The 8 best funny books, from the Queens of Comedy

At the Baileys Prize Book Bar, at Waterstones Tottenham Court Road earlier this month, we brought together four brilliantly funny women to talk books and comedy. The wonderful panel, hosted by Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction co-founder Kate Mosse, included including comic, author and 2017  judge Sara Pascoe, award-winning comedian, writer and actor Katy Brand, broadcaster and writer Gemma Cairney and writer and broadcaster Natalie Haynes.

Read on to find out which two books each of the panelists picked as their favourite funny books by women, plus a chance to win all eight incredible reads!

Sara Pascoe

Sara’s choices were:

Dietland by Sarai Walker

‘I was arguing with a room of very posh men’ – Sara on discovering Dietland when judging the Comedy Writing Award

The Pumpkin Eater by Penelope Walker

Natalie Haynes

Natalie’s choices were:

Heartburn by Nora Ephron

‘Heartburn is everything I wanted to achieve as a stand up comedian.’

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

Katy Brand

Katy’s choices were:

Polo by Jilly Cooper

‘The women are as driven as the men, they’re all just having one big romp.’

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

‘Elizabeth Bennett is my spirit animal.’

Gemma Cairney

How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

‘Serious, engaging, raw… and pretty damn funny’

Darcy Burdock by Laura Dockrill

‘Darcy has the tenacity of Matilda and an imagination to be reckoned with’

For a chance to win all 8 brilliant books, as chosen by our Queens of Comedy panelists, head to the @BaileysPrize Instagram now!