James Acaster

James Acaster is one of Britain's most acclaimed and original stand-up comedians, an author and podcast host whose comedy defies categorisation. Born in Kettering, Northamptonshire, in 1985, he was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award a record-breaking five consecutive times and his Netflix special Repertoire was widely praised as one of the finest stand-up specials of its era. Acaster's books include Classic Scrapes — his Sunday Times bestselling collection of absurd but true stories about the ridiculous situations he finds himself in — and Perfect Sound Whatever, a memoir about the year he listened to nothing but albums from 2016 while going through a breakup. His writing captures the same surreal, meticulously structured comedy that characterises his stand-up, full of unexpected digressions, escalating absurdity, and a comedian's gift for timing on the page. He also co-hosts the popular podcast Off Menu with Ed Gamble. His audiobooks — narrated in his own distinctive voice — and books offer listeners and readers comedy writing that is smart, unpredictable, and laugh-out-loud funny, from one of the most inventive comedians working in Britain today.