James Thurber sitting in front of a wall of his cartoon art
James Thurber sitting at a desk writing
James Thurber sitting at a desk in an office
James Thurber as a young man sitting for a portrait photo
James Thurber sitting at a desk writing
James Thurber sitting for a photo in front of a fireplace

The funniest award show, ever.

Congratulations to the winners of The 23rd Thurber Prize for American Humor in Writing, S.E. Boyd’s The Lemon, as well as the winner of The 1st Thurber Prize in Cartoon Art, Roz Chast, for their outstanding contributions to the art of humor.

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View the 22nd Prize Photo Gallery!
View the 22nd Prize Photo Gallery!
The Thurber Prize Book Club

The Thurber Prize Book Club

April 29th, 2024 | 7PM - 9PM (Virtual on Zoom)

Want something low commitment and fun? Be part of the FREE Thurber Prize for American Humor Book Club! We’ll discuss the top finalist books for this year’s Thurber Prize. Which book deserves to win? Read them all and tell us!

*This event has concluded—Join us again next year!

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RSVP
*Coming Soon — For Authors/Publishers

Official Book Seals

Thurber Prize book seals are almost here! Coming summer 2024, finalist and winner book seals will be available to authors and publishers for purchase directly through The Thurber Prize/Thurber House.

For more information, please submit your interest below.

Submit Interest
Submit Interest
The 22nd Thurber Prize

Last Year's Highlights

Check out our sizzle reel from The 22nd Thurber Prize—special thanks to John Ondo of Ondo Media for his talents in putting this fabulous video together!

If you're interested in joining the fun for The 23rd Thurber Prize on May 31st, 2024, consider becoming a Corporate Sponsor or Host. Click below to learn more!

23rd Prize Sponsorship Opportunities
23rd Prize Sponsorship Opportunities
01
The Legacy
James Thurber sitting in front of a wall of his cartoon art

Honoring the legacy of an industry great.

The Thurber Prize for American Humor is the namesake of the late James Thurber, a prolific humor writer, cartoonist, and playwright of the 20th century.

You can learn more about James and his work by visiting www.thurberhouse.org.

02
The Award
Past Thurber Prize finalists sitting on a couch laughing

Celebrating the very best in humor.

Authors from around the country submit their work each year in hope of being selected to receive the highest honor in humor writing today—The Thurber Prize for American Humor.

The award is given to one individual's hilarious book, as selected by our national panel of judges.

03
The Show
Black Thurber Prize logo

Celebrate humor, art, and literary brilliance in Columbus, OH as we honor James Thurber's legacy and mark Thurber House's 40th anniversary.

Produced by Thurber House and created by local creatives and funny people, this is "The Mark Twain meets Tony Awards.”

*This event has concluded—Join us again next year!

04
Thurber House
Thurber House branding board; James Thurber cartoons layered up with his signature in the middle
2023 Thurber House logo

The Thurber Prize is produced by Thurber House, a literary hub in Columbus, Ohio. Within the walls of Thurber, writers find support, students find guidance, and community members find inspiration.

Thurber House hosts writing workshops and events for both adults and children, and operates the Thurber House museum dedicated to all things James Thurber.

Learn more about Thurber House at www.thurberhouse.org.

James Thurber sitting at a desk writing

The best in

humor.

At this year's show, we're bringing excerpts of our top three finalists' books to life on the stage through immersive readings from the finalists themselves. Learn more about our finalists below.

James Thurber sitting at a desk in an office

An award show developed by a talented team of creatives.

Our team of local and national creatives has come together to develop a show like no other—with music, dance, and of course comedy, get ready to celebrate our finalists and laugh until you cry!

Buy my tickets
Buy my tickets
Brooke Preston headshot
David J. Glover headshot
Riane Konc headshot
Scott Woods headshot
Zoë Lathan headshot
Zac Delmonte headshot
Brooke Stiles headshot
Counterfeit Madison headshot

Many Thanks

/sponsorship

The Thurber Prize is only made possible by the support of our generous corporate and individual donors. Our Host Committee is comprised of a group of individual donors passionate about the award and the work of these great industry artists.

