Vigilauntie by Meera Syal - ISBN: 9781399643832
Paperback
Meera Syal’s life-changing remarks, from family to fame, hilariously revealed.
Pre-Order

Vigilauntie

A Memoir - Innit?

$33.29

  • Paperback

    304 pages

  • Release Date

    15 December 2026

Check Delivery Options

Summary

Structured around those chance remarks that somehow end up changing the course of a life, this is the heartwarming story of multi-award winning writer, actor and comic, Meera Syal.

From ‘don’t sit with your legs apart!’ (the despairing cry of Meera’s mother and aunties) to ‘an Asian comedy show? Are Asians funny?’ (the depressing response to the idea that would become Goodness Gracious Me), each chapter reveals a different turning point in Meera’s journey - from the serious to …

Book Details

ISBN-13:9781399643832
ISBN-10:1399643835
Author:Meera Syal
Publisher:Orion Publishing Co
Imprint:Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Format:Paperback
Number of Pages:304
Release Date:15 December 2026
Dimensions:234mm x 153mm
What They're Saying

Critics Review

I can’t remember the last memoir I enjoyed so much. Hilarious, heartbreaking and inspiring, it is a fearless celebration of finding your voice, breaking the rules, and being liberated to sit, unapologetically, with your legs apart – SATHNAM SANGHERA
What a funny, fearless and fascinating story Meera has to tell. I wish I’d been surrounded by a posse of hilarious aunties. This memoir is shot through with wit, intriguing stories and personal history, an absolute joy to read – JO BRAND
Like a cup of Kashmiri chai, Meera’s story is steeped in tradition, resilience, dashed with magic and makes you feel warm all over – RICHARD E GRANT
Meera is the reason I was ever able to imagine myself in comedy. A sharp, unbeatable, timeless wit – JAMEELA JAMIL
Meera Syal has always known that comedy is the sharpest tool in the drawer. Vigilauntie is the book she was born to write - funny, fierce, and full of the stories that made her. It earns its place alongside Anita and Me as an essential chapter in her extraordinary life’s work. Read it. Love it. Cry and laugh – ANITA ANAND
Memoir, history lesson, and delight. Queen of comedy, queen of memoirs - is there nothing Meera Syal can’t do? – CAITLIN MORAN

About The Author

Meera Syal

Dame Meera Syal FRSL is a multi-award winning writer and actress.

She has written three novels:

  • Anita and Me (1996)
  • Life isn’t all Ha Ha Hee Hee (1999)
  • The House of Hidden Mothers (2015)

Her screenplays include Bhaji On The Beach, and the film adaptations of her first two novels. She rose to prominence as one of the team that created Goodness Gracious Me and by portraying Sanjeev’s grandmother, Ummi, in The Kumars at No. 42, becoming one of the UK’s best-known creatives.

She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1997 New Year Honours and in 2003 was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to drama and literature. In 2023, she was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship, its highest accolade, for her distinguished career on screen. In 2024, she starred in The National Theatre’s production of a new play, A Tupperware of Ashes.

Returns

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.