The Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction has not one but two winners this year. Rosanna Pike (pictured) wins the 2025 Bollinger Everyman Prize for Comic Fiction for A Little Trickerie (published by Fig Tree, Penguin Random House), and Marina Lewycka (pictured below) is awarded the Vintage Bollinger Prize – the ‘Winner of Winners’ from the twenty-five previous recipients of the award – for A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian (published by Fig Tree, Penguin Random House in 2005).
The announcement was made on Monday night. Rosanna Pike received a jeroboam and a case of Bollinger Special Cuvée, the complete set of the Everyman’s Library P.G. Wodehouse collection and a pig named after her winning book. Marina Lewycka’s family – partner Professor Donald Sassoon and daughter Sonia Lewycka – accepted the award on behalf of the author who sadly died after a long illness the day after the judges reached their decision. They received a framed picture of the winning book jacket and a specially engraved jeroboam of Bollinger Special Cuvée.
Peter Florence, Chair of the Judges, commented: “2025 gifted us several fabulous contenders for this year’s prize, that ran a full spectrum of comic styles and just seemed endlessly entertaining. It was the closest multi-way call we’ve ever had, and we’re delighted by our winner, and by the whole shortlist. Judging the Vintage Bollinger Prize was always going to be a locked-in hoot as we revisited so many fabulously funny winners. It seemed a daunting idea to garland one book among so many as the funniest book of the last 25 years, but actually we came to a book that some people were discovering for the first time and were laughing aloud at and loving. She has us at the title, and she rocks us on every page. And it’s a book that is reshaped by the 20 years since it was first published, by both the history of Ukraine and the story of refugee experience in the UK. The comedy is somehow both darker and more vivid. Marina died on the day after the jury met to decide the prize winner. I am so glad to know that she knew she had won.”
Victoria Carfantan, Director of Champagne Bollinger UK & Global Partnerships, added: “Champagne Bollinger is proud to have been the sponsor of this important award for a quarter of a century. I am thrilled that, in the year we celebrate 25 years of this prestigious prize, we have two female winners. The novels couldn’t be more different, one a Chaucerian romp through Medieval England, the other a unique and at times deeply moving modern take on family relationships, but each will have the reader smiling and laughing out loud.”
Inspired by a true story, A Little Trickerie is an irreverent tale of belief and superstition, kinship and courage, set in 16th century England, with an unforgettable and distinctly unangelic heroine.
Born a vagabond, Tibb Ingleby has never had a roof of her own. But her mother has taught her that if you're not too bound by the Big Man's rules, there are many ways a woman can find shelter in this world. Now her ma is dead in a trick gone wrong and young Tibb is orphaned and alone. As she wends her way across the fields and forests of medieval England, Tibb will discover there are people who will care for her, as well as those who mean her harm. And there are a great many others who are prepared to believe just about anything.
And so, when the opportunity presents itself to escape the shackles society has placed on them, Tibb and her new friends conjure an audacious plan: her greatest trickerie yet. But before they know it, their hoax takes on a life of its own, drawing crowds - and vengeful enemies - to their door...
Judge Pippa Evans said: “Rosanna Pike is so very playful with her use of language in this joyful and unctuous book. I fell in love with Tibb from the very first page and giggled right to the end.”
Judge James Naughtie said: “Silky and effervescent, it bubbles with wit and style”
Rosanna Pike is a former teacher and diarist for the Evening Standard who lives in south-west London with her family. She is a graduate of Curtis Brown Creative and the Faber Academy.
On winning this year’s prize, Rosanna said: “I was over the moon to get the news and completely surprised. This is such a special and unique prize and the past shortlistees and winners are just incredible. I am so honoured that the judges thought my writing amusing enough to make the shortlist, let alone win. And the best part - there is now a pig snuffling around named A Little Trickerie. What more could a debut novelist ask for?”
The judges for this year’s prize were: Pippa Evans (comedian), Stephanie Merritt (novelist and critic), James Naughtie (broadcaster and author), Justin Albert (Vice Chair, University of Wales and Chair, Rewilding Britain), David Campbell (publisher, Everyman’s Library)and Peter Florence (Director of The Conversation at St Martin in the Fields and Chair of the Judges).
The other 2025 shortlisted titles were: Friends of Dorothy by Sandi Toksvig – Published by Virago (Hachette); Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis – Published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson (Orion Publishing Group); Last Acts by Alexander Sammartino – Published by One (Pushkin Press); Murder Most Foul by Guy Jenkin - Published by Legend Press: The Book of George by Kate Greathead – Published by Atlantic Books; The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji – Published by 4th Estate Books (HarperCollins); and The Unfinished Harauld Hughes by Richard Ayoade - Published by Faber.
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is a hilarious, lively, moving and compassionate debut novel about one Ukrainian-British family's tumultuous relationship and the history they never knew. Sisters Vera and Nadezhda must set aside a lifetime of feuding to save their widowed, tractor-obsessed Ukrainian father from the voluptuous, wealth-obsessed Valentina.
With her proclivity for green satin underwear and boil-in-the-bag cuisine, she outmanoeuvres the sisters at every turn. But their campaign to oust Valentina unearths family secrets, uncovers fifty years of European and Ukrainian history, and sends them back to roots they'd much rather forget . . .
Judge Claudia Winkleman said: “I thought Marina’s book was laugh out loud funny, utterly original and also deeply moving. I’m delighted it’s won the Vintage Bollinger Prize.”
Judge Sindhu Vee said: “Marina Lewycka's A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is unforgettable because it makes you laugh out loud even as it lays out - so vividly - the frustration and despair that mark all lives from time to time. A true comedy gem.”
Marina Lewycka’s original editor and publisher, Juliet Annan, said “As her editor and publisher at the time, I well remember Marina at the Hay Festival, flushed with winning the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize, petting her beautiful prize pig – and then discovering that the scent of pig lingered all day on her clothes and hands! I’m so happy and proud that this debut novel made Marina Lewycka’s name for her.”
Marina Lewycka was born in Kiel, Germany, after the war, grew up in England and lived in Sheffield. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian was shortlisted for the Orange Prize, longlisted for the Man Booker, and won the Bollinger Everyman Prize for Comic Fiction and the Waverton Good Read Award. Her second novel Two Caravans was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, Two Caravans and Marina's third and fourth novels, We Are All Made of Glue and Various Pets Alive and Dead are all published by Penguin. She died on 11th November 2025.
The judges for the Vintage Bollinger Prize were: stand-up comedian and social media sensation Tatty Macleod; judge on the hit BBC series The Great British Sewing Bee, clothing designer and author Patrick Grant; television presenter, radio personality, journalist, co-host of Strictly Come Dancing and BAFTA award-winning presenter of The Traitors Claudia Winkleman; critically acclaimed and award-winning comedian, writer, and actor Sindhu Vee; and Director of The Conversation at St Martin-in-the-Fields and Chair of the Judges Peter Florence.
Pictured top: Rosanna Pike 2025 Winner of the Bollinger Prize by Laurie Fletcher
