Funny Girl - the latest novel from Nick Hornby, the million-copy bestselling author of About a Boy

Make them laugh, and they're yours forever . . .

Barbara Parker is Miss Blackpool of 1964, but she doesn't want to be a beauty queen. She only wants to make people laugh. So she leaves her hometown behind, takes herself off to London, and lands a life-changing audition for a new BBC comedy series. Overnight she becomes Sophie Straw: charming, gorgeous, destined to win the nation's hearts.

Funny Girl is the story of a smash-hit TV show and the people behind the scenes: the writers, Tony and Bill, friends since national service and comedy obsessives; producer Dennis, Oxbridge educated, clever, mild and not-so-secretly devoted to his star actress Sophie; and dashing male lead Clive, who firmly believes he's destined for better things. The show's success continues rocketing and the cast and crew are having the time of their lives. But when the script begins to get a bit too close to home, and life starts imitating art, they all face a choice. How long can they keep going before it's time to change the channel?

Nick Hornby's novel is about popular culture and the swinging sixties. Sophie Straw is learning about youth and old age, fame and hard work, class and collaboration. Funny Girl offers a captivating portrait of youthful exuberance and freedom at a time when Britain itself was experiencing one of its most enduring creative bursts. Hornby fans will love his latest book, as will readers of David Nicholls, Mark Haddon and William Boyd.

'Fans won't be disappointed by this new story... endearing, humorous and touching, full of spot-on period detail, all brought to vivid life by a cast of very human characters. Hugely enjoyable' Sunday Mirror

'Resolutely, winningly light-hearted' Observer

'Nick Hornby's funny, winningly perceptive novel is a pleasure to read' Telegraph

'If you devoured About a Boy and whizzed through High Fidelity you're going to love Nick Hornby's brilliant new novel. Hilarious and captivating, this is a fabulous read' Take a Break

'There is something about Hornby's writing that is so simple, so easy-to-read and yet so sensitive and profound at the same time, that anything he writes turns out very special. The premise of Funny Girl is like a lot of Nick Hornby's irritatingly genius ideas: something so obvious you can't believe no one thought of it before.' Independent

'Everything he writes is addictively readable and clever, but with this one he just surpasses himself' Red

'Effortlessly engaging... Hornby's writing is so fluid, he has a great knack for capturing atmosphere and skewering a character with a killer phrase' - Evening Standard