What are the ten most offensive swear words in the English language - and why do we love to say them so much? Is politeness just acceptable hypocrisy? Why is Cockney Rhyming Slang important in the evolution of language. The answers to all this and more are unravelled by Stephen Fry as he travels across Planet Word meeting the tribes, toddlers, prisoners and scholars who have made language what it is today. He'll also talk to the animals, read the earliest hieroglyphs and go on a trip inside his own brain to see how he processes speech. 'Planet Word' will accompany the new primetime BBC series launching in September on Sunday nights.
Thirteen years ago, Moab is my Washpot, Stephen Fry's autobiography of his early years, was published to rave reviews and was a huge bestseller. In those thirteen years since, Stephen Fry has moved into a completely new stratosphere, both as a public figure, and a private man. Now he is not just a multi-award-winning comedian and actor, but also an author, director and presenter. In January 2010, he was awarded the Special Recognition Award at the National Television Awards.
Much loved by the public and his peers, Stephen Fry is one of the most influential cultural forces in the country. This dazzling memoir promises to be a courageously frank, honest and poignant read. It will detail some of the most turbulent and least well known years of his life with writing that will excite you, make you laugh uproariously, move you, inform you and, above all, surprise you.
