Lucy Mangan
British columnist (born 1974)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lucy Mangan (born 1974) is a British journalist and author. She is a columnist, features writer and TV critic for The Guardian and an opinion writer for The i Paper.
- Writer
- television critic
Lucy Mangan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1974 (age 51–52) |
| Education | Trinity Hall, Cambridge |
| Occupations |
|
| Employer | The Guardian |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | theguardian |
Early life and education
Lucy Mangan was born in 1974[1] and grew up in Catford, south-east London, to parents originally from Lancashire.[2] Her father worked in theatre, and her mother was a doctor.[3]
She studied English at Trinity Hall, Cambridge and qualified as a solicitor, but worked in a bookshop until she found a work experience placement at The Guardian in 2003.[2][4]
Career
Journalism
Mangan writes a regular column, TV reviews, and occasional features at The Guardian,[5][6] and as of July 2026[update] is an opinion writer for The i Paper.[7] A major part of her writing is related to feminism.[8][9]
As of November 2025[update], The Guardian had given only 18 zero-star reviews, three of which were by Mangan.[10] In 2021 Mangan gave a zero-star review to the film Sex, Unzipped, remarking that the film "is a TV disgrace".[11] In 2025 Mangan gave a zero-star review to the TV series All's Fair, describing the show as "Fascinatingly, incomprehensibly, existentially terrible".[12]
Mangan previously had a regular column for Stylist magazine, with her last column being published in 2020.[13]
Books
Mangan's book My Family and other Disasters (2009) is a collection of her newspaper columns. She has also written books about her childhood and her wedding.[2][4]
Her debut novel, Are We Having Fun Yet?, was published in 2021. The Scotsman's Kirsty McLuckie gave the novel a positive review, describing the book as "a work of genius".[14]
Other activities
Recognition and awards
Mangan won the columnist of the year award at the Professional Publishers Association Awards in 2013,[16] and was shortlisted for the critic of the year award at The British Press Awards in 2019.[17]
Criticism
Mangan's review of Sex Education series four on The Guardian received criticism for perceived transphobia. Following the backlash, the publication edited a sentence in the piece.[18][19]
Personal life
Works
- My Family and other Disasters, Hachette (2010) ISBN 0852653689
- The Reluctant Bride: One Woman's Journey (Kicking and Screaming) Down the Aisle, Guardian Books (2012) ISBN 184854359X
- Hopscotch & Handbags: The Truth about Being a Girl, Headline (2013) ISBN 9780755316489
- Inside Charlie's Chocolate Factory, Puffin UK/US (2014) ISBN 9780147513489
- Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading, Square Peg (2018) ISBN 9781784709228
- Are We Having Fun Yet?, Souvenir (2021)
- Bookish: How Reading Shapes Our Lives, Vintage Publishing (2025) ISBN 979-8897100446
