WIT LIT: the Funny Books Podcast

“'Humour' is maybe the worst word in the English language” Wit Lit is a podcast about funny books - so who better to hear from than a comedian who is also a bookseller? That's right, it's only Mr BEN POPE - crowd favourite and manager at The Review Bookshop in Peckham - recommending his favourite funny books. We discuss silly book titles, writer's voices versus comedian's personas, how the brain can short-circuit ‘funny' and ‘good', and how War and Peace is just lots and lots of Tweets lined up next to each other. * How to find Ben: He runs a monthly stand-up show called FRESH CHESTNUTS at the Betsey Trotwood pub in Farringdon! You should go! He can be found talking on Twitter here. He can be found managing a bookshop here. And on his very nice website here. * Boooooks we talk about: Hera Lindsay Bird by Hera Lindsay Bird Ayoade on Ayoade by Richard Ayoade Nothing To See Here by Kevin Wilson Something Fishy by P G Wodehouse Lustre by Raven Leilani Anthropology by Dan Rhodes In addition: Stewart Lee, Tim Key, Ducks, Newburyport, and Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis May we recommend purchasing your books from an independent bookshop like, oh I don't know, The Review Bookshop. * How to find me: on Twitter @lily_lindon or on Instagram @bookymcbookface

‘Queer people are simply the funniest people' To end Pride Month with an amusing bang, and to assure everyone that you ARE allowed to still read gay books even if it's not June, I'm happily joined by Laura Kay, author of THE SPLIT. She recommends her top five funny gay books, we talk about her own writing process and comedy inspirations, and yes, we talk about her cats. Listen in or you're a homophobe xo Laura recommends: ONE LAST STOP - Casey McQuiston IN AT THE DEEP END - Kate Davies LESS - Andrew Sean Greer PLAIN BAD HEROINES - Emily M. Danforth FUN HOME - Alison Bechdel Lily adds: DIARY OF A DRAG QUEEN - Crystal Rasmussen LOVE LETTERS of Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West (And we both go on about Louise Rennison, an honorary gay.) May I recommend ordering your books from the excellent Gay's the Word? You can follow Laura on twitter @lauraelizakay or instagram @lauraekay Follow updates about funny books at twitter's @lily_lindon or instagram's @bookymcbookface

Author of The Shelf Helly Acton and Hannah Tovey, author of The Education of Ivy Edwards, talk about their relatable, entertaining, and emotionally messy everywoman characters. We talk about the particular condition of being a single thirty-year-old woman in our modern society — about funny break-ups, depressing weddings, and balancing love with independence. We also talk about their writing process: Second Book Syndrome, the personal significance of writing funny dialogue, and the vital importance of watching The Office on repeat. Hope you enjoy! * Helly Acton is the author of The Shelf and The Couple. She's on Instagram @hellyactonauthor or Twitter @hellyacton. Hannah Tovey is the author of The Education of Ivy Edwards and Is This It?. She's on Twitter @hannahctovey or Instagram @hannahclaretovey. All books mentioned are available at Bookshop.org, an online retailers that supports independent bookshops. Wit Lit updates come from me on @lily_lindon or on Instagram @bookymcbookface. If you’d like to recommend a book or guest for the pod, please message me, it would make a nice change from my doom scrolling. LL xo

‘When I read right now, I want to feel like I’m chatting to a friend, I want an easy giggle’ :) Bad Form Literary Review’s founder and editor-in-chief Amy Baxter, who is also an Editorial Assistant at Penguin Random House (Michael Joseph), recommends her top funny books. They ended up being three books where funny women chat to you in warm, bitesize conversations -- perfect for our current de-socialised brains. Whether you’re looking for lightness and brevity in your reading, or books that will help ease you back into seeing real-life human friends again, hope you enjoy. * Amy recommends: 1 Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling (and Nothing Like I Imagined) 2 I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron (and Heartburn) 3 Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton (and Ghosts) All are in available at Bookshop.org, an online retailers that supports local, independent bookshops. * Social media links: Bad Form is an online and print literary review by and about Black, Asian, and racialised community writers. It’s full of brilliant interviews, reviews, and articles — and it’s also all gorgeously designed (by Amy!). Their Twitter is here and their Instagram is here. Sign up for their newsletter here. Wit Lit updates come from me on @lily_lindon or on Instagram @bookymcbookface. If you’d like to recommend a book or guest for the pod, please message me, I’m desperately lonely. * LL xo

