Interview With Author Mo Fanning
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m Mo Fanning, a Birmingham-based novelist who writes character-driven fiction exploring love, identity, and human connection through LGBTQ+ experiences. I’ve published seven books so far—five novels and two short story collections—with my eighth book in the works as I type.
My novels include The Armchair Bride, Rebuilding Alexandra Small, Ghosted, Husbands, and Rainbows and Lollipops. I’ve also released two short story collections: this is (not) america and Five Gold Rings.
I write with (what I hope) is a blend of humor, heartbreak, and hope, creating characters whose journeys reflect that universal search for belonging we all experience. Drawing inspiration from my Midlands roots and vagabond adult life, I try to infuse authentic voices and settings that resonate with readers who appreciate stories celebrating the beauty of imperfection and the transformative power of resilience.
When I’m not writing, I live with my husband Mark and our (always peckish) Labrador Ernie, continuing to find inspiration in the world around me. Each book feels like both a personal journey and a love letter to the community that shaped me.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is ‘Ghosted’, and it was inspired by a fascinating human paradox I kept observing: how we can feel most alone when we’re surrounded by the most people, and how hope often emerges precisely when it seems most impossible.
The idea began with two very different characters. Silas is a department store Santa who loses his beloved job, and Ellen is a New York diner waitress who suddenly finds herself unemployed. Both are hitting rock bottom just before Christmas. I was intrigued by the idea of dropping these two people who expected to spend the holidays alone onto a cruise ship with 3000 gay men ready to party.
What happens when you’re at your lowest ebb but surrounded by joy and celebration?
I’ve always been drawn to stories about estranged families and second chances, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community where chosen family often becomes as important as biological family. Silas’s desperate attempt to reconnect with his son Joey after thirteen years of silence felt like such a universal story. That fear of reaching out when you’ve hurt someone you love.
The cruise ship setting allowed me to explore themes of belonging and community while also examining how sometimes the biggest crowd can be the loneliest place on earth. I wanted to write about that moment when losing everything, your job, your purpose, your hope, actually clears space for something better to emerge.
At its heart, Ghosted is about the courage it takes to believe in love and connection when every rational voice tells you it’s too late.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do most of my first drafts longhand in notebooks, which drives my husband slightly crazy because I have stacks of them everywhere. There’s something about the physical act of writing that helps me connect with my characters’ voices better than typing.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Marian Keyes was the reason I started to write. I devoured her early books and wanted more. When I couldn’t find quite the right mix of humanity and heart with wit, I tried to write one for myself. These days, I worship at the Swedish loafers of Fredrik Backman.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently revisiting a never quite right draft of something I wrote a while back… giving it what I like to call the “director’s cut” treatment.
It’s fascinating going back to a story I wrote some years ago and seeing how much my understanding of the characters has deepened since then.
The book explores themes around identity and authenticity, particularly that journey from presenting a version of yourself that you think the world wants to see, to finally having the courage to be genuinely who you are. It’s about those moments when we realise we’ve been performing our own lives rather than actually living them.
There’s something quite poignant about revisiting characters who are grappling with the difference between surface sweetness and authentic joy. The story delves into how we sometimes cling to idealised versions of happiness, those candy-coloured dreams we had as children, when what we really need is something much more real and complex.
I’m particularly excited about expanding the emotional depth this time around. The original version was good (I think), but I feel like I understand these characters’ inner lives so much better now. There’s more space for the messiness of real relationships, the way people can love each other and still hurt each other, and how growing up sometimes means letting go of the pretty illusions to find something more substantial underneath.
It’s been quite therapeutic, actually, diving back into themes of self-acceptance and the courage it takes to live authentically, especially within communities where you’re still figuring out where you belong.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
You mean outside of Awesome Gang, right?
Honestly, I’ve found that building genuine relationships with readers has been far more valuable than any single promotional method. My email newsletter has become my most effective tool because it lets me connect directly with people who actually want to hear from me, rather than shouting into the social media void.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write the book you wish existed in the world, not the book you think will sell. I spent years trying to second-guess what publishers or readers wanted, and it nearly killed my love of writing. The breakthrough came when I stopped worrying about commercial appeal and started writing stories that genuinely mattered to me.
Finish things. I know that sounds obvious, but it’s the biggest hurdle. There’s something magical about completing a full manuscript, even if it’s terrible. And actually, it really ought to be terrible. That first draft is just you telling yourself a story. You learn more from finishing one flawed book than from endlessly polishing the first three chapters of five different projects. Give yourself permission to write badly at first. And write really badly. On purpose.
Find your people, but be selective about whose opinions matter. Join writing groups, but remember that not all feedback is useful feedback. Some critique partners will try to turn your book into the book they would write. Listen to your gut about which advice serves your story and which doesn’t.
Read a lot. Then real more. But don’t let it intimidate you. Every published author started as someone who’d never written a book before.
Most importantly, enjoy the process. Writing is hard work, but it should also bring you joy. If you’re not having fun creating these characters and their world, your readers won’t have fun either.
I know many people say write every day, but some days I don’t. I think about what I’m writing or could be writing most days. That counts.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You can’t edit a blank page.
What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis, which was shortlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction. I picked it up after seeing it on the longlist and being intrigued by the premise. It’s just so incredibly accessible. Nussaibah is so great at knowing how to balances the political and the personal without letting either overwhelm the story. As someone who tries to weave social themes into my own novels without getting all preachy about it, I’m taking notes. And spitting with envy.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Lots more words in lots of notepads.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
‘Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine’ by Gail Honeyman would definitely be one of them. There’s something about Eleanor’s journey from isolation to connection that I totally get. I’ve already read it three times. I’m ready for the fourth.
‘Rachel’s Holiday’ by Marian Keyes. The way she balances heartbreak with hope is something so brilliant. And she never avoids letting grown-ups be messy.
‘Big Girl, Small Town’ by Michelle Gallen. Gallen captures small-town dynamics and the complexity of belonging somewhere that both nurtures and suffocates.
And I absolutely must smuggle a fourth book – ‘A Man Called Ove’ by Fredrik Backman. A grumpy exterior hiding such a tender heart would be perfect desert island company.
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