Portrait of The Piss Artist As A Young Man by Tadhg Hickey (2023), published by Eriu
What's it about? Comedian Tadhg Hickey writes an addiction memoir about his relationship with alcohol and how it grew to dominate his life. Recounting the ups and downs of intoxication as well as the lengths of self-deception one goes to, ultimately, Hickey forges a path of redemption.
Why should you read it? Hickey has an easily accessible writing style which couches a significant message concerning self-help and the power of change. It's also funny.
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Listen: Tadhg Hickey chats to Jennifer Zamparelli
What the critics say: "You'd be forgiven for thinking a silly book awaits, but, though there are some chuckles and Hickey writes with an amiable levity throughout, what you actually get is an impressively clear-eyed account of alcoholism, which Hickey likens to "having a twin brother who hates you"." Rory Kiberd, Irish Times.
What’s next for Hickey? Gatman! is his new play about "the metamorphic effect that alcohol can have on the human spirit" - it premieres at the Everyman in Cork this March.
For readers of… Surprisingly Down to Earth, and Very Funny: My Autobiography, Limmy; Pour Me: A Life, AA Gill and Amber Tozer's Sober Stick Figure: A Memoir.
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