19 literary agents at Creative Artists Agency are seeking new authors

Karolina Sutton, who represents Margaret Atwood, is one of the agents at CAA who's open to new authors

Creative Artists Agency

https://www.caa.com/entertainmenttalent/books/

Creative Artists Agency is a leading entertainment and sports agency. that includes a full-service literary agency with two dozen US-based agents in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, and another five agents in the UK. More than 100 of their books appear on the New York Times and Sunday Times bestsellers lists every year. Their clients include myriad Nobel, Pulitzer, Booker, and Baillie Gifford Prize, and National Book Award winners.

Most of their agents are open for submissions. Including:

Hillary Jacobson represents a wide array of adult and young adult fiction, as well as select nonfiction. Quick Brown Fox readers may be familiar with her as Laurie Elizabeth Flynn’s agent.

Hillary began her career at Independent Creative Management in 2015 and joined CAA in 2022 following the agency’s acquisition of ICM.

A lifelong obsessive reader, she is always on the hunt for writing that provokes a strong emotional reaction, adds an important perspective to the cultural conversation, or challenges the reader's beliefs. She is particularly drawn to suspense, coming-of-age narratives, sweeping family sagas, moving love stories and rom-coms, as well as speculative fiction.

To submit your work, please send your pitch and the first 10 pages of your manuscript in the body of an email. She responds to every query, and her average response time is approximately one month.

Submit through Hillary’s profile page here.

Gaby Sheiner is Hilary Jacobson’s assistant and has just begun building her own list – so she definitely needs authors! Gaby represents both fiction and nonfiction. On the fiction side, she’s looking for commercial and upmarket authors and is always on the lookout for buzzy book club fiction, thrillers and suspense, romance, and family sagas. 

On the nonfiction side, she is particularly interested in cookbooks and lifestyle, psychology, memoirs, and books by experts with distinctive perspectives and authority in their fields. 

Gabby began her career at CAA in 2023. She is from Toronto, Ontario, and is a graduate of Tufts University.

Gaby doesn’t have her own profile page yet at CAA (when it comes to acquiring authors, she’s that new!), but if you’re interested in meeting her and perhaps submitting to her, join us for “How to Get Published” on Sunday, Sept 27, where Gaby will be our guest speaker. Details here.  

Tia Ikemoto is another relative newcomer to CAA. Based in the New York office, she represents a diverse range of nonfiction and fiction across the commercial to literary spectrum.

She began her career at ICM Partners in 2019 assisting the co-head of the Publishing department and joined CAA in 2022 following the agency’s acquisition of ICM. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a degree in Communication and a minor in Business.

She is seeking fiction and nonfiction projects that resonate with a wide audience. She is drawn to compelling and propulsive storytelling, emotionally resonant narratives, and high concept projects with unique hooks or fresh perspectives.

Submit through her profile page here.

See profiles of all of CAA’s US-based agents here.

Rachel Mann is based in CAA’s London office. She represents a broad range of work – largely fiction, with some non-fiction – from commercial to literary, in adult, young adult, and middle-grade markets.

Her clients include Eliza Clark, Caleb Femi, Jade LB and Aisling Rawle, and have won and been listed for major prizes, including the Granta Best Young British Novelist, the Forward Prize for Poetry, the Rathbones Folio Prize, the Jhalak Prize, the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize, the YA Book Prize, The Bookseller Discover Prize, and the Carnegie Medal.

She spent ten years editing and commissioning fiction for young people at houses including Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, and was global publishing director at the Roald Dahl Story Company. She became an agent in 2018 and joined CAA in 2023.

She gravitates towards darkly comic and formally inventive works. She seeks compelling voices, unpatronizing writing, and vivid, complex characters. International settings and traditions and radical social commentary will always capture her attention. To submit, please send a cover email, one-page synopsis and the first three chapters of your work, or the rough equivalent.

Submit through her profile page here.

Margaret Atwood and Karolina Sutton
at the Alhambra in Granada

Karolina Sutton (also based in the London office) is known for launching successful debuts in literary and upmarket commercial fiction, as well as shepherding long-term literary careers. Sutton is always keen to hear from new voices in both fiction and non-fiction, including traditional storytellers and writers introducing new ideas or challenging form and convention.

