A Review of the Wodehouse Comic Fiction Prize 2025 Final Shortlist
International Service of Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) – Elaheh Shams: This year, the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize, the most prestigious prize for comic fiction in English literature, has shortlisted eight authors; figures ranging from TV comedians to university professors and nascent storytellers. The prize has gained its special standing from a rare combination: humor and seriousness, wit and charm, and the tradition of naming a pig after the winning book on a farm in Dorset.
From Ayoade to Younis: Humor in Diverse Tones and Worlds
Richard Ayoade, the British comedian and filmmaker who has published his first novel, The Unfinished Harold Hughes, is among the nominees. This work is a subtle parody of literary writing; a narrative about a writer searching to save his unknown doppelgänger from oblivion. Stephanie Merritt, literary critic and this year’s judge, described his work as ‘a flawless imitation with brilliant linguistic jokes.’
Alongside him, Nuseybe Younis has shone with her debut novel Fundamentally; a book previously shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. This novel tells the story of Nadia, a young academic who accepts a UN mission in Iraq to rehabilitate female ISIS members; a serious story that, with the subtlety of social humor, explores her relationship with a woman from East London, a former ISIS member.
Blending History and Satire: From Marlowe and Shakespeare to Medieval Journeys
Guy Jenkin, writer of the comedy series ‘Outnumbered,’ is on the list with his novel Murder Most Foul. He has created a narrative from the year 1593, when rumors of Christopher Marlowe’s death cast a shadow of doubt over Shakespeare. Justin Albert, one of this year’s judges, called the work ‘a devilish, sharp, and Wodehousean journey.’
Meanwhile, Rosanna Pike pursues historical humor in A Little Trickerie; the story of Tib Ingley, a refugee in medieval England who, with her new friends, devises a deceptive plan. Her book moves between social satire and classic adventure story.
Humor Reflecting Today’s Crises from Iranian and American Perspectives
also adds a new voice to the list; The Persians by Sanam Mehlooji tells the story of a family in crisis between Tehran and America. It’s a tale of generational clashes, the conflict between tradition and modernity, and the subtle humor of immigrant life. Peppa Evans, comedian and prize judge, said of the book: ‘I got lost in this beautiful prose and laughed as much as I cried.’
Across the ocean, Alexander Sammartino has written a bitter satire of American society in Last Acts; the story of David Ritzo, a bankrupt gun shop owner who profits from his son’s death crisis to create an advertising campaign.
A Stage for Domestic Comedies
Sandi Toksvig, popular presenter and author, has made a brilliant return with Friends of Dorothy; the story of a young couple who buy a new house but soon realize the previous owner, eighty-year-old Dorothy, has no intention of leaving. The generational clash between contemporary and war generations takes shape in domestic humor, finding a style between drama and everyday jokes.
Kate Gretheed also completes the list with The Book of George; a story centered on a forgetful man and his patient girlfriend, extracting comedy from human failures and incapacities.
New Record for an Old Prize
Peter Florence, chairman of the jury and co-founder of the ‘Hay’ Literary Festival, commented on this year’s nominees: ‘A list with an impressive range of humor; from the darkest satire to the lightest wit.’ This year, the number of received works reached 107 novels, more than any other year in the prize’s history — a sign of the return of humor’s power to the heart of English literature.
On the twenty-fifth anniversary of this award, concurrently with the announcement of the main winner, a special ‘Bollinger Anniversary’ prize will also be awarded to the best work from among the 25 previous winners. Claudia Winkleman, Sindhu Vee, Tety McLeod, Patrick Grant, and Florence himself are judging this section.
Previous winners of this prize include Percival Everett, Bob Mortimer, and Helen Fielding – creator of Bridget Jones; and last year, Ferdia Lennon, with his debut novel Glorious Exploits, won the Golden Pig of comic literature.
