Funny books

Every year, the judges of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction draw up a shortlist of books that made them laugh out loud. We asked the novelist Stephanie Merritt, one of the 2025 judges, to talk us through the eight books in the running for the title of the funniest book of the year.

This year, to mark its 25th anniversary, the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction set out to find the funniest book of the last twenty-five years. We asked comedian Tatty Macleod, one of the judges, about the process of sifting through 25 previous winners to find the funniest book of the 21st century.

Historical fiction, as a genre, is not known for its laugh-a-minute qualities. But that's not to say there isn't space for humour, when the events of the past have so often been surreal, ironic, or downright disastrous. Toby Clements, whose new novel A Good Deliverance takes the form of a 15th-century prison confession, recommends five of the funniest historical novels.

Humour can be better than mainstream media at speaking truth to power, says the American comedian and activist. He discusses masters of the art, from Jon Stewart to Joseph Heller

What makes fantasy worlds so ripe for comedy? Hugo nominee Travis Baldree points toward our shared humanity, our love of anti-heros, and the power of back-to-front archetypes. He recommends the five best fantastical adventures to get us laughing – mostly at ourselves.

In the mood for a tall tale that will make you laugh? We've rounded up five of the best funny short story collections that will entertain you, surprise you, and maybe even shock you.

Satire is humour used for a moral purpose, explains American political satirist P.J. O’Rourke—though it doesn't have to be particularly funny and can be quite dark. Here, he chooses five classic works of political satire, books that lay bare the shortcomings of not only communism and fascism but also the two-party system and the quest for a perfect society where everyone is happy. Books by P.J. O'Rourke recommended on Five Books

The novelist Emily Henry has developed a massive fanbase for her fun-but-not-too-frothy contemporary romance books, which bubble over with sexual chemistry and witty repartee. She publishes so regularly it can be difficult to keep track of which of her novels you've already read—and what you still have left to discover. To help, we put together a list of all Henry's novels, in order of publication.

Do you have to be cruel to be comedic? It often helps, says bestselling humour writer, Andy Borowitz. He picks his favourite comic novels.

A new TV adaptation of Marian Keyes' beloved book series about the Walsh family has brought a fresh flush of readers to the Irish author's warm and funny domestic novels. We put together a list of Keyes' full back catalogue to assist those searching for a new-to-them book to sink into the sofa with.