Sutton does not limit her interests to specific genres; her work spans literary fiction, crime and psychological suspense, historical fiction, serious non-fiction, and memoir. She enjoys works that are ambitious, innovative, intellectually curious, immersive, and psychologically astute.

She has worked with some of the most loved and admired novelists, journalists, academics, politicians, artists, and public figures, including winners of the Booker Prize, the Nobel Peace Prize, the Costa First Novel Award, and the UK's premier non-fiction awards, from the Orwell Prize to the Baillie Gifford Prize. Sutton represents writers from around the world. Her clients include Margaret Atwood, Oliver Bullough, Philippa Perry, and Amia Srinivasan, among others.

In 2020, Sutton was named Agent of the Year at the British Book Awards.

She is looking for literary and upmarket commercial fiction, as well as narrative and ideas-based non-fiction. Please send a query letter and the manuscript to: ukbooksubmissions@caa.com

Or submit through her profile page here.

See profiles of all of CAA’s Uk-based agents here.

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, afternoon workshops, and wonderful writing retreats here.

Navigation tips: Always check out the Labels underneath a post; they’ll lead you to various distinct collections of postings. If you're searching for a literary agent who represents a particular type of book, check out this post: here.

“Two visits to Sherwood Inn, 80 years apart, in 1943 and 2023” by Elizabeth Sime

Bag unpacked and I’m almost back to my normal routine, after a stimulating October weekend at a writing retreat with Brian Henry at Sherwood Inn. The last time I was at Sherwood was in August 1943 during the second World War when I was ten.

My father learnt about Sherwood Inn from Mr. Draper, a business associate from Bay Street in Toronto. Father was looking for a small Inn on Lake Joseph where he could take Mother and I for a week of day trips by canoe.  My parents’ main interests on this holiday were canoeing, good food, and staying in a friendly place with like-minded people. Mother was in agreement and I didn’t have a choice, but was looking forward to being in or on the water. 

Mr. Draper arranged for a red cedar strip canoe to be ready on the beach for our adventures. We brought our own paddles which were suitable for our height. Father always paddled stern and had a wider paddle. There were no life jackets in those days. I was dumped in deep water and taught to kick the canoe to shore. At ten, when I was learning to paddle, we stayed close to the shore. 

Young Betsy Draper's dog Jet in
the formal dining room at Sherwood Inn

Each morning when not raining rattlesnakes, we set out with a packed lunch for a day trip on the lake. There were lots of rocks and places to swim for our lunch time stops.  I was happy. 

Now the lake is ringed with palatial "cottages." [Supermodel Cindy Crawford and her gazillionaire husband Rande Gerber own a quaint mansion here.] But in 1943 only a few simple cottages suitable for living in the bush could be found on Lake Joseph. These cottages had no electricity other than provided for by a small generator for lights. There was an outhouse, a wood stove for cooking, and a box with a block of ice to keep food cool.  The cottages had large screened-in porches to deal with the summer bug problem.

Mothers spent July and August with their children at the cottage, enjoying nature away from city activities. In the 1940’s polio was on the rampage and it was safer for children to be out of the city.  The cooler breezes up north were better than spending the summer in the city without air conditioning. And, there was always a lake to jump into when it was hot. 

To get to Muskoka in 1943 was a journey. Some travelled by car and others by train. In those days, 50 miles an hour was the speed limit on highways and Number 11 was the only road to the north. It went through the busy centres of all the villages and towns between Toronto and Muskoka. Gas was rationed but my father saved up enough coupons for the summer holiday trip to the north. 

At the slow speed of travel, we had time to absorb the change in landscape. When the highway went through the blasted rock-cut at Severn,  I remember thinking , We are now in rock country.  The trees also changed, to pine, spruce and hemlock. This was not a gradual change; suddenly we were in a different world. I felt as if I was really going to the north, far away from city activities.

Thomas B. Costain, author of The Silver Chalice and 85 other novels on one of his many stays at Sherwood Inn

Other guests would go by train to Gravenhurst and proceed by boat to Sherwood. I remember the supply boat coming to the main dock. I think it was called the Constance. The boat was a floating store to provide supplies to the few cottagers on the lake.  

