Tim Key has written another book of poems that can go in your back pocket. And this one’s set in America. L.A. Baby! is published by utterandpress.co.uk and is available now.
In the fall of 2024 Tim Key boarded a flight to Los Angeles to sink his teeth into some serious US acting work. “L.A. Baby!” documents his trials and tribulations in the city of Angels through poetry, prose, and not entirely fictional dialogues. Amongst the glitz and the glamour of twenty-first century Hollywood, we bear witness to Key's crazy adventures and infinitesimal moments of loneliness. As Key dares to dream we witness a colourful snapshot of an intoxicating city that Key remains on the verge of penetrating throughout.
An outsider, Key plods hopefully through the heat, dreaming of Mustangs and Audrey Hepburn, eating traditional American food wherever possible, clinging bravely onto the shoulders of giants. L.A. Baby! is illustrated, designed, and beautified by Key’s long-term collaborator and literary friend Emily Juniper, to create a pocket-sized insight into what happens when a chap from England goes to a place like L.A. on an assignment such as this.
L.A. Baby! is Tim and Emily’s fourth or fifth literary collaboration. It comes in the same dimensions as their last anthology: Chapters. Where that was yellow, this is green. The other principles remain the same: a clash of inventive writing and sophisticated design, peppered with eye-catching illustrations. And once more it fits squarely into your back pocket, to be whipped out in pubs, cafes and on public transport.
Tim Key is a writer, actor and stand-up comedian. He won the Perrier Award in 2009 for his blend of stand-up and poetry and has been producing critically acclaimed live shows ever since. His new hour – Loganberry – will be rolled out in London, Edinburgh and beyond this summer. He has written six books based in the world of poetry and humour to various degrees. He has made seven series of his radio show – Tim Key’s Late Night Poetry Programme – with a new one due for broadcast in Spring 2026.
His new feature film – The Ballad of Wallis Island – written with Tom Basden and co-starring Carey Mulligan is currently going down a storm in cinemas. He has also been Alan Partridge’s sidekick for the past ten years and there’s more of that this year. He posts new poems on Instagram and reads them out in comedy clubs.
“Utter” And Press was established by Emily Juniper in 2018. Emily is interested in the intersection between live work and print, and regularly collaborates with Tim, who also enjoys this intersection. As with previous projects they’ve worked on together – playbooks, posters, playing cards - they have teamed up with Calverts, a printer in East London, to place the words onto paper.
Key is reported to be one of the stars of the new American comedy The Paper, which is probably why he was in LA in the first place. It is said to be in the same style and reside in the same comedic universe as The Office.
Book dimensions:
121 x 161 x 14mm
To fit in back pockets:
223 x 161cm
L.A. Baby!
By Tim Key.
Designed by Emily Juniper.
ISBN:
078-1-9162226-9-4
RRP:
£16
SALES AND DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLISHER:
“Utter” & Press
Buy Tim Key's L.A. Baby! here.
