
Spellbound
My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith
Phil Hanley(Author)
Henry Holt & Company Inc (Publisher)
Published on 21. April 2025
Book
Hardback
272 pages
978-1-250-86015-6 (ISBN)
Description
When Phil Hanley entered school, he realised something that would forever set him apart from his peers: he couldn't read. His teachers were ill-equipped to assist him. His school system lacked the proper resources. Phil slipped through the school's cracks, year by year falling farther and farther behind his friends, only passing to each next year because of his mother's interventions. Finally he was diagnosed with dyslexia, a learning disability that would shape the rest of his life.
In Spellbound, Phil Hanley shares his experience living with extreme dyslexia. Unable to pursue college or a conventional job, Phil was thrust into a life to be defined by unconventional twists. He moved to Europe and became a successful runway model, a job that suitably kept him away from pens and paper. When that career flamed out, Phil retreated home to Vancouver where, eager to cure himself of his dyslexia, he turned to an all-consuming obsession with Transcendental Meditation. Finally, he found himself on a stage with a microphone, a spotlight, and five minutes of jokes. Though stand-up was never his dream, the comedy community provided a path that at the time seemed to be the only option left for him, and one that he compellingly argues, saved his life. Spellbound is a story of humour and also of struggle and heartbreak, of constantly living in a world that sees things differently than you, and of triumph over adversity.
In Spellbound, Phil Hanley shares his experience living with extreme dyslexia. Unable to pursue college or a conventional job, Phil was thrust into a life to be defined by unconventional twists. He moved to Europe and became a successful runway model, a job that suitably kept him away from pens and paper. When that career flamed out, Phil retreated home to Vancouver where, eager to cure himself of his dyslexia, he turned to an all-consuming obsession with Transcendental Meditation. Finally, he found himself on a stage with a microphone, a spotlight, and five minutes of jokes. Though stand-up was never his dream, the comedy community provided a path that at the time seemed to be the only option left for him, and one that he compellingly argues, saved his life. Spellbound is a story of humour and also of struggle and heartbreak, of constantly living in a world that sees things differently than you, and of triumph over adversity.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Dimensions
Height: 210 mm
Width: 147 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
369 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-250-86015-6 (9781250860156)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
03/2025
Henry Holt and Co.
€12.99
Available for download
Person
Phil Hanley's comedy career began at open mics in Vancouver, Canada. It then went on to include his own Comedy Central special, "The Half Hour," and performances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson, The Pete Holmes Show, John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show, and @midnight. He has been showcased at every major comedy festival and can be seen regularly at The Comedy Cellar in New York City.