All I want to read (/am able to read) at the moment are short, funny books. Wondered if you might be the same? So here I am, for the first time GUEST-LESS, recommending 10 of my favourite witty short stories, essay collections, scripts, picture books, and short novels. Since brevity is the soul of wit, and tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I am brief and recommend the 10 books in just 10 minutes! (Not including the intro and theme music lol.) WOW! FUN! If you don't even have 10 minutes to listen to my voice, here's the list: 1. David Sedaris / CALYPSO 2. Muriel Spark / THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE 3. Philip Roth / THE BREAST 4. Raphael Bob-Waksberg / SOMEONE WHO WILL LOVE YOU IN ALL YOUR DAMAGED GLORY 5. Stewart Lee / THE 'IF YOU PREFER A MILDER COMEDIAN PLEASE ASK FOR ONE' EP 6. Oyinkan Braithwaite / MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER 7. Amina Cain / INDELICACY 8. Tibor Fischer / DON'T READ THIS BOOK IF YOU'RE STUPID 9. Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West / LOVE LETTERS 10. Jon Klassen / I WANT MY HAT BACK If you're looking to buy one, please consider your lovely local indie bookshop or bookshop.org. Pls subscribe, follow, like, share, comment, tell your friends, text me, send me a present, and confess your love for me. To do so, you can contact me at twitter on @lily_lindon or on instagram @bookymcbookface. Please do recommend witty and short books, or witty and short guests, or anything else you'd like to hear on this poddle. Ta ta, Lily xo

Happy Galentine's, Happy Valentine's and indeed Happy Any Day! To celebrate all things lovely and funny, today's episode is a celebration of rom-coms. I'm joined on my Zoom by two brilliant writers of funny love stories: Laura Jane Williams is the author of OUR STOP (the international 2019 hit), and two other novels, THE LOVE SQUARE (2020) and THE LUCKY ESCAPE (publishing June 2021). Abigail Mann is the author of THE LONELY FAJITA (winner of the Comedy Women in Print Unpublished Prize) and THE SISTER SURPRISE (publishing in March 2021). Laura and Abigail conveniently have completely opposite methods. We talk about whether their books are heavier on the rom or the com, how to go from a blank page to a finished novel, and how their writing has changed over lockdown. Hope you enjoy! If you do, pls do the usual: like, subscribe, review, tell a friend, and MAKE MY DAY at @lily_lindon, @bookymcbookface, or @witlitpod. Lily xoxo PS. This was recorded in December 2020. Depressingly, the lockdown references are still relevant. PPS. Please could a spelling bee somewhere tell me whether it’s meant to be Rom Com, romcom, rom-com, or something else entirely?

“Comedy crime sounds like it involves three clowns with a ladder they’re inexplicably bad at carrying trying to break into a pie factory. It doesn’t sound like there’s respect for the story.” Wham!!! Welcome to Wit Lit Series 2!!! Caimh McDonnell is a former stand-up comedian, prize-winning script-writer, and present full-time author, whose tenth book THE STRANGER TIMES is publishing on 14th Jan 2021. We talk about how stand-up gives an author good and bad habits, how to build a fictional world around your book, and how to describe the genre of a ‘funny paranormal kind of crime investigation but mainly about character kind of book’. You can read more about THE STRANGER TIMES, book, podcast, newsletter, and man himself here. Caimh’s recommended book is THE NIGHT WATCH by Terry Pratchett. (If you have not yet been convinced to read Terry Pratchett, then pls try unclogging ur ears.) He also recommends the elusive comedian’s comedian, Daniel Kitson. You can send me fan mail or indeed normal mail at @witlitpod or @witlitpodcast, or twitter’s @lily_lindon and instagram’s @bookymcbookface. Thank you for listening. Please be nice to Wit Lit by giving it a good rating or something.

