Mary O’Hara is a Belfast born, Los Angeles-based award-winning multi-platform journalist, author and producer with a focus on social policy and 20+ years of experience spanning print, audio, film and books.

She is the author of three acclaimed non-fiction books: ‘Austerity Bites: 10 Years On’ (2024), The Shame Game: Overturning the toxic poverty narrative (2020) & Austerity Bites: A journey to the sharp end of cuts in the UK (2014) and has contributed to many others including Vulnerable Consumers and the Law (2021). Her novel, Making Birdie Devine is currently being shopped by her Agent, Guy Rose. She is also working on two feature film screenplays and pitching a fourth non-fiction book.

A former staff reporter at The Guardian, Mary is currently freelance having worked across numerous outlets including  Byline Times, Mosaic Science and Community Living Magazine. As an audiobook and podcast producer, including on the award-winning Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness, she steered the highest quality audio output and reached global audiences. Her consulting and copywriting work consists of a range of notable clients including Samaritans, for whom she authored the UK Media Guidelines on Suicide and Self-Harm. She has also been a Special Rapporteur to the European Commission on disability rights also consults for The European Social Network.

In addition, Mary is the founder and manager of the multi-platform anti-poverty storytelling initiative, Project Twist-It, chair of The David Nobbs Memorial Trust supporting emerging comedy writers, and is a fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts, London. She is a Fulbright Scholar (UC Berkeley) and a four-time winner of Best Foreign Columnist at the Southern California Journalism Awards.

Mary regularly guests on various media including numerous podcasts as an expert on austerity and inequality and is available for speaking gigs and appearances in other public arenas.