Alongside her career in advertising, Joy Molan is a writer and editor working across fiction, journalism and cultural criticism, with a practice rooted in curiosity, craft and cultural relevance.
Writing & Editorial
Joy Molan is an experienced freelance writer and editor whose work spans fiction, journalism and cultural criticism. Her discipline extends across poetry, comedy writing, lyrics and long-form editorial, with a focus on identity, culture and modern life.
Her fiction has been recognised by the Brick Lane Short Story Award, where her story 'Red Dirt Running' was selected as one of the Top 28 Short Stories of 2025. Her comedy writing has been performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where she co-wrote and performed a sketch show in 2017.
Journalism & Cultural Criticism
Joy’s journalism and cultural writing has been published by BBH Labs, DECENT, and i-D (VICE Group).
For i-D, she explored the rise in reported loneliness among young people alongside the growth of ASMR culture, combining interviews with content creators and psychology experts to examine the relationship between intimacy, technology and wellbeing.
For DECENT, a London-based print magazine ‘for men by women’, she has written multiple features on modern masculinity, including interviews with artist Hayden Kays and Blaenavon frontman Ben Gregory.
She has also written long-form industry and cultural essays for BBH Labs, including 'Why Advertising Strategists Are Like Murder Mystery Detectives' and 'Why We Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Sad Ads', blending strategic thinking with cultural analysis.
Editorial Leadership
For three years in her early twenties, Joy was the Founder and Editor of Quarterlife Magazine Ltd, an online publication for twenty-somethings navigating early adulthood.
Under her leadership with close friend and fellow strategist Emily Parker, Quarterlife was featured in VCCP Kin’s Gen Z panel talks, appeared on The High Low podcast, and produced branded content collaborations with Patch Plants and TalentPool.
She was also the inaugural Online Editor of That's What She Said, the award-winning University of Bristol feminist magazine.
Academic & Music Writing
Joy’s academic and music writing has received significant recognition.
Her 2017 thesis, 'Constant Stranger', was published on JoniMitchell.com and examines Mitchell’s shifting lyric personae. Her extended research into the songwriting of James Taylor explores parallels with the Medieval French troubadour tradition and includes first-hand interviews with key figures such as Peter Asher. The work has since been archived in James Taylor’s official personal collection.
Creative Practice
Across disciplines, Joy brings a distinctive voice grounded in research, cultural sensitivity and storytelling craft, with work that moves fluidly between the academic, the editorial and the creative.