Mo Gilligan's debut scooped by Ebury Spotlight

Ebury Spotlight has scooped That Moment When..., the debut book by Bafta-winning comedian Mo Gilligan.

Emma Smith, editorial director of the new imprint, acquired world all language rights from Pollyanna McGirr at UTC Artist Management. It will be released in hardback on 2nd September 2021.

Gilligan, described by the Times as “the funniest man in Britain”, will tell his life story, explore his influences and motivators — including the unsung heroes of the Black British comedy scene — the importance of reflecting his community and “the power of spreading joy through laughter”.

The publisher said: “In That Moment When… Mo journeys through childhood memories in south London, reminisces about school days and old-school raving, goes behind the scenes of his first comedy gigs, the creation of the original Geezer and becoming a viral sensation, selling out national tours in minutes to becoming one of TV’s most in-demand stars. Mo shares the stories behind huge milestones in his life – the moment he decided he wanted to be a comedian, the moment he went viral, the moment he realised he was a little bit famous (and how he dealt with it), the moment his Netflix special dropped globally in 190 countries, smashing into the UK Top Five and of course, the moment he won his Bafta for Best Entertainment Performance.”

Gilligan explained: “The past few years have been so incredible for me, but there was also a decade's worth of grind before I got any kind of break. In That Moment When I get to share all those stories, all the highs and lows and moments that made me. I genuinely never imagined that I would ever get the opportunity to write my own book, so this is another amazing one to add and I’m so grateful to everyone who has helped make this happen."

Smith added: “Mo is a leading light in British comedy and it’s impossible to spend a moment in his company without coming away with a feel-good spring in your step. This book channels that energy onto the page, showing a new side to Mo and the incredible journey he has been on so far. We are all absolutely thrilled to be publishing his book this year.”

Publishing director Sara Cywinski said: “Working with Mo Gilligan is a dream come true for Ebury Spotlight. A man in demand, there is no bigger name in comedy and TV right now. So as you’ll imagine, we have big ambitions for his first book. He’ll be leading the way for our autumn line-up, with a stellar headlining campaign in the works.”