Richard Ayoade is among a group of eight authors vying to have their book named after a pig in this year's Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for comic fiction. The prestigious award, now in its 25th year, aims to highlight the funniest novel published over the past 12 months and pays tribute to the witty spirit of English writer PG Wodehouse.
Among those shortlisted is Ayoade with his debut novel "The Unfinished Harold Hughes", a pitch-perfect parody that explores the comedic possibilities of language. Critics have praised its deft wordplay, making it a standout in the field of literary comedy.
Other notable authors on the list include Nussaibah Younis for her debut novel "Fundamentally", which tackles complex themes such as rehabilitation and friendship in post-Islamic State Iraq; Rosanna Pike for "A Little Trickerie", a medieval England-set tale of vagabond Tibb Ingleby conjuring a hoax with new friends; Sanam Mahloudji for "The Persians", a family drama that weaves together multigenerational stories and satire; Alexander Sammartino for "Last Acts", which follows a father's desperate attempt to revive his failing firearms store after his son's overdose; Guy Jenkin for "Murder Most Foul", a historical mystery exploring the tumultuous relationship between Christopher Marlowe and Shakespeare; Sandi Toksvig for "Friends of Dorothy"; Kate Greathead for "The Book of George", a tale of forgetfulness and haplessness.
Each winner will receive a complete set of Everyman's Library PG Wodehouse collection, as well as a bottle of Bollinger champagne. The winner will be announced on 1 December in London, with the title pig awaiting its new namesake.
Among those shortlisted is Ayoade with his debut novel "The Unfinished Harold Hughes", a pitch-perfect parody that explores the comedic possibilities of language. Critics have praised its deft wordplay, making it a standout in the field of literary comedy.
Other notable authors on the list include Nussaibah Younis for her debut novel "Fundamentally", which tackles complex themes such as rehabilitation and friendship in post-Islamic State Iraq; Rosanna Pike for "A Little Trickerie", a medieval England-set tale of vagabond Tibb Ingleby conjuring a hoax with new friends; Sanam Mahloudji for "The Persians", a family drama that weaves together multigenerational stories and satire; Alexander Sammartino for "Last Acts", which follows a father's desperate attempt to revive his failing firearms store after his son's overdose; Guy Jenkin for "Murder Most Foul", a historical mystery exploring the tumultuous relationship between Christopher Marlowe and Shakespeare; Sandi Toksvig for "Friends of Dorothy"; Kate Greathead for "The Book of George", a tale of forgetfulness and haplessness.
Each winner will receive a complete set of Everyman's Library PG Wodehouse collection, as well as a bottle of Bollinger champagne. The winner will be announced on 1 December in London, with the title pig awaiting its new namesake.
I mean, I've seen some funny books lately, but what makes Ayoade's one stand out enough for them to choose his over everyone else? And what's with the weird rules about the winner getting champagne and stuff... do they only drink that fancy-schmancy bubbly in England now? 
Richard Ayoade's "The Unfinished Harold Hughes" sounds like a total laugh riot and I'm loving that it's a parody of language - the way he plays with words is gonna make me LOL nonstop! 
And can we talk about the other authors on the list?!?! Nussaibah Younis' "Fundamentally" is like totally deep and thought-provoking, Rosanna Pike's medieval England tale sounds like a wild ride, and Sanam Mahloudji's "The Persians" has me intrigued! 
... but at the same time, it's kinda cool that someone's book is getting recognized for being funny 
... wait, no I'm thinking, maybe we should just let the winner choose their own name? That way, it's super personal and stuff. Or maybe not? 
... Ugh, I don't know, maybe I'm just overthinking this whole thing 
...
! Did you know that in 2023 alone, there were over 120 million copies of comic fiction books sold worldwide? That's crazy! And with Bollinger champagne on the line 
. Can't wait to see who wins on Dec 1st 
! The winner deserves a bottle of bubbly champagne 
, but also ones who are familiar with each other's work, like arods of literary comedy fans 
. richard ayoade's book sounds hilarious, defo gonna have to check that out 
. Whoever wins it is gonna get an amazing prize package! 
– I mean, we've got writers tackling tough topics like rehab and terrorism in Iraq, medieval England mysteries, and even a tale about Christopher Marlowe and Shakespeare 
. I think what I love most about this prize is that it celebrates comedy in literature, you know? Like, who doesn't love a good laugh while reading? 
. I'm definitely rooting for "The Unfinished Harold Hughes" to win, but honestly, all the shortlisted authors have such unique stories and styles... it's gonna be super hard to choose a winner! 
. I'm rooting for Richard Ayoade, his wordplay sounds hilarious! 
Who else is excited? 
. Can't wait to see who's going to be the lucky pig