In so doing, you not only beat the odds — which were considered to be so daunting that there were, in fact, no odds — but became the first "unashamedly comic novel" to win the prize. We personally thought The Remains of the Day was a laugh riot, but we suppose we were probably in the minority there.

You've said, of English humor: "If we are sometimes accused of unsubtlety in our comedy, of lacking light and shade, here is the reason — we prefer exaggeration, and look for truth in vehemence."

You've said, of your £50,000 prize money, that you were going to buy a handbag for your wife: "Have you seen the price of handbags?"

We congratulate you. We are, and always have been, great fans of the English comic novel. Have you seen how frequently we cover The Daily Beast?

Love,

The Observer