Lucy Mangan

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.

Early life and education Lucy Mangan was born in 1974 and grew up in Catford, south-east London, to parents originally from Lancashire.

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. and is an opinion writer for The i Paper. A major part of her writing is related to feminism.

, The Guardian had given only 18 zero-star reviews, three of which were by Mangan. In 2021 Mangan gave a zero-star review to the film Sex, Unzipped, remarking that the film "is a TV disgrace". In 2025 Mangan gave a zero-star review to the TV series All's Fair, describing the show as "Fascinatingly, incomprehensibly, existentially terrible".

Mangan previously had a regular column for Stylist magazine, with her last column being published in 2020.

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.

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".

Other activities Mangan has been a judge for the BookTrust Roald Dahl Funny Prize. Recognition and awards Mangan won the columnist of the year award at the Professional Publishers Association Awards in 2013, and was shortlisted for the critic of the year award at The British Press Awards in 2019.

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.

Personal life Mangan and her husband have a son.

Works My Family and other Disasters, Hachette (2010) The Reluctant Bride: One Woman's Journey (Kicking and Screaming) Down the Aisle, Guardian Books (2012) Hopscotch & Handbags: The Truth about Being a Girl, Headline (2013) Inside Charlie's Chocolate Factory, Puffin UK/US (2014) Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading, Square Peg (2018) Are We Having Fun Yet?, Souvenir (2021) Bookish: How Reading Shapes Our Lives, Vintage Publishing (2025)