Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize |

American writer Gary Shteyngart was recently awarded the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction for his third novel Super Sad True Love Story. Set in the near future, the novel is set in a rapidly disintegrating America. The United States is at war with Venezuela and on the brink of financial collapse. Privacy is obsolete; citizens are equipped with a device that live-streams their thoughts so conversations are unnecessary. Thirty-nine year old Lenny is out of touch with technology. He prefers reading books to text-scanning for data. Hopelessly naïve he falls in love with the much younger Eleanor Park. Despite their differences, she begins to reciprocate.

The book trailer features cameos from leading figures in the literary world and actor James Franco, a former student of Shteyngart.

The Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize prize was founded in 2000 and is named after humourist PG Wodehouse. It is the UK’s only award for comic writing. The winner receives a bottle of champagne and a collection of works by PG Wodehouse. In addition a Gloucester Old Spot pig like the one pictured here, is named in the author's honour.