Eric Idle to Launch US Book Tour for IDLE IN PROVENCE: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THYME
The Monty Python star will visit nine US cities, with stops beginning in New York City.
Eric Idle is to take his new memoir on a nine-city US tour beginning September 29, 2026, following the book's publication on September 8 from Harper Select, an imprint of HarperCollins. IDLE IN PROVENCE: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THYME traces the Monty Python co-founder's fifty-five-year relationship with a stone property in the French countryside that he purchased in 1971, when the building had no electricity, water, or road access, and gradually restored into a home he calls his 'Shackeau.' The book spans memoir, travelogue, and comedy, with figures including George Harrison and Robin Williams among those who passed through the property over the decades. The tour opens at Symphony Space in New York City, where Idle is to appear in conversation with Adam Gopnik, and continues through late October with stops in Saratoga Springs, Chicago, Pasadena, and Palm Springs, among other cities.
In a quote shared as part of an exclusive book announcement with People Magazine, Idle described the project: 'This new book, Idle in Provence, is about what I did in the shadows, when I escaped the crowds, took off the grease paint, removed the silly costumes and became a poor forked animal on a tiny ball circling a star for a brief moment in a ginormous expanding Universe. France gave me peace and wisdom, gave me the time to learn the names of some stars and constellations, as well as help me understand my place on the surface of a revolving and occasionally revolting planet.'
The tour features a mix of solo appearances and special conversations with acclaimed guests. Confirmed dates and venues include:
- New York, NY — September 29, 2026 — Symphony Space, in conversation with Adam Gopnik (tickets)
- Saratoga Springs, NY — October 1, 2026 — Saratoga Book Festival (tickets)
- Chicago, IL — October 4, 2026 — Chicago Arts & Humanities Festival (tickets)
- Pasadena, CA — October 10, 2026 — Vroman's Books at The Arcadia Performing Arts Center (tickets)
- Palm Springs, CA — October 13, 2026 — Palm Springs Cultural Center (tickets)
- Santa Monica, CA — October 22, 2026 — JAMS Performing Arts Center, in conversation with Weird Al (tickets)
- San Francisco, CA — October 25, 2026 — Book Passage at Dominican University (tickets)
- Portland, OR — October 27, 2026 — Revolution Hall (tickets)
- Seattle, WA — October 29, 2026 — Neptune Theatre (tickets)
IDLE IN PROVENCE: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THYME will be available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats, with Idle narrating the audiobook edition. More information on the tour and preorders is available at https://www.harpercollinsfocus.com/harper-select/books/idle-in-provence/.
ABOUT ERIC IDLE
Eric Idle is a comedian, actor, author, and singer-songwriter who found immediate fame on television with the sketch-comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus. Following its success, the group began making films that include Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python's Life of Brian, and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. Eric wrote, directed, and created The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, the world's first-ever mockumentary, as well as the Tony Award–winning musical Spamalot. His memoir Always Look on the Bright Side of Life was a New York Times bestseller.
ABOUT HARPER SELECT
Harper Select, based in Nashville, TN, publishes an exclusive number of hand-selected memoirs and narrative nonfiction each year. Recent NYT Bestsellers include books from Joanna Gaines, Mark Harmon, Leon Carroll, Jr., and Loyola Chicago's Sister Jean.
