In its 20-year tenure, the Wodehouse prize has only recognised four women as suitably funny to merit such an award. In recognition and frustration of this, Helen Lederer founded the Comedy Women in Print prize two years ago, to acknowledge the contribution of women to comedic writing.
Marian Keyes, chair of the committee this year, has proudly referred to the “glorious” range of those on the 2020 shortlist.
She continued: “I think it’s just that male humour and female humour are talking about different things – and as men are the ones who mostly review books, they don’t always identify with what female comic novelists are writing about.
“And because of that they just think it’s not funny. But they’re just talking about different life experiences.”
Keyes noted that: “I’m really excited about the shortlist because I think this really showcases different ways that women are funny. All of them made me laugh and laughing is the most wonderful thing right now. I am absolutely delighted with our list. The range is glorious – everything from lighthearted commercial fiction to literary fiction – from established names to new talent.”
The timing of the award, according to Keyes, could not be better: “There’s a lot of darkness in those books as well, but because they’re both funny, in very different ways, it’s possible to keep reading, to not be overwhelmed with the sorrow.”
Lederer, the creator of the award, notes that: “The 2020 titles reflect a range of surprising heroines that made the judges laugh in different ways. From empowerment to dentistry and chip shops – it’s all here.”
Those on the 2020 shortlist include Candice Carty-Williams’s Queenie, Nina Stibbe’s Reasons to Be Cheerful and Jeanette Winterson’s Frankissstein. The winner of the £3,000 award will be announced on 14 September this year.
