Has anyone got any recommendations on books to read to learn more about English humour and wittiness in (copy)writing ?
Looking for reads that will help me understand the different times of humour (e.g. irony, wit, etc). More specifically, would like to find out what is considered funny in the English culture.
Thank you!
Replies2
- For starters read Evelyn Waugh (Scoop, Decline And Fall, Vile Bodies), PG Wodehouse (esp. Jeeves & Wooster) and Oscar Wilde (esp. The Importance of Being Earnest).The legendary John Cleese, of Monty Python/Fawlty Towers fame, has written and produced videos on creativity (and humour) in management.Finally, read Private Eye, the funniest -- and most honest publication -- in the land. (They hold everyone to account.) Guiding spirit, its founder, the late, great Peter Cook, Godfather of contemporary British humour.
- I was once a visiting assesor at St.Martins School of Art — where a large proportion of students are not from the UK. Some of these students had enrolled on the Advertising course, which involves writing scripts, some of which, if they are lucky, are meant to appeal through humour.The chap running the course had brilliant advice to these students to get their heads around British Humour.Listen to Radio 4. Whenever you can.It's great advice — you'll hear about current affairs, the state of the nation, what agitates and amuses... soak it all up, analyse as you listen... and soon you'll have a better handle on what makes Brits tick.
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