The literary center Thurber House revealed the semifinalists for the annual Thurber Prize for American Humor, given annually to a book of comic writing.

James McBride made the longlist for Deacon King Kong, his 2020 novel. The book was the winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and the Gotham Book Prize, and was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize.

Washington Post writer Alexandra Petri was named a semifinalist for her collection of political columns, Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why, and comedian Mike Birbiglia made the list for his parenting memoir, The New One: Painfully True Stories From a Reluctant Dad.

M.O. Walsh was nominated for The Big Door Prize; the novel is being adapted into an Apple TV+ series starring Chris O’Dowd and Djouliet Amara.

Laura Pedersen’s essay collection A Theory of Everything Else made the longlist, along with Shannon Reed’s Why Did I Get a B?: And Other Mysteries We’re Discussing in the Faculty Lounge.

The Thurber Prize was first awarded in 1997 to Ian Frazier’s Coyote v. Acme. Previous winners have included David Sedaris’ Me Talk Pretty One Day, Larry Doyle’s I Love You, Beth Cooper, Patricia Lockwood’s Priestdaddy, and Damon Young’s What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker.

The winner of this year’s award will be announced at a ceremony in Columbus, Ohio, on April 22.

Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.