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HarperFiction lands first novel from TikTok star Mammy Banter
HarperFiction has scored the first novel from viral TikTok sensation Serena Terry, whose alter ego Mammy Banter has racked up millions of views after she started posting during lockdown last year.
Martha Ashby, editorial director, signed a deal for world all-language rights with Jody Flanagan at A3 Artists Agency. Mammy Banter: The Secret Life of an Uncool Mum will be published in February 2022.
The novel is described as "a hilarious warts-and-all novel about modern motherhood". It follows busy, exhausted mum Tara Gallagher who used to dream of being Beyoncé but suddenly she’s 36 with three kids, a loving husband and a very boring job. She decides to undergo a mammy makeover to show her teenage daughter she’s still cool, her husband she’s still a goddess and her colleagues she’s still a Boss Bish".
Terry has more than 730,000 followers on TikTok, 155,000 on Instagram and 220,000 on Facebook, with more than 20 million views across all platforms. She lives in Derry with her husband and two children.
Ashby said: "I’ve been in stitches over Serena’s videos since I first found them: she’s wickedly funny, blisteringly honest and captures life with small children in all its wild, wonderful, absurd glory. This book is an absolute tonic after a tough couple of years and I can’t wait for readers to be cackling along with her."
Terry added: "Working with HarperFiction has been a dream come true for me. I have wanted to write a book since I was a young girl so getting the opportunity to do it now is a huge personal success for me. I get extreme joy from keeping people laughing through my comedy videos but there’s only so much context you can give through short-form videos.
"This book has allowed me to bring Mammy Banter to life and it’s a mass call of solidarity to all women going through the same trials and tribulations associated with being a mum. No holds barred, highs and lows, warts and all, it’s all in there and I really hope people love it as much as I do."