On a rainy day, when we weren’t out paddling, I heard a bell ring when the boat was about to dock.  I ran down with twenty-five cents to buy two Neilson’s Burnt Almond Chocolate bars with blue wrappers. I even got five cents in return. Chocolate was a real treat during the War, as sugar was rationed. I ate one of the bars before I got to my parents to share my purchase.

We arrived at Sherwood late in the afternoon in time for dinner, tired after the long curvy drive from Toronto in our blue Plymouth.  Not like today when it only takes a couple of hours to speed along the straight 400.  At dinner, it was expected males would wear jackets and ties and females a dress. Even at home, my father always wore a tie and jacket for dinner and my mother changed from her daytime attire. For my family, this was a normal routine.

Artist Lawren Harris was another frequent
guest at Sherwood. The tranquility of the setting
attracted writers and artists – and still does. 

Customs have changed at Sherwood. In 2023, I brought a dressy sweater to wear at dinner just in case the dress code still existed.  I don’t own a dress or skirt anymore. The sweater went home unused, which was okay with me. This weekend the majority of guests were with me on the writing retreat. It was not necessary to change clothes between activities. Wearing something comfy was more important.  

Activities blended into each other. Breakfast, lecture time from Brian, rapid writes, one-on-one project discussion with Brian, lunch, more writing tips from Brian, then time to write. Dinner was at six, followed by a session of listening to pieces written by group members. The day was full.

I did have time to absorb some nature. I watched the lake changing from whitecaps one day to being like a mirror the next.  To stand under the tall majestic pines, smell and see a log fire burning each night just outside the front door reminded me I was staying in a northern forest. It was stimulating for me to spend time with like-minded people who shared a common interest in writing. Canoe tripping in 1943 and writing in 2023, were both very enjoyable experiences at an Inn where the personal touch is still important, the staff are all delightful, and the company of fellow writers is the best of all.  

***

Elizabeth Sime is a retired Public Health Nurse who practiced in the Yukon and Ontario. In her retirement she enjoys painting and writing. She is currently working on a memoir about her time with Indian and Northern Health Service in the 1950's.

For details of Brian's upcoming writing retreat at Sherwood Inn, see here.

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, afternoon workshops, and wonderful retreats here. 

Congratulations to Jane, Denisha, Pierre, and Sandra!

If you’ve had a story (or a book!) published, if you’ve won or placed in a writing contest, if you’ve gotten yourself an agent, or if you have any other news, send me an email so I can share your success. As writers, we’re all in this together, and your good news gives us all a boost. 

Email me at: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Hi, Brian: 

Summer greetings! Pleased to tell you that “Baby Love,” a story workshopped with you in Intensive Creating Writing has been published in The Ravens Perch. See here.  

And you can read story #2 published this week “Mother Love,” here.

All the best,

Jane

Jane Finlayson

For information on submitting to The Raven’s Perch (and a fewer other places), see here.

 

Hi, Brian.

I just wanted to reach out and say hello. I hope you’ve had a good summer despite the air quality.

I’m working on a teleplay right now with someone I met at the Pennwriters Conference last year, Diana Dru Botsford (https://dianabotsford.com/). It’s put my other writing projects on hold.

My poem, “Cowboy Sonnet,” was accepted for publication in The Saddlebag Dispatches so it hasn’t been a complete failure of a summer for poetry at least. My passion project is to write a chapbook of Cowgirl poems. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Hope to get back into your workshops one of these days!

All the best,

Denisha

denishanaidoo.com

See the submission guidelines for Saddlebag Dispatches here.

 

Hi, Brian.

Thank you, after many years I have now self-published a YA novel with Friesen Press.

For a long time, I kept this story inside me. I wasn’t sure the world was ready for it. Then I realized — maybe the world needs it right now.

Dad at 14 is my debut novel.

It tells the story of Edwin Barker-Ouellet — a 14-year-old boy who discovers he is a father.

No warning.

No preparation.

No manual.

Just a baby boy named Joshua — and a decision that changes everything.

When Joshua’s mother walks away, Edwin faces a choice most adults would struggle with.

He chooses to stay.

While balancing school, hockey, friendships, and fatherhood — Edwin discovers something most people spend a lifetime learning: Growing up isn’t about age. It’s about responsibility.

