I am thrilled to be sending you the latest (and, we hope, final) incarnation of Origami by our wonderful Kim. Yes, I’m afraid she’s still determined to call it that! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I have put your case to her as eloquently as I know how, but she refuses to entertain the idea of calling it Kim Peculiar, Kim Ha Ha. She is of the view that it’s undignified, and I must admit I can see her point. I don’t know if people in France or Japan ask one another if something is funny peculiar or funny ha ha. Do you think they do? It feels very English to me. I suspect it’s a title that would travel badly, and since Kim is one of the few British comedians of her generation who’s starting to make a real impact internationally, I’d like her book’s title to have broader appeal. And as Kim pointed out (and of course she’s quite right), she’s hardly a ‘ha ha’ kind of comedian. She’s far too dark and subtle for that, and endlessly under fire from the ‘Why can’t you just tell funny jokes?’ brigade. To put ‘Ha Ha’ in her title would, I fear, give rise to a few ‘Ha ha? There’s not a single good punchline in the book!’ sort of reviews.

I also think this book will sell not because it’s a comedian’s memoir – a flagging genre, I suspect – but because it’s essentially a true crime book: the story of Kim’s involvement in the Billy Dead Mates murder investigation. For this reason, I wonder whether we might do better with a title that sounds more crime-ish? I think I can persuade Kim to relinquish her cherished Origami if you will, at your end, agree not to mention Kim Peculiar, Kim Ha Ha again. What about something referencing Billy and his books directly? The Billy Dead Books? Or is that too oddball?

Since the book will form the basis of Kim’s tour later in the year (and I’m afraid the tour is called ‘Origami’, whatever the name of the book ends up being) we will need at some point to talk about a special edition of the book to be sold only at Kim’s gigs, perhaps with some extra content. I’ve attached a full list of tour dates as requested.

I think that’s all for now. I am on the very edge of my seat, and likely to bounce off it in excitement as I await your reaction to this stunning book!

Warmest regards, Inessa

Kim Tribbeck in Origami – Autumn 2016 Tour Dates Newcastle/Theatre Royal – 2 September Newcastle/Metro Radio Arena – 3 September York/Grand Opera House – 4 September Harrogate/Royal Hall – 5 September Scarborough/Scarborough Spa – 10 September Durham/Gala – 11 September

Huddersfield/Town Hall – 12 September Southend/Cliffs – 13 September