Laura Marney – one of Scotland’s most exciting novelists – is on a creative roll, with new editions of her books, a radio comedy, a stage play and appearances at top literary events.

All four of Laura's novels – including her highly acclaimed 2004 debut, No Wonder I Take a Drink – are to be re-issued in March 2012 as the satirist and comic writer joins Saraband.

Laura has updated and re-edited the books, which also include Nobody Loves a Ginger Baby (2005), Only Strange People Go to Church (2006) and My Best Friend has Issues (2008). Her first book, No Wonder I Take a Drink, was voted one of the Top 20 Scottish books of all time in a poll by The List magazine. The new e-book version of the novel will feature a bonus for budding authors in the form of an exclusive interview-style creative writing masterclass.

Laura’s stories feature flawed, realistic characters that she brings to life with a darkly comic writing style characterised by themes such as obsession, addiction, loneliness and friendship. No wonder one critic said of her writing: “At last, a funny novelist with guts” (Henry Sutton, The Mirror).

The re-issuing of the four novels comes in the middle of a prolific time for Laura, who has never had so many creative outlets for her work and her views:

Radio – BBC Radio 4 broadcast of Leap Year tales (February 2012) play Aw Wrong, a comedy monologue about a couple who, expecting the imminent birth of their first child, take steps to influence the course of nature.

Stage – Laura’s new stage play, Man of the House, is a claustrophobic thriller about ambition, the lack of it, and the perils of unhealthy co-dependent relationships. It will be performed in Edinburgh at the Netherbow Theatre in May and at the Glasgow West End Festival in June at the Cottier Theatre.

Aye Write – Laura is set to appear at the Glasgow Book Festival, which this year runs from Friday 9 March to Saturday 17 March. She will be joining a panel of women publishers, writers, and readers to discuss the controversial state of women’s writing today.

Laura said, “The people who buy books, read and recommend to friends – in short those shaping the publishing trends – are women. The people writing the reviews and winning the prizes are men. Women are not fairly represented. How can VS Naipaul get away with saying he considers no woman writer, not even Jane Austen, his literary equal? We can’t give credence to this sexist bollocks.”

World Book Night – Laura joins authors such as Maggie O’Farrell at the WBN event taking place at Blackwell Bookshop in Edinburgh on Monday 23 April to celebrate reading and books.

Even in the midst of this busy schedule, Laura is also planning a sequel to No Wonder I Take a Drink. Called The Answer, My Friend, Is Blowing Up Your Kilt, the new book will look at Scotland’s history, contemporary culture and future at a time when the debate around Scottish independence is raging.