Nina Stibbe’s memoirs, ranging from secret erotic poetry to an obsession with football, demonstrate that real life often provides humor that surpasses fiction, reports BritPanorama.
Stibbe’s first book, Love, Nina, offers a witty memoir based on her letters to her sister during the 1980s while she worked as a nanny for Mary-Kay Wilmers, editor of the London Review of Books. This bestseller later inspired a BBC series starring Helena Bonham Carter. Following that success, she authored five more novels and another memoir, Went to London, Took the Dog, which explores her experiences in London as a sixty-something navigating a trial separation from her husband.
Stibbe has listed her five favorite humorous memoirs. Here are the highlights:
My Mess Is a Bit of a Life by Georgia Pritchett
Georgia Pritchett, a prominent TV screenwriter known for Veep and Succession, offers a memoir filled with vignettes detailing her journey through anxiety and creativity. While her lifelong anxiety is a recurring theme, she approaches it with humor and insightful reflections on her personal experiences with sexism throughout her career. This memoir intertwines life’s harsh realities with joyful moments, making it a powerful read.
My Family: The Memoir by David Baddiel
In examining his family following his mother’s death, David Baddiel discovers hidden layers to their ordinary appearance, including his mother’s escape from Nazi Germany and her secret love life. He juxtaposes this with reflections on his father’s dementia, creating a narrative that is punctuated with humor, empathy, and a celebration of family dynamics.
Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood
Patricia Lockwood’s memoir recounts her upbringing in a uniquely eccentric family, featuring her father as a married Catholic priest. Her return home after 12 years reveals a cacophony of familial humor and tensions. This memoir captures the absurdities of her upbringing with sharp wit and emotional depth, reflecting both the joy and pain inherent in family dynamics.
Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby
Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch chronicles his lifelong relationship with Arsenal football club, initiated during his parents’ divorce. Through this lens, Hornby explores themes of connection and emotional life, blending poignancy with humor. The book stands as a landmark in autobiographical writing, revealing the complex emotional landscape typical to male experiences.
Breasts by Jean Hannah Edelstein
In her memoir, American author Jean Hannah Edelstein reflects on her relationship with her breasts, navigating themes of shame, power, and motherhood. Facing a significant health diagnosis at 41 compels her to reassess this integral part of her identity. The book elegantly balances humor and poignant reflection, making it an essential read on identity and self-understanding.
Nina Stibbe is a judge for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction. The shortlist will be announced on 25 March.
