Mama G's Quest: Find Grandmas for New Book

Pantomime dame Mama G, whose real name is Robert Pearce, is currently seeking two lesbian grandmothers who inspired her latest children's book. The pair met Mama G during a 2021 event at Blackpool's Winter Gardens, expressing disappointment over the scarcity of diverse representation in young literature, particularly featuring lesbian grandmothers.

This encounter was a pivotal moment, motivating Mama G to write 'The Proudest Bird in the World.' The book, scheduled for publication on July 1, 2026, prominently features two older queer women. Mama G hopes to dedicate the book to the women who sparked its creation but has yet to identify them despite widespread social media and press appeals.

The search has been likened to finding a missing person, with limited descriptions available: the women are approximately 5ft 6in, with one having salt-and-pepper curly hair. Mama G has long championed diversity in storytelling, noting that lesbian and older LGBT individuals face significant underrepresentation in media, a gap highlighted by a 2022 US study.

'The Proudest Bird in the World' tells the story of Gilbert, a bird discovering its true self at a Pride parade. The main characters, two lesbian grandmothers, explain the rainbow flag's meaning to Gilbert and their granddaughter. Mama G previously faced publisher reluctance for her book 'Oh Yes I Am!' due to its potential LGBT themes, underscoring the challenges for diverse narratives in mainstream publishing, often favoring smaller, risk-taking independent houses.