Guy Kennaway is an English writer renowned for his memoirs and comic novels. He specializes in crafting stories that often blend humor with sharp social commentary. [1] He is represented by Mark Stanton at the North Literary Agency. His distinct voice and perspective have made him a notable figure in contemporary English literature. In 2021 he won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for his comic fiction The Accidental Collector. [2]
Kennaway's literary career is characterized by a focus on comic novels and memoirs, where he frequently explores the absurdities and complexities of human life. His works often draw on his personal experiences, and he has a knack for finding humor in the darker aspects of life. [3]
He also contributes as a feature writer for the Financial Times, where he covers various topics. [4]
Guy Charles Kennaway was born on May 8, 1957, in London, UK. He grew up in a literary family, with his father, James Kennaway, being a well-known novelist and screenwriter, and his mother, Susan Kennaway, also a writer. [5] Guy is one of four siblings: his sister Jane Kennaway is a musician, Emma Kennaway is an artist, and David Kennaway is a film producer.
Guy splits his time between London, UK, and Hanover, Jamaica. His connection to Jamaica is reflected in several of his works, which often draw on his experiences and observations from the country. [6]
He has two children, Ella and James.
Jonathan Coe is an English novelist and writer. His work has an underlying preoccupation with political issues, although this serious engagement is often expressed comically in the form of satire. For example, What a Carve Up! (1994) reworks the plot of an old 1960s spoof horror film of the same name. It is set within the "carve up" of the UK's resources that was carried out by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative governments of the 1980s.
John O'Farrell is a British author, comedy scriptwriter, and political campaigner. Previously a lead writer for such shows as Spitting Image and Have I Got News for You, he is now best known as a comic author for such books such as The Man Who Forgot His Wife and An Utterly Impartial History of Britain. He is one of a small number of British writers to have achieved best-seller status with both fiction and nonfiction. His books have been translated into around thirty languages and adapted for radio and television.
Helen Fielding is a British journalist, novelist and screenwriter, best known as the creator of the fictional character Bridget Jones. Fielding’s first novel was set in a refugee camp in East Africa and she started writing Bridget Jones in an anonymous column in London’s Independent newspaper. This turned into an unexpected hit, leading to four Bridget Jones novels and three movies, with a fourth movie announced in April 2024 for release in 2025.
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, was a prolific English author, humorist and scriptwriter. After being educated at Dulwich College, to which he remained devoted all his life, he was employed by a bank, but disliked the work and wrote magazine pieces in his spare time. In 1902 he published his first novel, The Pothunters, set at the fictional public school of St. Austin's; his early stories continued the school theme. He also used the school setting in his short story collections, which started in 1903 with the publication of Tales of St. Austin's.
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Howard Eric Jacobson is a British novelist and journalist. He writes comic novels that often revolve around the dilemmas of British Jewish characters. He is a Man Booker Prize winner.
Marina Lewycka is a British novelist of Ukrainian origin.
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is a humorous novel by Marina Lewycka, first published in 2005 by Viking.
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Canongate Books is an independent publishing firm based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize is the United Kingdom's first literary award for comic literature. Established in 2000 and named in honour of P. G. Wodehouse, past winners include Paul Torday in 2007 with Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and Marina Lewycka with A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian 2005 and Jasper Fforde for The Well of Lost Plots in 2004. Gary Shteyngart was the first American winner in 2011.
Paul Torday was a British writer and the author of the comic novel Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. The book was the winner of the 2007 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for comic writing and was serialised on BBC Radio 4. It won the Waverton Good Read Award in 2008. It was made into feature film in 2011, starring Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt.
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Nina Stibbe is a British writer born in Willoughby Waterleys and raised in Fleckney, Leicestershire. She became a nanny in the household of Mary-Kay Wilmers, editor of the London Review of Books. Her letters home to her sister became her first book, Love, Nina: Despatches from Family Life, which was adapted into the 2016 BBC television series, Love, Nina.
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Fake Accounts is the 2021 debut novel by American author and critic Lauren Oyler. It was published on February 2, 2021, by Catapult, and on February 4, 2021, by Fourth Estate.
The Comedy Women in Print Prize is a literary award for comedy novels written by women. It was founded in 2018 by Helen Lederer in response to the low number of women awarded the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize, having only been presented to three women in 18 years. However, Lederer has been careful not to describe the prize in critical terms. She also acknowledges that her status as a well-known comedian has helped draw focus onto the award.