What do you get if you cross poetry with a joke? In this episode I'm joined by Joanna Lee: agent at Curtis Brown, poet, and poetry critic whose work has been featured in the Guardian, LRB, and White Review. We talk about the lack of diversity in poetry criticism, the relationship between humour and tragedy, brevity, and ridiculous metaphors. NB: this was recorded before lockdown, and when I was in a phase of saying that everything I liked was 'omg so silly.' Please forgive me. Wit Lit List: Poetry Therapist by Joe Dunthorne Discipline by Jane Yeh SPAM Zine & Press Three Leaf Press Playing with Playing with Fire by Nasser Hussain by Nasser Hussain The Flea, and the Relic by John Donne To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell Dear Republic by Ilya Kaminsky Novels Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory by Raphael Bob-Wakesberg  Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch Joanna is on Twitter @joanna_brl. I'm on Twitter @lily_lindon. I'm on Instagram @bookymcbookface. Omg so silly, Lily

“Humour is that last precious thing that distinguishes you from someone else.” Actual comedian, author, and founder of the Comedy Women in Print Prize Helen Lederer talks about writing wit, and how to enter for the 2020 prize. Meanwhile we talk about how Helen will literally die if she laughs too much, how groups of women are funnier to groups of men, and Helen writes the first line of my comedy novel. — Find out more the CWIP Comedy Women in Print Prize here. There are unpublished and published novel categories, as well as a new graphic novel category. Entries for this year close on March 2, 2020. You should totally enter! Omg good luck! And if you have ideas for CWIP or loads of money to donate to its worthy witty cause, you can become a Friend of CWIP and fun stuff like that. Twits can follow Helen @HelenLederer the Comedy Women in Print Prize @CWIPprize — Please I’m begging you, get in touch if you have recommendations of funny books, quotes, or want to be a guest. You can contact me all formal on @witlitpod or @witlitpodcast, or all informal on twitter @lily_lindon & instagram @bookymcbookface. — Big love, Lily

"How would you describe Pratchett’s sense of humour?" "Oooh… ‘Really good?’" I talk to improviser and BNOC Colin Rothwell about one of our absolute favourite witty authors: Terry Pratchett. Listen in for advice about where to start if you've never read any Pratchett before, general gushing about how great (and silly? But not silly?) his Discworld books are. I look forward to hearing from all you audiobook casting agents. - Message me YOUR favourite funny books or quotes, I'd love to shout them out on the next episode! If you want to tell me how great I am, you can contact me all formal on @witlitpod or @witlitpodcast, or all informal on twitter @lily_lindon & instagram @bookymcbookface. Colin posts weird jokes on his twitter @colinrothwell. - Stay silly, Lily

*NOT ENDORSED BY ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (YET)* Sometimes nature writing is just silly people being silly in a pond. Walk and talk with nature writer, reader, and reviewer Alice Attlee. Suitable whether you have never read any nature writing before, or you just like puns about air pollution. Recorded in Highgate Woods on the hottest day of the year, so it even features an original nature soundscape playing live in the background! Hashtag calming, hashtag natural, hashtag there's also a few aeroplanes and an ice-cream van. ---  BIG DOG BOOKS DISCUSSED: WATERLOG by Roger ‘some kind of paternal figure’ Deakin (a.k.a. ’Freaky Deakin’) UNDERLAND by Robert Macfarlane Three (punny but not funny) books on air pollution ---  Get in touch if you have recommendations of funny books, quotes, or want to be a guest! You can contact me all formal on @witlitpod or @witlitpodcast, or all informal on twitter @lily_lindon & instagram @bookymcbookface. Alice can be followed around on twitter @AliceAttlee where you can also find links to her writing, reviewing, and YOGA INSTRUCTING! Truly she wears many hats, and she wears them very well. Stay silly, Lily

