1
of
1
Would that be funny?
Growing up with John Clarke
Brief Description
John Clarke was best known as Fred Dagg in New Zealand and for ‘The Games’ and ‘Clarke and Dawe’ in Australia. He was a performer, actor, writer, satirist and commentator. But he was also a father and a husband. In this delightful book, his daughter Lorin...
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2600
Unit price
/
Unavailable
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY
Found a better price? Request a price match
Would that be funny?
$2600
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Latest News
New Hero Alert! Meet Theresa – our new Warehouse Sidekick
We’re thrilled to welcome Theresa to the Book Hero team! Whenever we bring a new...
Our Rolife Range Is Getting Even Bigger!
Our Rolife range is getting even bigger! We’ve got a huge new shipment on the...
How to Make 1000 Piece Puzzles Easier
1000 piece puzzles can seem a little intimidating, but a few simple tricks can make...
Pick up a Microhistory (and become a very niche expert)
If you've seen people talking about a book about Salt and wondered what was happening...
Lizzy's August Reading
Book Hero team member Lizzy is rounding up her reads for August! Check out what...
See moreA new edition of the warm and witty family memoir about the beloved comedian John Clarke by his daughter, Lorin Clarke. An uplifting look at how our families make us who we are.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
John Clarke was best known as Fred Dagg in New Zealand and for ‘The Games’ and ‘Clarke and Dawe’ in Australia. He was a performer, actor, writer, satirist and commentator.
But he was also a father and a husband. In this delightful book, his daughter Lorin tells the story of growing up in the Clarke family: with John, her mother Helen, her little sister Lucia. This is the insider’s view of the million little things that define any family, not just its in-jokes or secret slang, but the triumphs and traumas that define generations.
In Would that be Funny? Lorin Clarke, author of the celebrated podcast The Fitzroy Diaries, brings her idyllic and nerdy childhood to life, and draws a fascinating portrait of the private man behind the household name.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781923058231
Publisher: Text Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 07 January 2025
Country: Australia
Imprint: The Text Publishing Company
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 288
About the Author
Lorin Clarke is the creator of the award-winning observational audio fiction serial, The Fitzroy Diaries, three series of which have been to air on ABC RN, as well as being released as a podcast. Lorin writes regularly for children’s television and her children’s book, Our (Last) Trip to the Market was published by Allen & Unwin in 2017. Lorin writes the fortnightly Public Service Announcement column for the Big Issue.
Also by Lorin Clarke
View all-
Would that be funny?
When satirist John Clarke died in April 2017, many people mourned his passing as if they had lost a friend or a member of the family. Many of us felt we grew up with him. After all, for the best part of half a century, since he burst into our lives as Fred Dagg in 1974, he was a performer,...Paperback$3600Elsewhere:$4000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Tinkering
This fine collection includes John Clarke's writing for radio, television, stage and screen, as well as previously unpublished pieces. The sudden death of John Clarke in April 2017 cut short the life of a man who was not only a great and much-loved entertainer and satirist but also a wonderful writer. Tinkering - The Complete Book of John Clarke represents...Hardback$4000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Tinkering
Introduced by John Clarke's daughter Lorin, Tinkering is the collected musings of the man acclaimed as 'the greatest satirist in the English language'. This book tells the story of John Clarke's writing life, including the fan letter he sent to All Black Terry Lineen when he was ten, a golf instruction manual unlike any other, Anna Karenina in forty-three words,...Paperback$3700Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
More from Biography & Memoir
View all-
This Angry Pen of Mine
This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...Hardback$7299Elsewhere:$8999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Famesick
Chronicling the tumultuous decade between the premiere of Girls to her 2021 shotgun wedding (minus the baby, because she has no uterus), Lena Dunham takes us through her journey with her trademark mix of humor, unsparing honesty, and keen eye for detail. We peek behind the scenes - of her work, her family, her relationships, and her battle to reclaim her body...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$3500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Pre-orderSwan Song
Beautiful. Beloved. Hunted. The extraordinary life and death of Diana, as told by her brother, Charles – available to pre-order now. ‘When asked, ‘What was it like, growing up with Diana?’, my first thought is always, But I don’t know what it was like not to grow up with her…’ In September 1997, Charles Spencer stood in Westminster Abbey before...Hardback$5499Elsewhere:$6500Unit price /UnavailableOut 23 Sep 2026Pre-order -
Dogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About
From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee--known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue--comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman's search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it. A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she...Paperback$3299Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Signed CopyStakes
Read our interview with author Noelle McCarthy! A darkly funny, sparkling follow-up to the author’s bestselling memoir Grand. You have to invite him in. You have to want the vampire’s badness in the house with you. Growing up in Catholic Ireland, Noelle McCarthy is captivated by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The vampire is a risk-free fantasy, a suave alternative to the fraught realities...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Built for This
Raised among strong women, butcher's benches, and hard ideas about what men are meant to be, Brad Poulter grows up knowing he's different long before he has the words for it. But in late '90s small-town New Zealand, 'different' isn't discussed, it's managed. Joining the Royal New Zealand Navy offers escape, certainty, and belonging. The rules are clear, the uniform...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Even the Good Girls Will Cry
Thanks to a thrown beer bottle and a fan letter to a P.O. box, Melissa Auf der Maur's first band scored an opening slot for the Smashing Pumpkins in her bohemian home town, Montreal. Sensing Melissa's talent, Billy Corgan recommended her to Courtney Love. Whisked from her local scene, Melissa joined Hole just after the deaths of Kurt Cobain and...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseAn Ocean and a Day
An utterly riveting, moving and poignant memoir of grief and loss that will speak to anyone who's ever lost someone they love. An Ocean and a Day is Hannah Richell's personal account of losing her husband, Matt, in a surfing accident on Tamarama beach in 2014. It is the story of the grief journey she travelled over the first two...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseA Place to Stand
A Place to Stand by Clare Ward is a profound memoir that delves into the life of a country doctor living and working in the Hokianga Harbour area in the far north of Aotearoa New Zealand. This region is sparsely populated and poses numerous health challenges. This thoughtful account details Clare’s thirty-year career, highlighting the people she works with and...Hardback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Rule of Lies
Written with all the pace and energy of a John Grisham novel … An incredible true story and a great read! BILL BROWDER, author of Red Notice and Freezing Order An American lawyer’s brilliant, propulsive story of witnessing and playing a part in the transformation of Russia under Yeltsin and Putin. A true tale of fascinating personalities, criminal intrigue, harrowing...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Rory
The New York Times bestseller The #1 Irish Times bestseller The definitive biography of Rory McIlroy, the most important, popular and confounding player of the post-Tiger era. Rory McIlroy contains multitudes. The child of a working-class family from a small town in a war-torn homeland now commutes to work in his own private jet and counts billionaires as confidants. He can overwhelm a golf...Paperback$3699Elsewhere:$4199Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer
Novelist, memoirist and playwright Witi Ihimaera – author of Pounamu, Pounamu and The Whale Rider – decided, at the age of eighty, to dive back into the water and spend a year full-time at Te Wānanga Takiura, immersing himself in his own language, in te reo Māori. This book tells the story of this kaikaukau, this swimmer, and his year...Paperback$3500Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
Biography & Memoir lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
-
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listBiography & Memoir
Memorable Memoirs of Kiwi Women
Looking for an amazing local memoir of one of the many amazing women here in Aotearoa? Here's a great list, featuring some...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![Lucky You're Tough]()
Lizzy's listBiography & Memoir
Memorable Memoirs of Kiwi Men
Looking for an amazing local memoir of one of the many amazing men here in Aotearoa? Here's a great list, featuring some...View the list
