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One Minute Away

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One Minute Away

By: Mark Watson
Narrated by: Chris Robb
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*The deliciously entertaining new novel from the award-winning writer and comedian, MARK WATSON*

'Funny and thought-provoking' ADAM HILLS

'A heartwarming story of happenstance' iPAPER

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That's three sashimi rolls. Two vegetable dumplings. One life-changing encounter. Your delivery is on its way …

For delivery rider Damir, time is money.

He races through cycle lanes next to Uber drivers and grocery vans, delivering your every desire. He arrives with your sushi rolls and pizzas and disappears into the night – Ping! Onto the next drop.

He is invisible: one player in the boardgame of the city.

But one summer’s evening, in a postcode that could be another universe, Damir arrives on Decca’s doorstep and there’s an immediate connection between them.

The man on the bike crosses the divide – suddenly fully seen. And a throwaway delivery sparks a chain of events that will change all their lives, forever.

Praise for Mark Watson:

'One of my favourite writers’ Adam Kay

‘Funny, heart wrenching, beautifully written’ Jane Fallon

'Funny and serious and daring and humane. I prefer Mark Watson to Leo Tolstoy – both as a novelist and a stand-up comedian' Richard Curtis

©2025 Mark Watson (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers City Life Dark Humour Family Life Friendship Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Urban Comedy Funny Celebrity
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Critic reviews

‘A heartwarming story of happenstance in which Damir, a takeaway delivery driver, makes an unexpected connection with Decca on her doorstep. A funny and entertaining tale about the small moments which change a life’ Ipaper
More praise for Mark Watson:
‘Funny, heart wrenching, beautifully written’ Jane Fallon
'Mark Watson is one of my favourite writers’ Adam Kay
‘Witty, emotional and beautifully written’ Jill Mansell
'Funny and serious and daring and humane. I prefer Mark Watson to Leo Tolstoy – both as a novelist and a stand-up comedian' Richard Curtis
‘Contacts portrays the nuanced layers of male mental health through brilliant, engaging storytelling. It made me laugh, cry, reflect and want to check in on all my friends’ Emma Gannon
‘It’s funny and moving and kept me awake half the night because I so badly wanted to find out what happens’ Tim Minchin
‘A brave and beautiful book about the importance of every human connection … A compassionate, thought-provoking read’ Sarah Haywood
‘I devoured this book. It’s funny, sad, insightful, heartbreaking, hopeful and so cleverly put together. A real treat’ Chris Addison
‘Gripping, moving and uplifting… and how easy it is for a life to fall off the rails and how it’s the connections we make that put us back on track’ Clare Pooley
All stars
Most relevant
I pre ordered this book because I'm a huge MW fan. I adored Contacts (and all his other books) . One of the joys of which is listening to him narrate. I realise he might have ducked out of this one because the protagonist had an accent but I missed his excellent performance. I didn't really warm to any of the characters, that didn't touch me in the way that James Chiltern did and still does. I'm really disappointed this won't become one of my go-to listens. There is nothing wrong with this book or the performance, however, it's purely my experience.

Where were you Mark?

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What begins as a seemingly mundane peek into a delivery drivers life unfolds into a love story, a dream for a better existence and the importance of friendship.
With understated elegance, this novel finds its emotional weight not in grand declarations, but in small moments.
Watson excels in bringing vivid colour to things most people don't see.

The fragile beauty of human connection

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Funny, warm and moving. As soon as the book was over I knew I was going to miss these characters.

Wonderful company

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