The debut adult novel, which tells the story of a matriarchal family of Chinese-Indonesian wedding planners set in California, has already been snapped up by Netflix. It picked up the trophy for Published Comic Novel at the third annual CWIP event, where shortlistees, judges and friends of CWIP – including Deputy Chief Executive Barbara Hayes of ALCS, the award’s proud sponsor – gathered to celebrate on Monday 8 November at The Groucho Club in London.

Sunday Times columnist and writer of the acclaimed Everything I Know About Love, Dolly Alderton, took the runner-up prize for her witty and relatable fiction debut, Ghosts.

Joanne Harris, Chair of Judges for the CWIP Published Comic Novel Prize and member of the ALCS board, said of Dial A For Aunties: “…it’s a deliciously frantic comedy caper, filled with absurd situations, hilarious dialogue, wonderful family dynamics and crackling with comic energy.” Of Dolly Alderton’s Ghosts, she added that it “…is a marvellously accomplished, tender, witty and human story that should speak to women everywhere.”

Sutanto and Alderton were awarded £3,000 and £500 respectively by ALCS. Other runners up included writer and actor Diksha Basu, BAFTA-winning TV presenter Mel Giedroyc, journalist and debut novelist Jane Ions, and international bestselling writer Lynne Truss.

The Unpublished Comic Novel prize was awarded to job centre worker Rebecca Rogers for The Purgatory Poisoning, praised by judges as “truly original”. The hilariously funny novel has won Rogers a publishing contract with HarperFiction and a £5,000 advance.

As part of our work to support writers, ALCS sponsors a number of awards, projects and initiatives that help to develop, promote and support a range of writers. Find out more about the Comedy Women in Print Prize – https://www.comedywomeninprint.co.uk/