It’s a proud moment to be presenting the longlist of 2025’s Comedy Women in Print Prize – particularly as I’m currently playing an old battleaxe in a farce called Fawlty Towers first written 50 years ago. Has comedy changed? Yes. Can the older stuff still be enjoyed? Yes (we are currently playing to packed houses at the Apollo Theatre in London).
Saying that, this year’s longlist shows we now have a broader definition of what can constitute women’s comic writing. In fact, this year the books dominated are, er… dark. Which is not surprising, with global unrest unavoidably permeating our senses every minute.
From ISIS brides (Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis), conflicted sisters from a traditional British Jewish family (Mixed by Tamar Hodes) to aliens (Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino) and the married life of murderers (A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay), the longlisted titles show how comedy can be conjured from a host of different, and unexpected, settings.
All in all, the novels conjure light from darkness and never have we needed it more. On the other hand, I’m sure they all said that about comedy novels in the 50s as well. Plus ça change. Funny is funny.
Published Comedy Novel
Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
Craving a fresh start after a break-up, academic Nadia takes a job with the UN in Iraq. But escaping is easier said than done – and when Nadia strikes up a friendship with one of the women she’s rehabilitating, a confession threatens to undo everything she’s been working for.
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino (Vintage)
Born as Voyager 1 was launched into space, Adina has never felt at home on Earth; as she grows older, she channels that sense of remove into reports on human existence’s delights and terrors. Her observations shed new light on life on our planet.
The Wedding People by Alison Espach (Phoenix)
When Phoebe arrives in the lobby of a grand hotel in Rhode Island, she’s quickly swept up in the wedding celebrations being held there. As both the wedding and Phoebe’s tragic plan for her stay go awry, she and the bride find unlikely confidantes in one another.
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (Chatto & Windus)
When Lauren finds a strange man in her flat claiming to be her husband, she’s freaked out – and that’s before she realises that a seemingly endless supply of different spouses are issuing from her attic. Once she’s over the weirdness, how can she know which is the one for her?
Really Good Actually by Monica Heisey (Fourth Estate)
From the screenwriter of Schitt’s Creek and Smothered comes the story of 29-year-old Maggie, confronting countless questions as she tries to embrace her new divorcée identity. Funny and wise.
Mixed by Tamar Hodes (Legend Press)
Two sisters – devout Ruth and relaxed Miriam – take very different approaches to their Judaism. The question is: will their differences tear their family apart or bring it together?
My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes (Michael Joseph)
High-flying Anna has it all – but somehow, she doesn’t want it. Impulsively relocating to a tiny Irish town, she encounters an old flame and discovers that no matter how far you run, you can’t escape your history.
The Revenge Club by Kathy Lette (Aria)
Friends Matilda, Jo, Penny and Cressy are all at the top of their games – so when they begin to be overlooked in favour of younger, less-qualified men, they resolve to fight back.
A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay (Wildfire)
Hazel and Fox might be living the suburban dream now, but there’s a dark secret in their past – before Hazel got pregnant, they were serial killers. And when she is tempted into old habits, the ensuing investigation threatens to ruin the life they’ve fought to build.
Wife by Charlotte Mendelson (Mantle)
When Zoe meets Dr Penny Cartwright, she can almost taste the lifetime of wedded bliss that she’s always dreamed of. But their passionate affair leads them down an altogether darker path. Wife is Mendelson at her silky, sinister best.
Weirdo by Sara Pascoe (Faber)
When Chris walks into the pub and back into her life, Sophie resolves to change her less appealing characteristics to get the man of her dreams. As tender as it is hilarious.
Don’t Make Me Laugh by Julia Raeside (Bedford Square Publishers)
With its protagonist Ali pinballing between monstrous men and those who seem to be angels, Don’t Make Me Laugh is set in the London comedy scene on the cusp of a long-overdue #MeToo moment. Expect action, ethics and genuine laughs.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (Sceptre)
When 20-year-old Margot finds herself parenting solo, she realises she needs money fast. Determined to produce truly unique OnlyFans content, she recruits her LARPer flatmate and ex-pro-wrestler dad – soon she’s a phenomenon, but at what price?
Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One by Kristen Arnett (Corsair)
Clown Cherry Hendricks is tired of working shifts at an aquarium store to make ends meet – so when she meets Margot the Magnificent, an older performer who seems to have it all worked out, she hopes she’s found the key to levelling up her act. If only things were so simple…
Self-Published Comedy Novel
A Perfect Year? by Ruth Foster
Set in 90s England, A Perfect Year? follows three neighbours with very different lives – and very different accounts of them, presented each year in their December round-robin letters. Swirling beneath the promotions and exam results, local mysteries threaten to surface.
Butterflies by Michelle Smart
Alex Hammond travels back to 1991 to save his future wife from the accident that kills her. Except, when they meet in this timeline, a mistake means she never falls in love with him in the first place.
The Stand-Up Mam by Kay Wilson
Georgie’s life seems perfect, at least on paper. But when her family enters her into a stand-up comedy competition, the truth comes tumbling out. Will her new success come at a terrible cost?
Game of Trust by Yvonne Vincent
The latest in Vincent’s Losers Club series, Game of Trust sees its members going undercover to unmask a thief who has infiltrated a gameshow. As the game gains surprising momentum, unlikely parties are thrown together.
It Started With A Shoe by Sarah Scally
Single mum Phoebe has been passed over for a promotion again. Meeting Mike seems to mark an uplift in her fortunes – but is he everything he seems?
Crime & Prejudice by Julia Miller
Imagining 12 stories of lawlessness related to Pride and Prejudice’s Elizabeth Darcy by her family and friends, Crime and Prejudice adds colourful backstories to Jane Austen’s most beloved characters.
Mapton Roars! by Sam Maxfield
When millionaire Dixon Murray arrives in sleepy Mapton on Sea, he brings lions, monkeys and leopards, as well as plans to build a zoo and spa. Local vet Eleanor vows to stop the project, whatever it takes.
Octopus by Pony Louder
Saylor Starling’s not sure what her dad does for a living – one thing’s for sure, it takes their family all over the world. Here, they arrive in Queensland where things spiral out of control.
The Postcard in the Window by Sarah Scally
Eddie Maguire has lost her spark. Luckily, when she sees a postcard in a shop window advertising a local rambling group, Eddie is inspired to embark on a truly new path.
The Other Side of Yes by Kerrie Noor
Before she struck up a relationship with her boss Tenzam, sixty-something Neff thought sex was a distant memory. She works at his Indian takeaway, and things quickly heat up between the pair – but cultural differences mean they see love differently. Can they find a compromise?
Whatever You Want by Lesley Bown
Set in 1996, Lesley Bown’s Whatever You Want takes readers back to a time when Charles and Diana were calling it quits and mobile phones were clunky luxuries. Meanwhile, two middle-aged couples are coming to the end of their stories together – or so they think.
Finding Monsieur Right by Chloë Rayban
Recovering from breast cancer and swearing off men for good, Kate turns her attention to her daughter Justine’s love life instead. But when Kate posts Justine’s photo on an online dating site, both generations get more than they bargained for.
Unpublished Comedy Novel
Music for the Samosa Generation by Natalie Willbe
On Wednesdays We Wear Black by Ceri Gould Thomas
The Way of Nellie May by Rachel Sambrooks
The Secrets of a Honey Trapper by Ali Grugeon
When Death is The Day Job by Deborah Rayner
Checking Out by Raedin O’Connor
Everything She Wants by Hannah Verdier
Generation Ex by Dara Lutes
Second Coming by Nicki Le Masurier
Jailbirds and Seaside Pigeons by Jenny Howard
Some News by Jeananne Craig
The Accidental Agony Aunt by Caroline Davies
The CWIP shortlist will be announced on Wednesday 17 September and the winners will be announced on 3 November.