This book is for every parent who sacrificed everything quietly.

For every teenager who had to grow up too fast.

For every family that found strength they never knew they had.

I wrote this because I believe stories have the power to change how we see the world.

Dad at 14 is available now. Visit the official website here.

Kindest Regards,

Pierre Gagnon

 

Hello, Brian;

I am thrilled to announce that I’ve just published my new picture book, When the Moonbeam Comes to Call published through Friesen Press. During these troubled and anxiety-provoking times, this picture book is a lyrical swim through cousins connecting over summer in nature.  Exquisitely illustrated by Madison Appleby, this picture book is the perfect summer bedtime story or cottage hostess gift. 

Follow us on Instagram @When.The.Moonbeam

Thank you, Brian, for your courses and critique groups. Every book takes a community to bring it into the world. Quick Brown Fox has provided such a community for many of us. 

Write on;

Sandra Appleby

When the Moonbeam Comes to Call is Available from Chapters / Indigo here.

See where else your fellow writers are winning accolades or getting short pieces published here (and scroll down). And see more new books by your fellow authors here (and scroll down).

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, afternoon workshops, and wonderful writing retreats here.

Shanah Tovah ~ Happy New Year 5787 (dated from Creation, because when else would you start your calendar ;-)

 

שנה טובה ומתוקה

 

Shanah tovah umetukah

 

May you have a good and sweet year. 

 

Join us for our extra long Fall Colours Writing Retreat in Muskoka

 

Fall Colours Writing Retreat in Muskoka

Sunday, Oct 18 – Thursday, Oct 22, 2026
Sherwood Inn on Lake Joseph
1090 Sherwood Road, Port Carling, Ontario, Canada (Map here)

This retreat runs a full day longer than any of our previous retreats.

Treat yourself to five days of writing time – five days of instruction, inspiration and creativity. Five days of being treated like royalty. No distractions, no dishes to do, delicious food at every meal, and with the leisure you need to sit with your feet up and write.

The retreat will feature both instruction and guided writing exercises, plus one-on-one critiquing and coaching from Brian.  You’ll also have lots of time to relax, rejuvenate, and reconnect with your creativity. All writing levels welcome. Whether you’re just beginning or have a novel in progress, please join us. 

The setting: Sherwood is an elegant resort started some eighty years ago by Harry Draper, a Toronto lawyer who fell in love with the Muskokas. He envisioned Sherwood as a charming estate rather than as a sprawling hotel and wanted guests to feel as if they were staying at a friend’s cottage.  Sherwood Inn, especially the Inn building itself, still maintains that warm, old-Muskoka charm.  

Thomas B. Costain, author of numerous best-selling historical novels, including The Chalice and The Black Rose, was a regular guest, so the Inn has a track record as a good spot for writing. Lawren Harris and George Thomson (brother of Tom Thomson) both painted here, though the century-old pines surrounding the Inn would have been a bit younger then.

Rates include accommodation. Rooms are located in the main Inn. Each room includes a queen bed, an en-suite three-piece bathroom, and a desk (for writing).

All meals – Sunday dinner, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday breakfast, lunch and dinner, Thursday breakfast and lunch – are provided, as are coffee & snack breaks. Alcoholic beverages are extra, as are golf and Spa treatments.

Activities included: We’re between seasons – too late for swimming, too early for cross-country skiing – but if the water is still warm enough, canoes and kayaks will be available. There are also hiking trails, fat bikes, tennis courts and shuffleboard, and a regular bonfire. Unlike our Algonquin retreats, there is also Internet (alas), so if you must know what’s going on in the world, you can keep up.  We recommend, though, that you relax in one of the many strategically placed Muskoka chairs throughout the property, enjoy the soothing wilderness sounds and let your creative juices flow.

Additional activities: The Inn also features a comfortable licensed lounge and a spa. “True North MVMNT is dedicated to getting you moving towards your happiest and healthiest self! We provide professional Massage Therapy and Esthetic services for all ages and backgrounds.” Spa treatments are not included in the package, but if you're interested, you should certainly book an appointment (here).  

