Our Bureau
Olympia, WA
The Washington Center for the Book (an affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book administered by Washington State Library) recently selected Sonora Jha’s novel ‘The Laughter’ under the category of Fiction Winner.
‘The Laughter’ by Sonora Jha of Seattle won the 2024 Washington State Book Awards (WSBA) for outstanding books published by Washington authors in 2023. This is the 58th year of the program, formerly called the Governor’s Writers Awards.
Sonora Jha is an acclaimed author having written the memoir How to Raise a Feminist Son and the novel Foreign. She had been a renowned journalist covering crime, politics, and culture in Singapore and India. After that, she moved to the United States to earn a PhD in media and public affairs. Her op-eds, essays, and public appearances have been featured in the New York Times, and on the BBC.
As per the New York Times Book Review, ‘The Laughter’ is not just a campus novel. it’s also the story of America’s changing cultural landscape and the major political and philosophical shifts needed to uplift and protect the marginalized. This is a smart and hilarious book not just for anyone who wants to laugh at the absurdity of academia, but for anyone who wants to become a better person by doing it.
Upon hearing the announcement of the award, Sonora Jha said, “The Laughter satirizes, critiques and also turns a loving eye on our region and on America, so this award feels especially meaningful to me.”
Sonora Jha, PhD, is Associate Dean for Faculty Scholarship and Academic Community and a Professor in the Communication Department at Seattle University. Professor Jha teaches courses in journalism and mass communication at Seattle University, advises the campus newspaper, The Spectator, and directs a study abroad, leading students to study journalism and mass media in India.
