Abi Grant Writer, Editor, Optimist

I like words

words

I’ve always liked words. I like alliteration, rhythm and ridiculous rhymes. I like pretentious words like propinquity, persiflage, rodomontade and interregnum. I like swear words and not swear words (you bet your sweet bippy and Sugar Honey Ice Tea). I like solemn and superior words, like straitlaced and condescension and tenebrous. I love Americanisms like rubbernecking, bling, bleachers and boardwalks. And net-inspired neologisms like dreadmill and doom-scrolling, broligarchy and The Nerd Reich, meat-space, pignorance and resting rich face. I like slang and dialects. I envy other languages like the verbs of the Boro: mokhrob (to express anger by a sidelong glance) khonsay (to pick an object up with care) and onsra (to love as if for the last time). We are the words we make and use. The only thing better than words are jokes; that’s when words have the most fun.

ABOUT

I was born in London and raised by distant relatives – my parents. That’s being English for you. Like most writers, my career has been part luck, part endeavour, with the disappointments dwarfed by acts of kindness. I sold my first joke at 18, then went on to wrote for dozens of UK sketch shows. I spent nine years at the Torygraph (as one of their house reds) wrote the book for a West End musical (Olivier nom) was head writer at Thomas the Tank Engine (BAFTA nom) and have written for more comedians than I care to remember. After penning a Sunday Times best seller ghost-writing came to my door and I’ve since written for ex-Mi5, the SAS, British MPs, and Putin’s lawyer in London (for which I am eternally sorry). I spent five years happy years as a producer at the BBC’s World Service (they had to drag me out when my contract ended). I’m currently working on The Kama Sutra of Comedy with London based US live comedy director Amanda Baker and UK comedian Jimmy Carr.

contact

Agent: John Rogerson at Collective Agents

‘Have a question, comment or info requests? Feel free to contact my agent. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

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