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How Shall I Tell the Dog

When some people are told they have only a few months to live, they might travel around the world or write their memoirs or put their affairs in order. When it happened at the age of 66 to Miles Kington-one of England's best-loved humorists-he did what he did best, offering sharp, wry, laugh-out-loud observations and ideas about his situation. Following his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, Kington proposes crazier and crazier ideas for his next book (what he calls "cashing in on cancer") in a series of letters to his literary agent, Gill.

And what sort of things capture Kington's attention in his waning months? The sudden grimness of those 1,000 Places to See Before You Die books, for example. (What about 100 Things to Do Before You Die, Without Leaving Home?, he suggests. Instead of bungee jumping and whitewater rafting, learn to whistle with two fingers in your mouth, yodel, or steam open envelopes.) The irony that his dog, Berry, will probably outlive him, or the semi-outrageous idea of creating a funeral video.

Mischievous and utterly original, Miles Kington's words in the face of death are memorable and surprisingly uplifting.

'If I were still editor of The Times of London, I'd probably skip going to the office every day because I'd no longer find, in those pre-digital days, the sizzingly funny folios of copy from Miles Kington. They cheered us up to no end. He's done it again with this original memoir. How could he, for heaven's sake, when he's writing about his cancer? Don't flinch. Read it. You owe it to yourself' - Harold Evans, author of They Made America and The American Century --Harold Evans, author of They Made America and The American Century

'Laughter was [Kington's] lifeblood. With unflinching courage and undiminished inventiveness, this unique, quirky wordsmith coped with his dying in the only way he could, by escaping into his surreal imagination and taking a squint at death's funny side' - Daily Mail

'What a wonderful legacy this is. A book to make the Grim Reaper laugh' - Michael Palin

'One of the most brilliantly written books I've ever read--hilarious, sad, touching, profound. A true tour de force' - Edward Klein, author of Ted Kennedy: The Dream That Never Died

Agent: Cara Jones
Territories:
Other Miles Kington, Estate of Titles