Thickett added: “I’m delighted that readers will now have a chance to enjoy Sofie’s incredibly frank, funny and courageous debut, which introduces such an important new voice into this timely and urgent debate.”

Hagen is the winner of the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer 2015, and co-creator of the "Guilty Feminist" podcast. She currently hosts the "Made of Human" podcast, and has written about fat phobia for the Guardian and Standard Issue. Her new sell-out show, "Dead Baby Frog", will run at the Soho Theatre from 5th to 10th March. She recently criticised charity Cancer Research UK's advertising in a tweet shared with her 33,000 followers.