Interview by Kathleen Colvin
We’re delighted mystery writer Mia P. Manansala will be the Saturday night keynote speaker at the 2024 Willamette Writers Conference. We asked Mia about her thoughts about publishing, as well as her love of cooking, which plays a prominent role in her series, Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries.
WW: When you approach an engagement like this, what do you wish to impart to an audience of writers? What do you wish every writer knew?
Mia: Publishing isn’t a meritocracy. Or, if you want something slightly less harsh: Talent is only the beginning. Timing, luck, and privilege can all play huge parts in who gets published, though that doesn’t diminish the talent and skill of those who have been published.
WW: Why did you choose to write in the cozy mystery genre?
Mia: It’s my mother’s favorite genre, and one of my favorites as well. Not only are cozies great entertainment, but I get to write about issues that are important to me in a way that’s easily digestible.
WW: Cooking and food are big parts of your life and literary work. What has gotten you excited recently?
Mia: “MAYUMU: Filipino Desserts Remixed” by Abi Balingit just won a James Beard Award, which is absolutely amazing and well-deserved.
WW: Your website says you do “procrastibaking.” Do you bake like your character Tita Rosie and use food as a love language, or do you bake more like your character Lila who cooks to contemplate complicated situations? What does food mean to you?
Mia: I’m definitely a “food as a love language” kind of person. Few things bring me greater joy than seeing the people I care about enjoying the food I’ve prepared for them, or introducing people to new-to-them dishes that I absolutely love.
WW: Are there any food writers/creators that you are particularly fond of?
Mia: I’m currently reading Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, which is absolutely beautiful and I am greatly enjoying. Littlefatboyfrankie on Instagram blows me away with his creativity and approach to food, and everything he makes looks so fun and delicious. I particularly love his Asian-American spins on classic American dishes. Smitten Kitchen is definitely a go-to when I’m looking for everyday recipes. I also have to pay respect to the OG Filipino food writer, the late Doreen G. Fernandez.
WW: What have you read lately that has gotten you inspired?
Mia: Anything that Sherry Thomas writes inspires me, but I’m particularly fond of her Lady Sherlock series. The latest one came out last month. I also read a lot of food-based manga, which help me think of the ways I use food in my fiction. My current favorite series is She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat.
WW: What are you most looking forward to at the conference?
Mia: I’m always excited to get to know other creatives and vibe off that energy.
Thanks, Mia! Check out her books at on her website. She’ll be talking more about what keeps her going in the publishing world at the WW conference Saturday night keynote speech. We hope you can join us!
About Mia
Mia P. Manansala (she/her) is a writer and book coach from Chicago who loves books, baking, and bad-ass women. She uses humor (and murder) to explore aspects of the Filipino diaspora, queerness, and her millennial love for pop culture.
She is the winner of the 2022 Anthony Award for Best First Novel, 2022 Macavity Award for Best First Novel, 2022 RUSA Reading List for Mystery, 2021 Agatha Award for Best First Novel, 2018 Hugh Holton Award, the 2018 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award, the 2017 William F. Deeck – Malice Domestic Grant for Unpublished Writers, and the 2016 Mystery Writers of America/Helen McCloy Scholarship. She was shortlisted for the 2021 Goodreads Choice Award for Mystery/Thriller and the 2021 CHIRBy Award for Fiction by the Chicago Review of Books. She’s also a 2017 Pitch Wars alum and 2018-2020 mentor.
A lover of all things geeky, Mia spends her days procrastibaking, playing RPGs and games, reading cozy mysteries and diverse romance, and cuddling her dogs Gumiho and Max Power.
Find her on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram: @MPMtheWriter
Willamette Writers Conference 2024
As our keynote speaker on Saturday Aug 3rd. Mia P. Manansala will take the stage in the ballroom to share more on her journey as a writer.
Over 50 industry professionals will be joining us to share their expertise and knowledge of the changing industry.
Whether you write for the page, the stage, the screen or the mic, you will find your community at our annual conference, with evening events and ample opportunities for networking, critique, and conversation.
Learn more about the Conference here.
About Kathleen Colvin
Kathleen Colvin wanted to read Nancy Drew mystery books even before she could read.
Kathleen has traveled all around her home state of Oregon, and she loves small towns. After writing two books on Oregon history (published by Oregon State University Press), she was inspired to write a cozy mystery series set in an Oregon small-town bookstore.
For the past 20 years, Kathleen has researched strong, inspirational women. It’s no surprise then that her cozy mysteries feature a strong woman as the sleuth.