PEORIA MAGAZINE July 2023

W O R D C O U N T

Fat Girls in Fiction founder Mary Warren, right, and her assistant Kayti Lake

A NOVEL APPROACH TO REPRESENTATION Author fights fat stereotypes through the written word

BY LAURIE PILLMAN

M ary Warren defines herself as an author and a “fat liberation activist.” As the author of two romance novels featuring plus-size heroines and the founder of a community that openly discusses “fat positive representation of women and non-binary people in books,” Warren is fighting fatphobia at the literary level.

Her journey began in 2021 when she read Olivia Dade’s novel Spoiler Alert . Dade has become known in romance circles for writing plus-size heroines whose weight doesn’t define their identity. Her book covers prominently feature large women. The book was an eye-opening experience for Warren. “That book was something I never knew I needed,” she shared. “I started

94 JULY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE