10 Books ... by comedians

Glasgow International Comedy Festival begins next week. Here are ten novels by stand-ups who have braved the page, which is even scarier than going on stage.

High Society, by Ben Elton

Elton writes as fast as he talks - plays, tv scripts, and novels by the wheelbarrow. This one bears no resemblance to anything Cole Porter created. "From pop stars and princes to crack whores and street kids. From the Groucho Club toilets to the poppy fields of Afghanistan, we are all partners in crime", says the publisher's inaccurate blurb.

Losing it, by Helen Lederer

Newly published, it's the story of Millie, a desperate singleton, who decides to take her body and mind in hand. This is Lederer's debut novel, and some who found her uproarious in Absolutely Fabulous have been disappointed, but some thought it hilarious.

The Death of Eli Gold , by David Baddiel

A great writer lies dying, and not before time. He survived a suicide pact with one of his many wives, whose brother has never forgiven him. Dark humour is Baddiel's natural habitat.

Oh, Dear Silvia, by Dawn French

French's novel is also set in the medical chamber of horrors, at another death-bed. This time it's a woman, Sylvia, whose secrets are slowly escaping, along with her final breaths.

Time Before Genesis, by Les Dawson

The only novel Dawson published, it's been described as "a disturbing novel of alien conspiracy, sexual mutilation and global apocalypse", which sounds anything but funny. A romantic novel set in the American Civil War, and written under a pseudonym, has yet to be seen in print.

Valentine Grey, by Sandi Toksvig

Probably the most naturally witty woman on radio, Toksvig's story is her version of the life of a woman who disguised herself as a man and fought in the Boer War.

Lazy Bones, by Mark Billingham

Billingham has moved against the flow, going from well-known crime writer into stand-up, thereby single-handedly raising the performance bar for writers appearing at book festivals, most of whom cannot hope to compete.

Mr Lonely, by Eric Morecambe

Published in 1981, this is about a rather dislikeable comedian called Sid. That it was a tragicomedy suggests this was not a career of ceaseless mirth as his routines would have you believe. Morecambe planned to write more fiction, but died before he could do so.

It's Different for Girls, by Jo Brand

Set in the 1970s in the deeply uncool town of Hastings - or so her heroines think - this is the story of teenagers Rachel and Susan, who stick together to survive the years of puberty and the humiliations and temptations that accompany hormonal surges so huge they could wash away the pier.

Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris

Okay, so it's billed as a series of essays, drawn from his hapless life, but American comedian Sedaris's readers know he takes liberties with the idea of memoir, which is part of his charm. One of several such books he's written, it's not strictly a novel but a series of fanciful vignettes of a gay man's life, which will have you holding your sides. Read it before any of the rest.