About the book
'A gorgeously candid account of acting and show business. And an intimate and heartfelt story of love, loss and a life spent together. It is an honour to be invited in on these diaries. I cannot remember being so moved by a book' Dolly Alderton 'Fascinating, funny and heart wrenching' Dame Julie Walters 'An emotional rollercoaster - profoundly moving and wonderfully entertaining. A brilliant memoir about living, loving and losing' Bernardine Evaristo Richard E. Grant emigrated from Swaziland to London in 1982, with dreams of making it as an actor, when he unexpectedly met and fell in love with renowned dialect coach Joan Washington. Their relationship and marriage, navigating the highs and lows of Hollywood, parenthood and loss, lasted almost forty years. When Joan died in 2021, her final challenge to him was to find 'a pocketful of happiness in every day'. This honest and frequently hilarious memoir is written in honour of that challenge - Richard has faithfully kept a diary since childhood, and in these entries he shares in raw detail everything he has experienced : both the pain of losing his beloved wife, and the excitement of their life together, from the role that transformed his life overnight in Withnail & I to his thrilling Oscar nomination thirty years later for Can You Ever Forgive Me? Told with candour in Richard's utterly unique style, A Pocketful of Happiness is a powerful, funny and moving celebration of life's unexpected joys.
Editions of A Pocketful of Happiness
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781398519473
Read an Excerpt
'A gorgeously candid account of acting and show business. And an intimate and heartfelt story of love, loss and a life spent together. It is an honour to be invited in on these diaries. I cannot remember being so moved by a book' Dolly Alderton 'Fascinating, funny and heart wrenching' Dame Julie Walters 'An emotional rollercoaster - profoundly moving and wonderfully entertaining. A brilliant memoir about living, loving and losing' Bernardine Evaristo Richard E. Grant emigrated from Swaziland to London in 1982, with dreams of making it as an actor, when he unexpectedly met and fell in love with renowned dialect coach Joan Washington. Their relationship and marriage, navigating the highs and lows of Hollywood, parenthood and loss, lasted almost forty years. When Joan died in 2021, her final challenge to him was to find 'a pocketful of happiness in every day'. This honest and frequently hilarious memoir is written in honour of that challenge - Richard has faithfully kept a diary since childhood, and in these entries he shares in raw detail everything he has experienced : both the pain of losing his beloved wife, and the excitement of their life together, from the role that transformed his life overnight in Withnail & I to his thrilling Oscar nomination thirty years later for Can You Ever Forgive Me? Told with candour in Richard's utterly unique style, A Pocketful of Happiness is a powerful, funny and moving celebration of life's unexpected joys.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is A Pocketful of Happiness about?
'A gorgeously candid account of acting and show business. And an intimate and heartfelt story of love, loss and a life spent together. It is an honour to be invited in on these diaries. I cannot remember being so moved by a book' Dolly Alderton 'Fascinating, funny and heart wrenching' Dame Julie Walters 'An emotional rollercoaster - profoundly moving and wonderfully entertaining. A brilliant memoir about living, loving and losing' Bernardine Evaristo Richard E. Grant emigrated from Swaziland to London in 1982, with dreams of making it as an actor, when he unexpectedly met and fell in love with renowned dialect coach Joan Washington. Their relationship and marriage, navigating the highs and lows of Hollywood, parenthood and loss, lasted almost forty years. When Joan died in 2021, her final challenge to him was to find 'a pocketful of happiness in every day'. This honest and frequently hilarious memoir is written in honour of that challenge - Richard has faithfully kept a diary since childhood, and in these entries he shares in raw detail everything he has experienced : both the pain of losing his beloved wife, and the excitement of their life together, from the role that transformed his life overnight in Withnail & I to his thrilling Oscar nomination thirty years later for Can You Ever Forgive Me? Told with candour in Richard's utterly unique style, A Pocketful of Happiness is a powerful, funny and moving celebration of life's unexpected joys.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in A Pocketful of Happiness?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Biography and non-fiction prose > Memoirs
Where can I read a sample of A Pocketful of Happiness?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781398519473
How long is A Pocketful of Happiness and how many pages does it have?
A Pocketful of Happiness has 336 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book A Pocketful of Happiness?
Richard E. Grant
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
A Pocketful of Happiness is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781398519473)