As Stuart Mould might say ‘Teamwork makes the dream work’, and I’d like to thank all those who have helped and supported me throughout the writing of this diary: my agent Jo Unwin, expertly abetted by Milly Reilly, whose wisdom and encouragement helped to save me from myself and this project from relentlessness; Kate Jaeger and Laura Montgomery, who braved earlier versions of the diary and gave me hope that all was not hopeless; the team at Picador, particularly Paul Baggaley, Kish Widyaratna, Camilla Elworthy, Nicholas Blake and Paul Martinovic, who bring such creativity and expertise to the art of publishing; Jon McNaught, whose cover illustrations are nothing short of perfect; Paul and Rachel, whose hospitality turned an unfamiliar place into a home for eighteen months; the twin institutions of my real-life Book Group and 27th Club, the existence of which ensured I’d have to leave the house at least twice a month; my long-suffering family, of course, for putting up with my moody silences and uncomprehending stares into the mid-distance; and the extended family of my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram friends, who have always shown me so much kindness.

Finally, I’m indebted to the enduring genius of Sue Townsend, who showed how a teenage boy from an unremarkable Midlands town might yet dare to dream.

About the Author

BRIAN BILSTON has been described as the Banksy of poetry and Twitter’s unofficial Poet Laureate. With over 100,000 followers on social media, including J. K. Rowling, Ian Rankin and Grayson Perry, Brian has become truly beloved by the Twitter community. His poetry collection, You Took the Last Bus Home, was published by Unbound.

Diary of a Somebody is his first novel.

Also by Brian Bilston

Also by Brian Bilston

You Took the Last Bus Home