It’s open season
Candid new offerings with a hard – and frequently hilarious – take on life, the universe and everything
This Much Is True
by Miriam Margolyes (John Murray, £20) The ebullient Miriam Margolyes has never been afraid to speak her mind – and that’s definitely the case in her no-holds-barred memoir.
Now 80, Margolyes claims to be quiet and boring at home but it’s hard to believe. Nothing is off limits as she spills the beans about everything from her sexual experiences to bodily functions.
“I lack the filter others possess and out of my potty mouth pop filthy sexual anecdotes, verbal and physical flatulence on a grand scale,” the actress declares.
She’s enjoyed a stellar career, appearing as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter films, Lady Whiteadder in Blackadder and Mrs Manson Mingott in Martin Scorsese’s The Age Of Innocence (for which she won a Bafta). She has also made a string of highly praised documentaries, including The Real Marigold Hotel and Miriam’s Big Fat Adventure.
Her reminiscences range from the mildly surprising to the downright astonishing. She modelled for renowned artist Augustus John as a teen, was the first person to swear on national TV (on University Challenge in 1963), mooned at Warren Beatty on the set of the film Reds and was ordered to “be quiet” by the Queen at a Buckingham Palace reception.
Margolyes was devoted to her parents. Her father was a buttoned-up doctor, while her free-spirited mother did housework in the nude. But she writes poignantly of her regret about telling them she was gay. She worries to this day that her revelation caused her mother’s first stroke.
Margolyes’ autobiography isn’t for the easily shocked but it’s blisteringly honest and hugely entertaining. Lovingly dedicated to Heather, her
Did I Say That Out Loud? by Fi Glover & Jane Garvey
(Trapeze, £16.99)
Fi Glover and Jane Garvey are two of the nation’s best-loved radio broadcasters. Glover presents The
Listening Project on BBC Radio 4, while Garvey was the first voice on Radio 5 Live when it launched in 1994 and she also hosted Woman’s Hour for 14 years. For the last four years, the forthright pair have presented Fortunately… With Fi And Jane, an award-winning podcast where they chew the fat on everything from bingo wings to dodgy boilers. Now they have recreated the podcast in book form, taking it in turns to write a chapter to which the other responds. No subjects are off the table as they discuss the hierarchy of radio hosts, poke fun at Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness empire and reveal the trials and tribulations of parenting teenagers. Among all the mirth, they are smart and perceptive with a dry sense of humour and knack of hitting the nail squarely on the head. Highlights include Fi’s hilarious account of her trip to a medical spa, complete with coconut mouthwashes and meals eaten in total silence, and Jane’s insistence that Christmas is a hereditary disease, fraught with unwanted responsibilities. Subtitled Notes On The Chuff Of Life, this book inevitably lacks the spontaneity of the podcast but it’s wise, laugh-out-loud funny and, just like the authors themselves, never preaches.