Professor Wins Prestigious Book Award

The latest novel from Communication Professor Sonora Jha, PhD, The Laughter, won the 2024 Prize for Fiction from the Washington State Book Awards.

The best-selling book, described by the New York Times as “a no-holds-barred comic achievement” tells the story of two very different university professors navigating academia and the wider American zeitgeist during the 2016 presidential election. The Washington Center for the Book—an affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book administered by the Washington State Library—announced The Laughter as the winner in the Fiction category on September 24. A panel of five judges, including librarians, authors and independent booksellers, selected the winner out of six finalists.

“As someone who has made Washington my home and felt a tremendous sense of community here, I feel so grateful to have my work recognized and celebrated from among authors I deeply admire,” says Jha, who serves as Associate Dean of Faculty Scholarship & Academic Community at the College of Arts and Sciences. “The Laughter satirizes, critiques and also turns a loving eye on our region and on America, so this award feels especially meaningful to me.”

Check out all the winners and learn more about the Washington State Book Awards.