Comedy researcher Yaseen recommends two Lucy Ellmann novels — Sweet Desserts and Varying Degrees of Hopelessness — for their dark humour, catastophising characters, and failing relationships. Oh, and their brevity. Yes, the famous brevity of that novelist who would, about a week after this was recorded, be shortlisted for the Booker Prize with Ducks, Newburyport… her 1000-page epic. CW/TW: depression, eating disorders, attempted suicide - but it IS gentle and funny I promise. OBVS LIKE, SHARE, FOLLOW & GIVE IT 5 STARS LOL THX! — BOOKS MENTIONED - Sweet Desserts, and Varying Degrees of Hopelessness by Lucy Ellman - Sad Today, and The Pisces by Melissa Broder Bridget Jones’ Diary, by Helen Fielding (again) A side-note in Hannah Gadsby’s stand-up show 'Nannette' Those bizarre dead baby jokes from Facebook a decade or so ago — SLIDE INTO MY DMS Get in touch if you have recommendations of funny books, quotes, or want to be a guest! You can contact me all formal on @witlitpod & @witlitpodcast, or all informal on twitter @lily_lindon & instagram @bookymcbookface. Follow Yaseen’s impeccable taste in cultural icons and in homemade dinners @ysnkdr. — Stay silly, Lily

Playwright and script reader Billie Collins talks about the best of funny plays. From Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag, to Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan, to a scene where a gal tries to ask someone on a date through the medium of fish. As a bonus, Billie explains how to be a lesbian on small town Tinder (with Pokemon metaphors, of course). OBVS LIKE, SHARE, FOLLOW & GIVE IT 5 STARS THX! --- Wit Lit plays mentioned this episode: Fleabag, Phoebe Waller-Bridge Cannibals, Rory Mullarkey Sugar Baby, Alan Harris Tom Wells (generally) Anatomy of a Suicide, Alice Birch Pamona, by Alistair McDowall Square Go, Gary McNair and Kieran Hurley As You Like It, William Shakespeare Lady Windemere’s Fan, Oscar Wilde Baby Reindeer, Richard Gadd --- Get in touch if you have recommendations of funny books, quotes, or want to be a guest! You can contact me all formal on @witlitpod or @witlitpodcast, or all informal on twitter @lily_lindon & instagram @bookymcbookface. Follow Billie's brilliance online too: she's on twitter @KLFCollins or her page on The Writing Squad. --- Stay silly, Lily

I talk to book activist, cool content creator, and stud muffin Leena Norms about silly sex self-help books. Includes 101 tips to make your wife love you, a quiz about what to call your vagina, and erotic fan-fic involving a certain British political figure... OBVS FOLLOW, LIKE, SHARE, GIVE IT 5 STARS PLS THX. --- Get in touch if you have recommendations of funny books, quotes, or want to be a guest! You can contact me all official-like @witlitpod or @witlitpodcast, or all unofficial-like on twitter @lily_lindon or instagram @bookymcbookface. (If you leave a nice review + your wit lit book recommendation = I will read it out on the next episode + generally shower you with love?!) Follow Leena's marvellous online contentment too: twitter @leenanorms, instagram @leenanorms, youtube @justkissmyfrog, Patreon The Gumption Club, and if you want more sex book chat, the Banging Book Club Podcast. --- This episode's Wit Lit Reading List: Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, by John Gray Vagina, by Naomi Wolf He's Just Not That Into You, by Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo Plus Bad Sex from: Katarina by James Fray Scoundrels by Major Victor Cornwall and Major Arthur St John Trevelyan (I have since done some research into this book and turns out, reassuringly, it's a parody. SO maybe it should go in the Good Sex list?!) And Good Sex from: In At The Deep End, by Kate Davies The Cows by Dawn O'Porter Caitlin Moran, Juno Dawson, and Mhairi McFarlane. --- Stay silly, Lily

Comedians, writers, and publishing people recommend the best of witty literature. Take reading less seriously. This trailer fts. the dulcet tones of Leena Norms, Billie Collins, Yaseen Kader, Alice Attlee, Colin Rothwell, and your host, Lily Lindon.