Helen Lederer Explores the Real Mechanics of Humor and Why Authenticity Makes Comedy Matter
British comedian, writer, and Comedy Women in Print Prize founder Helen Lederer offers a sharply honest look at what makes humor work, why writing funny material is harder than it looks, and how comedy helps us feel less alone. She argues that while publishers know witty books sell better than topics like maths, voles, or trees, the true value of humor goes far deeper than commercial appeal.
Lederer emphasizes that humor connects people by easing fear, loneliness, anxiety, and even depression. Readers aren’t thinking about mental health when they laugh at a clever line, she notes, but that relief is exactly what comedy offers — a momentary release from sadness. Seeing our everyday lives reflected back at us through an absurd lens can create instant recognition and a comforting sense of relevance.
But she also points out a common frustration: opening a supposedly funny book only to discover it’s trying too hard or feels derivative. When a humor-driven novel fails to deliver laughs, the disappointment is sharper than with any other genre. A genuinely funny book becomes precious, she says — and if it fails, readers may even feel embarrassed for the writer.
For Lederer, the essential ingredient behind effective comedy is authenticity. Readers want to feel that the writer “gets” the human condition, regardless of whether the story is set in the past, the future, or even a world built on time travel. As long as people feel seen, the humor will land. Laughter often arrives in moments of recognition — such as watching someone fall, then pretend it never happened. The collapse of dignity followed by the frantic attempt to restore it is universally funny.
When writing her memoir, Lederer mined her own awkward and shameful moments, treating them as fertile ground for revealing life’s natural absurdity. Humor, she explains, can turn morally questionable or painful events into something both ridiculous and true, freeing writers from past judgment and letting them rethink old experiences with clarity.
Lederer also highlights the timeless truth that life is absurd, everyone is vulnerable, and humans constantly reach for things they can’t have — all inherently funny realities. Comedy thrives when pretension collapses or when someone pretending to be something they’re not is exposed.
She references Aristotle’s claim that comedy is rooted in surprise, noting that unpredictable character behavior often triggers the biggest laughs. On the flip side, much comedy is born from pain — embarrassment, humiliation, or powerlessness. Yet it’s the stubborn optimism to keep going, even after chaos, that generates humor. She cites Larry David as a perfect example: lacking empathy, saying the unsayable, and doubling down on awkwardness until it becomes hilarious.
Lederer believes there is no definitive “best” comic novel; the genre is too subjective. But she values platforms that celebrate witty writing without pretending there’s a single correct ranking. That belief motivated her to create the Comedy Women in Print Prize (CWIP) in 2018, designed to amplify and support witty women writers. She even aims to eliminate the word “quirky” as a label for women’s humor, pointing out long-standing inequality in nominations, recognition, and visibility.
Ultimately, she celebrates the fact that no one agrees on what’s funny. Humor remains one of the last human instincts untouched by legality or exploitation, and at its core, it offers joy, connection, hope, and community.
Learn more about the Comedy Women in Print Prize at the official site:
Comedy Women in Print Prize
