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A Pocketful of Happiness

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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

‘One of the bravest, strongest, funniest memoirs I’ve ever read’ Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry

An intimate and uplifting memoir by Richard E. Grant.


Born in Swaziland in 1957, Richard E. Grant moved to the UK to pursue his acting career, and has been a fixture on our screens since his breakout role in Withnail and I in 1987. When his beloved wife Joan died in 2021 after almost forty years together, she set him a challenge: to find a pocketful of happiness in every day.

The result is this book.

Set between the present day and flashbacks to delightfully indiscreet diary entries recalling landmarks from his remarkable life and glittering career, this is an immensely personal and profound memoir that celebrates and cherishes life’s unexpected joys.

Funny, moving and perceptive, A Pocketful of Happiness is an insight into the life of a much loved British actor.

About The Author

Photograph by Pip

Richard E. Grant was launched to fame in the 1987 cult classic Withnail and I. Since then, he has gone on to star in a wide variety of films, including his Oscar Award­–nominated performance in Can You Ever Forgive Me? in 2018. An avid reader, in 2021 he hosted the BBC’s literary travel series Write Around the World with Richard E. Grant. He married Joan Washington in 1986 and has a daughter, Olivia. You can find him on Twitter @RichardEGrant and Instagram at @Richard.E.Grant.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Gallery UK (September 29, 2022)
  • Length: 336 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781398520110

Raves and Reviews

‘Fascinating, funny and heart wrenching. Ultimately uplifting because it’s a beautiful and honest celebration of a deep, deep love’

– Dame Julie Walters

‘A gorgeously candid account of acting and showbusiness. And an intimate and heartfelt story of love, loss and a life spent together. I cannot remember being so moved by a book.’

– Dolly Alderton

‘An emotional rollercoaster – profoundly moving and wonderfully entertaining. A brilliant memoir about living, loving and losing.’

– Bernardine Evaristo

‘One of the bravest, strongest, funniest memoirs I’ve ever read’

– Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry

‘A deeply moving memoir from one of our greatest actors’

– David Walliams

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