Philomena Cunk to publish The World According To Cunk this autumn

ExclusiveSunday 14th July 2024, 5:15pm by Jay Richardson

The World According To Cunk: An Illustrated History Of All World Events Ever, Space Permitting will be available to buy on 3rd October
The book is described as "the history book to end all history books ... [the] definitive, easy-clean history of all world history so far"
Cunk said: "There will never need be another history book. Unless something major happens. Even then they'll probably just put something up on TikTok about it"

Philomena Cunk has written her second book, "an easy-clean history of all world history so far", British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal.

Diane Morgan's ill-informed historian and interviewer is returning for a new BBC Two special later this year, Cunk's Quest For Meaning.

But "the 21st Century's leading historian, philosopher and thinkerer" is also now publishing The World According To Cunk, with the subtitle An Illustrated History Of All World Events Ever, Space Permitting.

Written with regular Cunk scribe and BBC commissioning editor Ben Caudell (Cunk On..., Mandy), who also happens to be Morgan's partner, the book will be published on 3rd October by John Murray.

The publisher is also putting out Friday Night Dinner creator Robert Popper's follow-up to his cult The Time Waster Letters, The Elsie Drake Letters, later the same month.

Described as "the history book to end all history books: more unputdownable than Andrew Marr's History Of The World, less unpickupable than Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens, and noticeably less in ancient Greek than Herodotus' Histories", The World According To Cunk promises: "Romans! Madrigals! The Dark Ages! Revolutions! Trumpets! The Oranges of The First World War! All of this (except trumpets) and more, is covered in this definitive, easy-clean history of all world history so far."

And Cunk herself is quoted as saying: "About the world, written on the world, and available at all the world's remaining bookshops, The World According To Cunk is the definitive history of the world. There will never need be another history book. Unless something major happens. Even then they'll probably just put something up on TikTok about it. A word of warning: please don't buy it if you're expecting anything about trumpets in it. You will only be disappointed."

The character, who began life as a confused talking head on Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe before graduating to present her own BBC Two mockumentaries, starting with Cunk On Christmas in 2016, has previously published the 2019 book Cunk On Everything: The Encyclopaedia Philomena, penned with another member of her regular writing team, Jason Hazeley.

You can pre-order The World According To Cunk now.

The World According To Cunk: An Illustrated History Of All World Events Ever, Space Permitting

By Ben Caudell and Diane Morgan

Romans! Madrigals! The Dark Ages! Revolutions! Trumpets! The Oranges of The First World War! All of this (except trumpets) and more, is covered in this definitive, easy-clean history of all world history so far, written by the 21st Century's leading historian, philosopher and thinkerer Philomena Cunk.

Focussing on the inventions, art and brainboxes that made the modern world the unbearable place it is today, The World According To Cunk is the history book to end all history books: more unputdownable than Andrew Marr's History Of The World, less unpickupable than Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens, and noticeably less in ancient Greek than Herodotus's Histories.

Philomena Cunk says: "About the world, written on the world, and available at all the world's remaining bookshops, The World According To Cunk is the definitive history of the world. There will never need be another history book. Unless something major happens. Even then they'll probably just put something up on TikTok about it. A word of warning: please don't buy it if you're expecting anything about trumpets in it. You will only be disappointed."

First published: Thursday 3rd October 2024

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