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Robert Wringham

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Robert Wringham
Robert Wringham in 2015
Robert Wringham in 2015
Born1982 (age 41–42)
Dudley, England
OccupationAuthor, Comedian
CitizenshipBritish citizen
Resident of Canada
Period2007–present
GenreHumor
Notable worksNew Escapologist (2007–);
A Loose Egg (2014)
Spouse
Samara
​
(m. 2014)​
Website
wringham.co.uk

Robert Wringham (born 28 November 1982) is a British writer, best known for his humor writing and as the editor of New Escapologist magazine. His first collection, A Loose Egg, was shortlisted for the 2015 Leacock Medal. He has also written two histories of alternative comedy and a comic novel.

Work

Wringham is primarily a humorist.[1][2] In an article for the one-hundredth edition of Canadian Notes and Queries, he expressed a desire to be known as "the waster humorist." He also conveyed a belief in the social value of comic literature and an admiration for the work of Eric Nicol, Susan Juby, Paul Quarrington and Stuart McLean.[3]

Wringham is the founder of New Escapologist, a lifestyle magazine. The magazine advocates the escape from conventional employment in favor of more creative pursuits.[4] Some notable contributors have been Alain de Botton, Will Self, Richard Herring, Ewan Morrison, Tom Hodgkinson, Luke Rhinehart and Caitlin Doughty.

In 2012, Go Faster Stripe published Wringham's first non-fiction book You Are Nothing, which told the story of comedy troupe Cluub Zarathustra, whose members included Stewart Lee, Simon Munnery, Kevin Eldon, Julian Barratt, Graham Linehan, Sally Phillips and Johnny Vegas. The book is written from Wringham's outsider perspective and draws on conflicting interviews with cast and audience members.[5][6][7][8]

2014 saw the publication of A Loose Egg, a collection of short pieces about Wringham's childhood, bachelorhood and early married life. In 2015, it was longlisted and finally shortlisted for the Leacock Medal.[9][10][11][12]

In 2015, Wringham crowdfunded a New Escapologist-related book with publisher Unbound[13] and the resulting Escape Everything! was released in 2016. A German edition called Ich Bin Raus was published in the same year and attracted considerable media attention.[14][15][16][17] A follow-up title was commissioned called The Good Life for Wage Slaves, published by Heyne Verlag in Germany and independently in the UK. When Unbound republished Escape Everything! as a paperback in 2021, it was retitled I'm Out: How to Make an Exit.[18]

Returning to Go Faster Stripe in 2021, he wrote a second humour collection called Stern Plastic Owl.[19] The following year, Go Faster Stripe published Wringham's second volume of comedy history with a book about the Iceman.[20][21][22]

His first novel, Rub-A-Dub-Dub was published in 2023.[23][24][25]

Wringham writes for Joshua Glenn's pop culture website HiLobrow,[26] and for the Idler magazine where he had a column between 2016 and 2020.[27][28]

Books

  • You Are Nothing (2012) ISBN 978-0-9560901-2-6
  • A Loose Egg (2014) ISBN 978-0-9939318-0-2
  • Escape Everything! (2016) ISBN 978-1783521333

Pseudonym

His pen name comes from James Hogg's Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner.[29]

In The Good Life for Wage Slaves, Wringham explains that he'd been blogging under his original name since his early twenties but became self-conscious and in need of creative freedom when googling people became a common practice: "I didn't mind exposing my soul to a few strange nerds on the other side of the planet, but a certain dishonesty is required among friends, isn't it?"[30]

Personal life

Originally from Dudley, Wringham moved to Glasgow in 2004.[31] He is also a Resident of Canada.[32][33]

In 2014 he married his long-term partner Samara, who appears as a foil in some of his writing.[34]

References

  1. ^ Robert Wringham: 'The highest form of activity is the shenanigan' British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 01 August 2023.
  2. ^ Bunch of Five: Robert Wringham Outside Left.
  3. ^ Journey to Orillia. Canadian Notes and Queries, No. 100. 2017.
  4. ^ Leslie, Jeremy (4 September 2023). "At Work With Robert Wringham, New Escapologist". magCulture.
  5. ^ You Are Nothing by Robert Wringham: book review by Steve Bennett Chortle. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  6. ^ Robert Wringham – You Are Nothing The List. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  7. ^ Cluub Zarathustra: where British comedy was reborn Telegraph. 5 July 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  8. ^ Episode 8: Stewart Lee Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast
  9. ^ 2015 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour shortlist revealed CBC. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  10. ^ Terry Fallis Wins 2015 Leacock Humour Award Toronto Star. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  11. ^ Author wins Leacock Medal for Humour for second time Orillia Packet and Times. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  12. ^ Leacock humour shortlist unveiled in Orillia Simco.com. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  13. ^ Escape Everything! Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  14. ^ Weniger Arbeit, Mehr Sex Sueddeutsche Zeitung. 23 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  15. ^ Robert Wringham verrät: So sprengen Sie die Fesseln der Arbeitswelt Focus. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  16. ^ Raus aus der Falle Wie man der Arbeit und dem Konsum entkommt Berliner Zeitung. 27 August 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  17. ^ "Putzen ist vergnüglich, wenn man es richtig sieht" Der Standard. 23 August 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  18. ^ I’m Out: How to Make an Exit by Robert Wringham Writing.ie
  19. ^ Michael Legge to publish his first book: one of three new titles from indie label Go Faster Stripe Chortle. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  20. ^ The Iceman Gets Exposure Chortle Retrieved 01 August 2023
  21. ^ 1980s alternative comedy star The Iceman reveals all in new book British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 01 August 2023
  22. ^ Iceman Book StewartLee.co.uk. Retrieved 01 August 2023
  23. ^ Robert Wringham Takes an Early Bath Outside Left. Retrieved 01 August 2023
  24. ^ Rub-A-Dub-Dub by Robert Wringham Writing.ie. Retrieved 09 August 2023
  25. ^ Chamberlain-King, R. (19 September 2023)Two Men in a Tub PopMatters.
  26. ^ Posts by Robert Wringham HiLoBrow. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  27. ^ Idler 48-70
  28. ^ Office Nightmares Idler. 11 November 2020.
  29. ^ About Wringham.co.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  30. ^ The Good Life for Wage Slaves (2020)
  31. ^ What is Robert Wringham? Wringham.co.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  32. ^ I'm not an employee by nature. Nobody is New Escapologist. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  33. ^ Avoiding Modern Life Mongrel p22. 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  34. ^ Day of the Coconut Wringham.co.uk. 2 August 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
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