Rising to the Surface

The rise and fall and triumphant rise from the ashes of Lenny Henry during the 80s and 90s. 'Moving and ebullient' Daily Telegraph 'Relayed with characteristic exuberance and self-deprecation' Guardian Rising to the Surface traces Lenny Henry's career through the 80s and 90s. The 16-year-old who won a talent competition, now has to navigate his way through the seas of professional comedy, learning his craft through sheer graft and hard work. We follow Lenny through a period of great creativity - prize-winning tv programmes, summer seasons across Britain, the starring role in a Hollywood film, and stand-up gigs in New York. But with each rise there is a fall, the most traumatic being the death of his mother. But by the end of the book he has been able to rise through a sea of troubles and breaks out to the surface to accept the Golden Rose of Montreaux for his work in television.

Lenny Henry has been a comedian since the age of 16. He has risen from being a cult star on children's television to one of Britain's best-known and most celebrated comedians, as well as a writer, radio DJ, TV presenter, and award-winning actor. He is best-known for his appearances in TISWAS, Three of a Kind, The Lenny Henry Show, Hope & Glory, Lenny Henry in Pieces and Chef! Since co-founding Comic Relief in 1985, he has also been involved in every Red Nose Day night since 1988. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Comedy Awards as well as the British Academy Television Special Award, and is a fellow of the Royal Television Society. Henry has a PhD in Media Arts, and in 2015 was awarded a knighthood for services to charity and drama. In 2018, BBC One aired The Lenny Henry Birthday Show to celebrate his career so far.