Lucy Diamond

Lucy Diamond, born Sue Mongredien, is an English author known for her fiction featuring female protagonists. Her work has been widely acclaimed and has sold over 900,000 copies in print in the UK, amounting to £4.2 million in sales.

Lucy Diamond grew up in Nottingham with her siblings as one of four siblings. She pursued English Literature at Leeds University, juggling various jobs to support herself, including barmaid, ice-cream seller, telesales, and even writing horoscopes. As a summer job, she taught ceramics at a camp in New York State despite having no experience.

After college, Mongredien moved to London and worked in publishing. "I learned not to ask for my name in huge gold foil letters on the cover," she says. Her career in publishing laid the groundwork for her future as a writer. After a few years, she embarked on a global adventure, traveling to beaches, temples, and rainforests. During this time, she worked a variety of jobs, including packing bananas in Queensland, Australia.

Upon returning to the UK, Mongredien settled in London, working at the BBC and eventually starting a family. She later moved to Brighton and then to Bath. "I wrote my first novel soon after we moved to Brighton," she notes. Having a newborn and a toddler, she enrolled in a creative writing course to escape her daily routine. This course led to the creation of her debut book, Anyway You Want Me (2007), published by Pan Macmillan.

In 2011, her novel Sweet Temptations received a nomination for the Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance. After 14 years with Pan Macmillan, Mongredien transitioned to Quercus in 2021.

Mongredien has also authored numerous children's books under her real name. Her contributions include titles in the Sleepover Club, Rainbow Magic, Oliver Moon, and Captain Cat series.

Lucy Diamond currently resides in Bath, UK.

Photo credit: lucydiamond.co.uk