A 2011 World Book Night selection.

June 2010 Book of the Month.

First published in Untold Stories, Alan Bennett’s previous collection of autobiographical pieces is now available in this handsome small format edition.  Sparingly told, it’s the story of his parents and larger family, looking back to their meeting and marriage and the tragedy of his mother’s later mental illness. As ever the caught phrase, the unsentimental writing, the ability to turn the most ordinary of events into something approaching poetry makes this an unmistakable Bennett piece, an absolute must-have.

Our Editorial Guru, Sarah Broadhurst, has suggested others book and authors that would be perfect for you to read next or to pass on the recommendation - so your gift will keep on giving enjoyment. Her selection for this title is: My Father's Fortune by Michael Frayn

Like for Like Reading:
Ethel and Ernest by Raymond Briggs
Toast: The Story of a Boy’s Hunger by Nigel Slater

Win a luxury craft weekend break on Dartmoor

Dartmoor.co.uk has teamed up with Lovereading to offer one lucky winner the chance to win a prize package of accommodation for 2 at Lurcombe luxury apartments during the Contemporary Craft Festival in Bovey Tracey on June 7–9th, including day tickets to attend the festival itself plus Dinner for two (including a bottle of wine) in one of our leading gastro pubs the Rock Inn and a delicious lunch for two at Home Farm Café set in the scenic grounds of the National Trust Estate at Parke in Bovey Tracey.

Please note that this draw is open only for UK residents and is free to enter. Draw closes on 27 May 2013. The winner will be chosen randomly from all entrants.The winners will be notified by 1 June 2013. The decision of the judges is final. By providing us with your contact details when you enter the competition you are agreeing to future contact from Dartmoor.co.uk and it's selected partners.

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Synopsis

Alan Bennett's A Life Like Other People's is a poignant family memoir offering a portrait of his parents' marriage and recalling his Leeds childhood, Christmases with Grandma Peel, and the lives, loves and deaths of his unforgettable aunties Kathleen and Myra. Bennett's powerful account of his mother's descent into depression and later dementia comes hand in hand with the uncovering of a long-held tragic secret. This is a heartrending and at times irresistibly funny work of autobiography by one of the best-loved English writers alive today.

About the Author

Alan Bennett has been one of our leading dramatists since the success of Beyond the Fringe in the 1960s. His television series Talking Heads has become a modern-day classic, as have many of his works for the stage, including Forty Years On, The Lady in the Van, A Question of Attribution, The Madness of George III (together with the Oscar-nominated screenplay The Madness of King George) and an adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows. His most recent play, The History Boys, won Evening Standard and Critics’ Circle awards for Best Play, The Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play and the South Bank Award. More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation