emma gannon

I’m Emma Gannon, a Sunday Times bestselling author 9 books and I write one of the UK’s most popular newsletters, The Hyphen on Substack.

I was a judge for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction in 2025. I’m currently working on my 10th book.

I am proud to be an ambassador for The King’s Trust and World Literacy Foundation. As an author and literary obsessive, I’ve spoken on programmes such as BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4’s A Good Read in the UK; and NPR and PBS News Hour in the U.S. Plus spoken at places like the iconic Southbank Centre, TEDx, Arvon, the Oxford Union, SXSW and many literary festivals over the years, including Hay Festival, Edinburgh and Cheltenham.

My debut novel, Olive (2020) was longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award. It was called “a smart debut novel” by the Irish Times; “an accessible, highly engaging novel” by Marian Keyes and “thoughtful, searching, honest” by Elizabeth Gilbert and the novel was discussed on NPR’s It’s Been A Minute.

My second novel, Table for One (2025), was selected as Fiction of the Week by People magazine and Apple Books’ Best Books of 2025.

My non-fiction book The Multi-Hyphen Method (2018) was an instant Sunday Times business bestseller, offering guidance for those forging portfolio careers; followed by Sabotage (2020); Disconnected (2022); and The Success Myth (2023), endorsed by Martha Beck, Alain de Botton, and Seth Godin.

My reflective memoir A Year of Nothing (2024) sold thousands of copies within weeks with The Pound Project and garnered attention from BBC, Woman’s Hour, The Guardian, ELLE and international media. It was re-released in 2026 with Whitefox Publishing and was selected for The Observer Book Club and Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place Book Club.

My latest nonfiction book is called A Creative Compass: Finding Your Way to a Creative Life, published by Penguin in June 2026.

My books have been translated into multiple languages including French, Dutch and Taiwanese.

I write The Hyphen newsletter, a top #15 UK Substack newsletter exploring creativity, ideas, and modern life. I was one of the first in the UK to build a six-figure paid subscription business with 82,000 readers. Named one of the best literary Substacks by The Guardian and by The Times as “something of a pioneer” for my early podcasting and newsletter.

I began my career in journalism, contributing to The Sunday Times, Condé Nast, and The Debrief. In 2016, I secured my first book deal and was featured in Microsoft’s TV campaign showcasing the modern multi-hyphenate. I’ve been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30, the Telegraph’s 35 under 35.

I also launched the WEBBY-nominated no.1 creative careers podcast hosted by a woman Ctrl Alt Delete (2016–2023), in which I interviewed creatives and innovators about the internet, work, and culture, reaching over 15 million listeners worldwide. Past guests included Greta Gerwig, Ava DuVernay and Richard E. Grant.

I hope to inspire my readers to embrace curiosity, explore more books, and live a creative life.

“One of the most prominent Substack writers in the UK” — The Times

“The most popular UK novelist on Substack” — The Bookseller

“A bright light and a shining star, and in many ways the voice of a generation.”
— Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love/Big Magic

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