Our Hosts

/'23

Honorary Hosts: Paige & Michael Crane

Amanpal Garcha & Danielle Demko, David Hogrefe & Brian Kemp, Denise Mirman, Elizabeth Howard & Whit Vann, Fred & Debra Hadley, Highland Lakes Moms Book Club, Katherine & Doug Matthews, Mary Lazarus, Paul & Sandra Watkins, Paula Cole & Jacob Ledford, Robyn Warhol Nisbet, Win & Roberta Logan, Monica & Doug Kridler, Rebecca Perry Damsen & Benjamin F. Towle, Charles Flynn, Xenia Palus, Mary Coppolo, Bill & Marcia Evans, Stacy & Steven Katz, Sara & Kevin McCain

The only award show you need to see
The only award show you need to see
The only conference you need
The only conference you need

Networking

/04

With our four virtual breakout sessions, you can network with other pro designers from the comfort of your own home. You don't even have to put on pants if you don't want to (but we strongly suggest that you do).

Laughs

/∞

This virtual conference is a great place to meet new friends, especially if you're the type of person who likes to talk about graphic design, web design, or pretty much any other kind of design. (And let's face it, if you're reading this, you probably are.) You'll have a great time.

2023 Thurber House logo

The 23rd Thurber Prize Host Committee.

Over 20 years of experience
Eight speakers in the lineup
Two days of speakers
Six live workshops

Honorary Hosts: David Hogrefe & Brian Kemp

Mary Coppolo
Paige & Michael Crane
Lisa Eschleman
Bill & Marcia Evans
Michael Stan & Sally Fingerett
Aman Garcha
Fred & Debra Hadley
Mary Lazarus
Paula Cole & Jake Ledford
Win & Roberta Logan
Katherine & Douglas Matthews
Denise Mirman
Sara Thurber Sauers
Kelly Fuller & Bob Thomas

Become a Host
Become a Host

Get inspired by the industry greats.

An agenda filled with knowledge

Design isn't just about making things look pretty. Design is about solving problems. That's why our design conference has an agenda made for you to learn the most valuable skills from our speakers.

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Discover what makes you a unique designer
2pm
Wallie Sharso

Everyone has their own unique perspective, and that's what makes designers so special. We all have our own individual processes, methodologies and ways of seeing the world. And it is this diversity that allows us to create such beautiful and innovative designs.

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Creating design systems within small teams
12pm
Sarah Pratt

One of the most important things that designers can do is to create and maintain design systems. Design systems provide a shared set of standards and patterns that can be used by all members of a team. They help to ensure that everyone is on the same page, and they can save a lot of time and frustration in the long run.

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Learn what makes a design sprint successful
3pm
Rilley Fathese

Design sprints are all the rage these days, and it's easy to see why. After all, who wouldn't want to compress months of work into a single week? However, successfully completing a design sprint requires more than just a willingness to work long hours. In order to be successful, you need to understand the basics of Design Sprinting.

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Mastering figma for website prototyping
1pm
Cam Gerady

Designers are often asked to prototype websites and apps. Figma is a great tool for this purpose, and it's not difficult to learn. The more you practice, the better you'll become at prototyping websites and apps in Figma.

We've got the answers to your questions.

How many finalists are there?

We have three finalists each year out of the hundreds of submissions that we receive from authors all across the country. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just getting started in the field, this award show is made by and for the industry to celebrate the very best in humor writing.

What will happen at the live show?

The live award show allows you to see the finalists read and be awarded in real time. The show is also jam-packed with music, dance, and comedy to give you an unforgettable evening of humor.

How does the judging process work?

Shhh... the judging process is top-secret... just kidding. Any author from around the country with a qualifying book is able to submit their work for consideration. Once submissions close for the year, our panel of national judges quickly gets to work reading and scoring each book. This process is done in two rounds of judging, which results in six to eight semi-finalists, three top finalists, and ultimately our winner, who is announced the evening of the show.

Who will be at the live show?

Each year, the live show is attended by industry professionals, humor and/or writing enthusiasts, fans-of-the-authors, and many other people who just want to have a good time!

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Want to learn how to build websites like this?
Learn from award winning designers in live online classes. Each class is limited to 15 students. Save you're spot below!
Save my spot
Want to learn how to build websites like this?
Learn from award winning designers in live online classes. Each class is limited to 15 students. Save you're spot below!
Save my spot
Want to learn how to build websites like this?
Learn from award winning designers in live online classes. Each class is limited to 15 students. Save you're spot below!
Save my spot