Tanya Sweeney: 'Being around more pop stars meant being around more of their superfans'

"So much so that one of them inspired my debut novel... An internship at MTV in London might sound impossibly glamorous to some: I'm here to tell you that it was not. Back in the 1990s, I found myself working in the channel's communications department, and the job pretty much entailed being wedded to the photocopier or making coffee for higher-ups. But, occasionally, there were the moments of madness. It was also my job to 'man' the viewer enquiry telephone line."

"The queries ran the total gamut because... well, humans. It being the pre-Google era, it fell to me to find out how fans could write to artists, who directed which video, and how someone could become an MTV presenter."

An internship at MTV in London involved mostly menial communications tasks, including photocopying and making coffee, with only occasional high-profile moments. The role required manning the viewer enquiry telephone line and answering a wide variety of fan questions in the pre-Google era. Responsibilities included finding ways for fans to contact artists, identifying who directed specific videos, and explaining how to pursue presenting roles. Later work at record labels and as a journalist interviewing A-list figures provided sustained exposure to increasingly fervent fan engagement. One particularly intense fan interaction ultimately inspired a debut novel.

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