Items20The creator’s order
  1. 1Victoria WoodVictoria WoodBorn 19 May 1953Dinnerladies is a rewarding way to concentrate on Wood’s writing rather than simply her delivery. The canteen ensemble gives different characters their own rhythms, with a practical conversation revealing more than its apparent subject. Wood’s discussion of repeatedly rewriting early episodes is a…0i
  2. 2Caroline AherneCaroline AherneBorn 24 Dec 1963The Royle Family rewards attention to the writing of apparently uneventful conversation. Aherne co-wrote with Craig Cash, with Henry Normal contributing to the first series, and its domestic exchanges make silence, repetition and shared assumptions part of the structure. Compare that with Mrs…0i
  3. 3Tina FeyTina FeyBorn 18 May 1970Bossypants is a direct route into Fey’s prose voice, bringing work, family and the business of comedy into the same comic frame. Pair it with her Fresh Air discussion of writing 30 Rock to understand how a recognisable voice can coexist with a writers’ room. She explicitly distinguishes scripts…0i
  4. 4Phoebe Waller-BridgePhoebe Waller-BridgeBorn 14 Jul 1985Fleabag: The Scriptures lets you compare the completed television performances with the filming scripts, directions and additional writing. That makes it especially useful for noticing how intimacy with the viewer is constructed, rather than treating a glance at the camera as spontaneous charm.…0i
  5. 5Michaela CoelMichaela CoelBorn 1 Oct 1987Compare Chewing Gum with I May Destroy You for the range of Coel’s writing around desire, belonging and the stories people tell about experience. Her physical comic confidence is only one part of work that also depends on perspective and structure. I May Destroy You is a demanding drama involving…0i
  6. 6Issa RaeIssa RaeBorn 12 Jan 1985The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl extends Rae’s interest in social discomfort into autobiographical essays. The book shares a title with her web series, but gives the reader a different relationship to the author’s memories and self-commentary. Start here if the small negotiations around…0i
  7. 7Sharon HorganSharon HorganBorn 13 Jul 1970Catastrophe, co-written with Rob Delaney, is a strong starting point for Horgan’s ability to let affection and irritation occupy the same exchange. The relationship develops under pressure before the characters have properly learnt how to live together, giving the dialogue practical work beyond…0i
  8. 8Rob DelaneyRob DelaneyBorn 19 Jan 1977A Heart That Works reveals another use for the directness familiar from Delaney’s comedy and his co-writing of Catastrophe. This memoir concerns the life and death of his young son, Henry, and gives love, grief, anger and moments of humour room beside each other. It is emotionally demanding reading…0i
  9. 9James AcasterJames AcasterBorn 9 Jan 1985Classic Scrapes collects the mishaps Acaster first recounted on Josh Widdicombe’s radio show, alongside previously untold stories and his own drawings. It is an accessible route into how he shapes an anecdote: an ordinary decision acquires consequences, and the details make the embarrassment…0i
  10. 10Bridget ChristieBridget ChristieBorn 17 Aug 1971The Change turns Christie’s questioning comic voice into a sustained story about a woman reconsidering the time and labour her family takes for granted. Christie created, wrote and stars in the series, which moves from domestic frustration towards the Forest of Dean and a more unusual social world.…0i