A hilarious, heartfelt memoir about one woman's midlife obsession with Benedict Cumberbatch, and the liberating power of reclaiming our passions as we age, whatever they may be.

Tabitha Carvan was a new mother, at home with two young children, when she fell for the actor Benedict Cumberbatch. You know the guy: strange name, alien face, made Sherlock so sexy that it became one of the most streamed shows in the world? The force of her fixation took everyone - especially Carvan herself - by surprise. But what she slowly realised was that her preoccupation was not with Benedict Cumberbatch at all. It was about finally feeling passionate about something, anything, at a point in her life when she had lost touch with her own identity. Turns out that a little bit of obsession can go a long way ...

This Is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch explores what happens to women's desires after we leave adolescence, and why the space in our lives for pure, unadulterated joy is squeezed ever smaller as we age. Carvan shine a light onto the hidden corners of fandom, from online communities to profound real-world connections. She asks: what happens if we simply decide to follow our interests - unabashedly, audaciously, shamelessly? After all, there's true power in finding your 'thing' (even if that thing happens to be a Marvel superhero) and loving it like your life depends on it.

About the Author

Tabitha Carvan is a science writer for the Australian National University and a freelance features writer on the side, focusing on issues of identity, family and pop culture. Her writing has appeared in over a dozen different publications from Australian Geographic to Ravishly; Overland to Offbeat Home; The Outline to MamaMia. She lives in Canberra, but when she lived in Hanoi for several years, she was a commissioned blogger for Crikey, and a columnist for both AsiaLIFE magazine, and Vietnam's largest news service Dan Tri. She can be found at http://www.tabithacarvan.com.

Reviews

"Remember that feeling you had as a kid, when you loved things wholeheartedly, boldly, and loudly? If you feel a sense that there is something missing from your life, some gap between who you are on the inside and who you are on the outside, then this is the book for you."

Eve Rodsky, author of Find Your Unicorn Space and Fair Play

"this year's most hilarious self-help book."

Daily Mail

Book Information
ISBN 9780008502010
Author Tabitha Carvan
Format Hardback
Page Count 304
Imprint HarperCollins
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Weight(grams) 380g
Dimensions(mm) 222mm * 141mm * 26mm