UK indie publisher triumphs as Birmingham-set novel HUSBANDS wins major LGBTQ+ fiction award ahead of Pride Month

Spring Street Books, a proudly independent UK publisher, is celebrating a major win as HUSBANDS by Mo Fanning clinches the 2025 IndieReader Discovery Award for LGBTQ+ Fiction. This recognition from IndieReader—one of the world’s leading authorities on independent publishing—spotlights the growing strength and creativity of the UK’s indie publishing scene.

Published by Spring Street Books, HUSBANDS follows the misadventures of Kyle Macdonald, a supply teacher from Birmingham who wakes up to discover he once drunkenly married a Hollywood director in Las Vegas. Chasing opportunity, Kyle travels to LA and is soon caught between the bright lights of fame and the city’s darker underbelly. With sharp humour and heartfelt insight, the novel explores identity, ambition, and the messiness of love.

HUSBANDS impressed the IndieReader judges, earning praise as “well written with crafty characters and unpredictable scenarios that bring the goods, making it a fine and engaging read.”

Mo Fanning, the Birmingham-born author, says:

“I’m beyond grateful for this award, especially during Pride Month. Husbands began with a simple ‘what if’—what if a bad decision led to the right kind of chaos? It’s about finding hope and belonging in unlikely places, and about telling queer stories that don’t fit the usual mould. To everyone who’s ever felt left out of the story—this one’s for you.”

The IndieReader Discovery Awards, now in their 15th year, were created to shine a light on outstanding independent voices. Previous sponsors and judges include Amazon, Reedsy, and top New York literary agents and publishers. For Spring Street Books, this award is another sign that British indie publishing can compete—and win—on the global stage.

HUSBANDS is available in paperback and ebook from all major retailers.