About - Abby’s Substack

Welcome,

My name is Abby. I’m an award-winning writer best known for my novel Golden Boy—‘a radical non-binary, pro-intersex’ text (Autostraddle).

I’m currently writing two novels for my agent, and interviewing MPs, Senators, authors, and award-winning journalists on brilliant, funny, and clever political podcast, From Below The Balcony.

In 2024, I posted to Substack every week. I’ve had to take a break this summer, due to work, but hope to post more frequently as we head into the cosy months.

Take a look around—there’s fiction to read, a writing podcast to listen to, politics to agree or disagree with me about, life writing, plus, football. TW: I’m a loss mum, and I do occasionally write about that too.

Aside from this blog, this autumn (2025), you can read my work in beautiful intersectional feminist journal Ache, and cutting-edge zine Art & Type; find me on Instagram; and purchase my novels here.

My bio below,

I’m an award-winning writer best known for my novel Golden Boy—‘a radical non-binary, pro-intersex’ text (Autostraddle) published in 9 languages, recipient of an American Library Association Alex Award, shortlisted for LAMBDA Best LGBT Debut, Booklist Top 10 First Novel, School Library Journal Best Book, and developed by Duck Soup/BBC Films. Companion novels in a gender triptych, girlhood-themed Dead Girls received 5 stars from Foreword and was a Brad Listi Book of the Month, and men’s magazine GQ dubbed northern masculinity novel Flick a ‘cult classic’.

I’ve written scripts for BBC Films; had bylines in The New York Times, Guardian, Independent, Glamour, Oh Comely, The Huffington Post, &c, writing on topics inc. literature, economics, the environment, education, health policy, fertility, intersex rights; and held an editorship at I Hope You Like Feminist Rants and literary section editorship at Phoenix magazine.

In 2024, I received Arts Council England x British National Lottery funding to begin a novel trilogy, which found a home with Abi Fellows at DHH Literary in June 2025.

Writing led me into podcasting. I currently co-host and write for From Below The Balcony, interviewing The i paper’s Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and Daily Mirror’s Kevin Maguire, politicians Labour MP Bell Ribeiro Addy and Indigenous Aus. Senator Lidia Thorpe, plus activists and authors, on themes of colonialism, empire, and monarchy. I wrote, produced, and hosted 2024 Arts Council funded live-recorded interview podcast Writing Coercive Control, and, in 2019, politics pod Election Schmelection.

I’ve judged the British Independent Film Awards, been funded by The Authors Foundation/K Blundell Trust, and am a member of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain. I’ve spoken at the Houses of Parliament, Trades Union Congress, and 10 Downing Street, on fair pay, arts funding, and road safety. I began my career as an actress, in feature films, shorts, and ads; subsequently directing music videos, short narrative film, and short docs. I was lead singer/lyricist for poprock band Girlboy; our song ‘Jennifer Lawrence’ was a BBC Introducing Top Ten Track of the Year.

I’m Grimsbearian, Br-Irish, bi, and live between Hackney and the misty fens. I’m a goalkeeper and defender for Judas FC Britannia squad and support Arsenal women’s and, obviously, the Lionesses. I read, crochet, sew, play Scrabble and poker, spend time in nature, drink lots of tea, and dearly love my friends & family. I’m kind, tender, and funny. If I were on The Dog House (as a dog, obviously), they’d say, “she’s had a really hard time, but she’s got so much to give.”

Read about my novels here.

You can support my work in several ways