- Everyman’s Library and Champagne Bollinger today, 1 July, announce Flake by Matthew Dooley (Vintage, Jonathan Cape) as the winner of the 2020 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction.
FLAKE is the first graphic novel to win the prize in its 20 year history. Judge Sindhu Vee describes it as ‘a rare joy: a laugh out loud story with characters you want to meet again and again,’ Dooley’s debut Flake tells the comic tale of ice cream wars and sibling rivalry. Described by The Observer as a meld of Alan Bennett and graphic novelist Chris Ware, Flake combines clever detail, warm characters and a good handful of puns.
Set in a small seaside town of Dobbiston, Flake tells the story of ice-cream seller Howard. Noticing a downturn in trade, Howard soon realises its cause: Tony Augustus, his half-brother, whose ice- cream empire is expanding all over the North-West... Thus ensues an epic battle between them, with Howard – helped by the Dobbiston Mountain Rescue team – overcoming every obstacle in the process, and ultimately triumphing in the end.
Matthew Dooley, winner of the 2020 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize comments: ‘Flake was published on 2nd April, amidst a huge, bewildering global crisis. It’s been a very strange experience. Winning the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize means it’s just got stranger in the best possible way. I’m surprised, overwhelmed and elated to have won. Now, how on earth do you chill a bottle of champagne that big..?’
Matthew Dooley will be awarded a jeroboam of Bollinger Special Cuvée, a case of Bollinger La Grande Année, and a complete set of the Everyman’s Library P.G. Wodehouse collection. With the current situation not allowing for a physical pig at Hay Festival this year, Dooley has drawn his own humorous interpretation, with himself sat on the pig, bottle of Bollinger in hand. He’ll be joining a long line of witty winners from the past two decades, including Helen Fielding, Ian McEwan, Terry Pratchett and Nina Stibbe.
Dooley first gained recognition when he won the Cape/Comica/Observer graphic short story prize in 2016, with another dairy related tale of a man Colin Turnball and his ambition to win Lancashire’s Tallest Milkman competition. When he’s not busy crafting comic tales, Dooley works at the House of Commons in education.
David Campbell, judge and publisher of Everyman’s Library, comments: ‘This year’s shortlist was especially strong with a number of very credible potential winners. We had none of us, I think, expected a graphic novel to win, but we were all captivated by Flake.’
Victoria Carfantan, director of Champagne Bollinger - UK, says: ‘We are very proud of our long-standing relationship supporting the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction. It is such an important award celebrating some of the most talented names in the genre and I am delighted to extend my congratulations to Matthew Dooley and his novel, Flake, as this year’s winner.’
The shortlist was selected over a lively online judges’ meeting, with the usual glasses of Bollinger champagne. The judging panel includes musical comedian and improviser, Pippa Evans and comedian Sindhu Vee, in their second and third years as judges respectively; and long- standing judges, broadcaster and author James Naughtie; Everyman’s Library publisher, David Campbell; and a Vice President of the Hay Festival and Director of National Trust Wales, Justin Albert.
Flake was chosen from a shortlist of six books: Nobber by Oisin Fagan (Hachette/John Murray Press); Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane (Granta); Weather by Jenny Offill (Granta); 46% Better than Dave by Alastair Puddick (Raven Crest Books); and House of Trelawney by Hannah Rothschild (Bloomsbury Publishing)
Picture: (c) Matthew Dooley 2020
