A Matter of Facts

One Man's Journey into the Nation's Quiz Obsession

Shaun Williamson

$26.99

Paperback

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QTY:

English

Cassell
08 November 2022

Popular culture; Hobbies, quizzes & games; Puzzles & quizzes; TV tie-in humour

A journey into the obsessive world of quizzing.

Includes stories from Shaun's past such as tales from his time playing Barry in Eastenders; the discovery of a long-lost son; hiding from an angry Mike Reid in a broom cupboard; acting with Ricky Gervais and David Bowie, and the loss of his boyhood friend in 9/11.

Actor and celebrity quizzer Shaun Williamson lifts the lid on a National drug that everyone hooked on: quizzing. A Matter of Facts is a personal journey into the world of quizzes. At the start Shaun enters the World Quiz Grand Prix, pitching his knowledge against the Nation's finest minds, including Eggheads and Chasers... he fails. Unperturbed, he sets out to improve his skills through memory training, practice and even hypnosis in an attempt to move himself up the rankings of the quizzing elite. Shaun's adventure sees him get his old quizzing 'band' back together to see if he can triumph in the leagues. As he does so, he meets many characters and experiences the wonderful vagaries of the pub quiz - discovering its place, not just in communities, but in people's lives. He also reminisces about his life before acting as an alcoholic postman, a stalled naval career,a Pontins blue coat and his journey to becoming Barry in EastEnders.

Over the course of year Shaun aims to end his journey at a victorious return to the Grand Prix... can his experiences and new-found knowledge end in victory?

A Matter of Facts is a fun, fascinating and heart-warming read that will be adored by those who enjoy a regular meeting of alcohol and trivia.

By: Shaun Williamson
Imprint: Cassell
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 196mm, Width: 126mm, Spine: 26mm
Weight: 280g
ISBN: 9781788403757
ISBN 10: 1788403754
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 08 November 2022
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Shaun Williamson is an addict. His main craving is for knowledge. The 'gateway' drug was the first edition (Genus 1) of Trivial Pursuit, a seemingly innocuous Christmas present from his unsuspecting parents. They might just as well have given him Ketamine. This innocent gift sent our author on a mind-bending trip of ethereal highs and ignominious lows which, although now under control, can result in a relapse at a moment's notice. Shaun Williamson is an actor and writer best known for playing Barry Evans in BBC1's 'Eastenders' from 1994 to 2004 and for extensive work with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant on 'Extras', 'Life's Too Short' and 'The Invention Of Lying'. Other acting credits include 'Plebs', 'Mister Winner' and 'Houdini'. He has also appeared in numerous stage shows, most notably 'The Ladykillers', 'Guys And Dolls' and 'One Man Two Guvnors' for the National Theatre. He was the subject of 'This Is Your Life' in 2001. Shaun's main passion though is Quizzing. He has been lucky enough to win 'Celebrity Mastermind' in 2003 (Specialist subject: Richard Burton), 'Celebrity Chase', 'Today's The Day', 'Celebrity Eggheads', 'Britain's Brightest Celebrity Family', 'Richard Osman's House Of Games' and 'Celebrity Pointless' a record four times (Three Jackpots). He has channelled this passion into the writing of 'A Matter Of Facts', his literary debut, which details a year of his life immersed in the world of quizzing.