No Laughing Matter: Writing Comedy – A panel discussion with authors Jo Furniss & Emma Jane Unsworth, chaired by Denise Tyler

When is a crime a comedy? When is life to be laughed at? Why have satire when the truth is already laughable? Join us to hear from two writers who know the answers to these questions and more as we explore the need for humour in our literature.

Jo Furniss is from the UK, but spent much of her adult life in Cameroon, Switzerland and Singapore. She now lives beside the seaside in England.

Her latest novel is DEAD MILE, is a murder mystery set in a traffic jam on a motorway: ‘It’s Friday afternoon, and the traffic is bloody murder..’ Her previous novels include the survival thriller, ALL THE LITTLE CHILDREN, an Amazon Charts bestseller. A former BBC broadcast journalist, Jo also writes for the award-winning SHORT HISTORY OF podcast.

Emma Jane Unsworth is a BAFTA-nominated screenwriter and best-selling novelist. Originally from Manchester, Emma now lives in Hove with her husband and two young children, who have a completely different accent to her, which freaks her out on a daily basis.

Emma adapted her second novel, ANIMALS, into a feature film. The film, directed by Sophie Hyde and starring Holliday Grainger and Alia Shawkat, premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2019. The same year, Emma won the BIFA for Best Debut Screenwriter for her script. Her third novel, ADULTS, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller when it was published in 2020.

She has written four novels, a memoir and a feature film, as well as writing extensively for television. She wrote an episode of Stephen Merchant’s THE OUTLAWS for Amazon/BBC, for which she was nominated for a BAFTA.

JoFurniss.com  Instagram @jofurnissauthor,  Instagram @emjaneunsworth

Jo and Emma’s books will be available at the event from the Wordfest/City Books stall or from Chapter 34 Shoreham