From Opinions Desk

The famous theatrical adage provided the starting point for award-winning author David Benjamin’s featured presentation at the inaugural Belleville Book Festival, where he argued that humorous writing remains one of literature’s most challenging and least appreciated forms.

“There’s little respect for writers with a humorous streak,” Benjamin told attendees. “If the mood of the story is not serious, it’s often assumed not to be serious writing. But works infused with humour have a unique power to stay with readers.”

Hosted by Belleville Books, the independent bookstore that has become a centerpiece of downtown Belleville’s revitalisation, the two-day festival drew readers and writers from across the region. Benjamin’s opening-night talk helped make the weekend the bookstore’s most successful event to date.

“Comedic writing is a unique form of literary expression,” Benjamin explains. “To write comedy, a writer must be original and authentic. Comedy requires style. Above all, writers must resist the temptation to take themselves too seriously.”

During his presentation, Benjamin read the popular “tadpole episode” from his fictional memoir The Life and Times of the Last Kid Picked.

David Benjamin is an award-winning author, journalist and founder of Last Kid Books. The author of numerous works of fiction and non-fiction, he has earned more than sixty literary awards across multiple genres. His career has been defined by blending wit with observations about family, memory and modern American life.