Guy Kennaway has won the UK’s most important prize for comic fiction, the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize 2021 for his novel The Accidental Collector. The prize has been won in previous years by, for instance, Helen Fielding, Howard Jacobson, Ian McEwan and Terry Pratchett.
The Accidental Collector is a comedy about the contemporary art world, interweaving the stories of Super-dealer Herman Gertsch and that of John 'Brother' Burn, a penniless hippy in South Somerset. Kennaway pours mistaken identity, Amazonian tribesmen, Swiss food, DMT, Arab Royalty, million dollar paintings, and worthless tat into a spin painting of a story described by the Daily Mail as a ‘compelling comedy of errors.’
Kennaway beat off competition from Dolly Alderton, Naji Bakhti, Diksha Basu, Hilary Leichter and Lauren Oylerwinner. He wins a jeroboam of Bollinger Special Cuvée, a case of Bollinger La Grande Année, the complete set of the Everyman's Library P.G. Wodehouse collection. As is tradition, a pig will be named after their winning book.
Guy Kennaway says: ‘I want to congratulate my fellow shortlisted authors and thank them for a fair fight. I believe only two of you remain in hospital. I read your books and hated them all, because they were so charming and funny. I have always wanted to win the Wodehouse Prize. It combines a number of my passions: Good books, fine champagne, laughter and pigs. I am never more at home than with a coupe of champagne in one hand, a pork pie in the other and a smile on my face.’
Mensch founder Richard Charkin says, ‘I am delighted that Guy Kennaway has been recognised as one of the funniest and best writers in Britain today. It is not before time as his many fans will attest.’
You can read the Mail’s review of Guy’s book here
And an interview with Guy here
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