Michael Palin

Parents and teachers of children who stammer (or stutter) may see their child suffering with embarrassment, frustration or anxiety but feel at a loss as to how best to help. This book explains the characteristics of stammering and uses illuminating first-hand accounts to demonstrate the common feelings of anguish experienced and provide clarity on what the child is likely to need in terms of support at home, school and in social situations. Packed with helpful advice for carers about how to build a child's confidence, it presents a variety of techniques and tips to alleviate the stammer and improve self-esteem and school performance. This accessible resource will shed light on the perplexing nature of stammers, enabling those who care for children affected to find answers and get the best possible help.

Michael Palin's first stage play premiered in the West End in 1994 Faced with a family gathering, world-weary Stephen Febble does his best to be difficult. When his daughter, her dreary husband Alan, their precocious child and - not least - the dog come to stay for the weekend it's enough to make him reach for the whisky, and for the sarcasm. The climax arrives on Saturday night when his patient wife Virginia has laid on a dinner party and the chiropodist comes too. In his first stage play, The Weekend, Michael Palin takes a look at family values with black humour.