There are various attractions in the area, including the Muskoka Lakes (Cranberry) Farm and Winery, just 8 minutes down the road, cruises out of Port Carling, weather permitting, plus an outstanding golf course that will still be open, depending on the weather (something of a theme here). Muskoka also features spectacular night skies which you can enjoy just by stepping out of the Inn, but if you have a special passion for stargazing, the Torrance Barrens Conservation Area and Dark Sky Preserve is just 24 minutes down the road.   

Check-in on Sunday is 4 p.m. Our first writing get-together will be at 5 p.m. Check-out on Thursday is at 11:30 a.m. Followed by lunch. Feel free to arrive early – your room may well be ready – and in any case, before 4 p.m. on Sunday and after lunch on Thursday, you're welcome to use the resort's facilities. 

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada's most popular blog for writers, taught creative writing at Ryerson University (now known as Toronto Metropolitan University) and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Saskatoon to Toronto to Saint John. But his proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get their first book published and launch their careers as authors.

Read reflections on Brian's classes, workshops, and retreats and pieces inspired by them here {and scroll down}.

Fees: 

Including both the writing retreat and accommodation, meals, coffee & snack service, and all resort amenities: $2061.06, plus 13% hst, for all four nights.

All fees include tips.

Not included in any quoted prices: alcoholic drinks, spa services, golf, or other extras (tipping for these is also extra).

Bring a (non-participating) significant other along for the weekend to share your Inn room for an additional $176.11 plus hst per night ($199 per night). Includes accommodation, meals and all resort amenities, but not the writing part of the retreat or our coffee breaks. 

Book early – space is limited! 

For more information or to register, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Note: Bookings for accommodations for this retreat must be done through Brian (unlike our retreats in Algonquin, where you book your accommodations through the resort). Participants may be able to tack on additional nights at the resort before or after the retreat; these are offered at a special discounted rate. Additional nights need to be booked directly with the resort, after booking your space in the workshop.

Who can attend the retreat?

Everyone interested in developing their writing skills is welcome to attend, whether you're aspiring writer or an accomplished author or simply enjoy writing as a hobby. There is no requirement for you to have been previously published or even to have an intention to publish.

Should I bring my work in progress?

Yes! If you have an on-going writing project, bring it with you. Bring more than you expect to get to; you'll have lots of time for writing. Besides, you may want to switch projects or share a project that’s just started or one that’s all done, except for reading it to a small, appreciative audience. If you’re not currently working on anything, don’t worry, we’ll get you writing.

Should I bring my laptop?

Yes! Unless you only work on paper. Even better, bring both – your laptop and your writing pad. No sense being short of essential supplies.

I'm a poet / playwright / other writer. Is this retreat for me?

The retreat is open to anyone who enjoys writing. Instruction will focus on narrative writing; i.e., stories, whether fiction or memoir. But if you’re an essayist or poet or whatever, you’re entirely welcome.

Can you cater to specific dietary requirements?

Yes! But please let me know ASAP. The resort would like those sorts of details at least a month in advance. 

I want to stay longer or arrive early. Is that possible?

If you want to arrive early or stay longer, that’s fine. You’ll book Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights with Brian, and arrange any additional nights with the resort; just make sure they know you’re with Brian Henry’s writing group – they’ve got a good rate for you.

Is there cell phone reception and WIFI?

Yes.

How about alcohol?

The resort serves alcohol with meals and has a licensed lounge. Guests are also welcome to bring their own wine, beer or whatever for consumption in their room. (Though do note that Hemingway’s advice to write drunk, mostly produces drivel.)

Can I use the spa at the resort or play a round of golf?

Yes, you can certainly book a spa treatment, though that’s extra, and you book these directly with the resort {not through Brian}. See here. And just before you go up, you can check with the resort whether golf courses in the area are open. Muskoka Highlands Golf Links and The Fairways at Kirrie Glen, both in Bracebridge, typically stay open late into October, weather allowing.  

Can I bring my spouse (or partner or friend)?

If you want to share your room with a partner, they’re very welcome. Just let your partner know you’ll be spending most of your time writing, (though you will have some free time every day). Inn rooms each have one queen bed. If you want a king bed, upgrade to a room in the Maplewood, a separate building a short walk from the inn. If you’re interested in this upgrade, email me.

For more information or to register, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca   

***

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, afternoon workshops, and writing retreats here.