Grow Up
  • Published: 15 April 2008
  • ISBN: 9780091910716
  • Imprint: Ebury Press
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 400
  • RRP: $45.00

Grow Up

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The intimate and hilarious memoirs of notorious and controversial actor, bon viveur and sometime songwriter - the irrepressible Keith Allen

'He'll either win the Victoria Cross or go to prison,' said Keith Allen's headmaster, 1966.

Born a Navy baby, Keith Allen learnt young that when things get too settled you move on. That's the way he has lived his life ever since - always leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

He might have been a professional footballer if his criminal behaviour hadn't got in the way. He spent time in prison, went on the run, drifted through squats and festivals, survived marriages, relationships and parenthood. He has loitered with intent in the worlds of comedy, music art, theatre and film, but never long enough to ever fully conform to expectations. He's become renowned for his extrovert and contentious behaviour, his radical opinions and his acting pedigree. But at 54-years-old ... has he finally grown up?

Revelatory and unapologetically honest, Grow Up takes you on a break-neck journey through the chaotic life of someone who's broken all the rules.
  • Published: 15 April 2008
  • ISBN: 9780091910716
  • Imprint: Ebury Press
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 400
  • RRP: $45.00
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About the author

Keith Allen

Keith Allen was born in 1953. A versatile comedian, actor, singer and writer, he was a breakthrough act from the Comedy Store in 1979. He went on to star in a number of films made by the Comic Strip Presents, played a dead lodger in Shallow Grave, is in the band Fat Les with Damien Hirst and Alex James from Blur, wrote and presented a documentary for Channel Four about ASBO lottery winner Michael Carroll and appeared as the Sheriff of Nottingham in prime-time BBC series, Robin Hood.

portrait photo of Keith Allen

Praise for Grow Up

Unmissable

Stephen Fry

Hugely entertaining ... heartfelt and authentic ... You end up rather loving him

India Knight, Sunday Times

This is one of the most extraordinary, funny and revealingly frank books I've read

Michael Parkinson

A cheerfully offensive mix of agitprop and luvvie, vaudeville and quest, insult, recidivism, heaps of drugs and more introspection than you would expect from someone so full-on

Guardian

The memoirs of Lily's dad, choc-a-block with appalling anecdotes

Sunday Times Culture, Summer Reads