July 18, 2022

Screenwriter Abi Morgan on Caretaking and Her New Book "This Is Not a Pity Memoir"

41 minutes

When you share your life with someone, you take on the idea of being a caretaker if something goes wrong, but only in the abstract. But when that idea becomes a reality, life changes in so many ways you may never expect. My guest this week is Abi Morgan. Abi is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter ("The Iron Lady") whose new book “This is Not a Pity Memoir” is now available.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"With her trademark deadpan, trenchant wit, and a deeply soulful mindfulness, Abi Morgan takes a breathtaking hike on the cliff edge of a life upended by illness. By turns harrowing, cracking sharp and heartbreaking, it is...comforting to accompany someone with her sense of humor and the absurd on this trip- (this) book is a gift to anyone who has been similarly unmoored by fate and the furies.” -- Meryl Streep

“The kind of book you will find yourself saying urgently, over and over, to friends. “Have you read it? Have you read it?" -- Caitlin Moran

“Gripping, funny and always honest.” -- David Nicholls

"There are no words. I was stunned, in every sense, by this heart-breaking, profound and deeply human memoir. Like CS Lewis on grief, Morgan finds truth and beauty in the darkest places. I feel changed by this book. I will never forget it." -- Meg Mason, author of Sorrow & Bliss

"From the very first line I couldn’t stop reading. Abi invites you in to what feels almost like a thriller, then quickly a heart bursting romantic comedy and a devastating drama. Even if this was fiction it would be impossible to stop thinking about this book long after reading. The fact that this is Abi’s real life experience brought forth as this astonishing piece of writing is truly breathtaking. It’s arrestingly honest, funny, profound and exquisitely written. I could not have loved it more." -- Carey Mulligan

“A mash-up of all the things I love in a book – honesty, comedy, pathos and what- happens-next. It’s brutal – in a good way – but above all else it’s a testament to kindness, stickability and enduring love.” -- Kit de Waal

"An extraordinary tale told extraordinarily well." -- Marina Hyde

"I wept. I dared to hope. I felt my heart crack. Exceptional." -- Sam Baker

“A profound look at the complexities of love, even at its most mundane. Equal parts savage and sublime, this obliterates notions of memory and intimacy with grace and precision….[A] raw and incandescent debut.” -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A candid, intimate memoir of a harrowing time.” -- Kirkus Reviews

...more