Dear Abigail,
Men who write rom-com novels are having what might be called ‘a moment’.
Mike Gayle just told The Irish News he’s “a very female-friendly male writer.” Online, the question “can men write romance?” sparked a recent viral debate. Publishing commentators are falling over themselves to claim first dibs on a predicted second wave of “lad lit.” And this year, the British Book Awards added a standalone Romantic Fiction category for the first time in 36 years.
But while the genre booms – UK romance sales hit a record £69m last year – male authors writing it still face a double standard. David Nicholls and Nick Hornby get shelved as “literary fiction.” Women writing the same themes get called “beach reads.” And men who write unashamedly funny, female-led love stories are treated as an anomaly.
Mo Fanning is a proud anomaly. A gay man from the Midlands, he’s written five romcoms with female protagonists, including his latest, ‘Lisa Doyle is Absolutely Fine’ (Spring Street Books, June 2026) that hit the top 2000 in the Amazon best selling list within two days of release – not the sort of thing that tends to happen to an indie author. He’s navigating a genre that assumes its authors are women, its readers are women, and its stories don’t quite count as serious fiction.
I think there’s a strong Saturday Magazine feature in this: the men challenging who gets to write about love, and what happens when they do. Mo is an engaging interviewee and could also contribute a first-person piece if that’s a better fit.
Happy to discuss or send a review copy.
Best,Adrian BedfordABC Book Marketing07881 925376