Thurber House, the Columbus literary center located in the Victorian home where humorist James Thurber lived as a student, has announced three finalists for the 2026 Thurber Prize for American Humor in Writing. The award, presented annually since 1997, is among the most recognized honors in American comedy literature. The winner will be named at an award show on May 7, 2026, at the Columbus College of Art & Design’s Canzani Center, hosted by 2014 Thurber Prize winner John Kenney.

The three finalists are Shalom Auslander for Feh, a midlife memoir described as “relentlessly funny, subversively heartfelt and fearlessly provocative”; Alison Espach for The Wedding People, a novel following a woman who arrives alone at a Newport, Rhode Island wedding venue and unexpectedly bonds with the bride; and Steven Rowley for The Guncle Abroad, in which a beloved uncle navigates family complications surrounding his brother’s remarriage in Italy. Rowley is a past recipient of the Thurber Prize, having won in 2023 for The Guncle, the first novel in the series.

The Thurber Prize is named for James Thurber, the Columbus-born author, humorist, and cartoonist who spent part of his childhood at what is now the Thurber House on Jefferson Avenue. The organization offers writing programs, residencies, and public events throughout the year.

Source: Thurber House