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| Her Secret Son by Hannah Mary McKinnon represented by Carolyn Forde |
Transatlantic
Agency
2 Bloor
Street East
Suite 3500
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Transatlantic Agency is a full-service literary agency, with 16 agents
located across North America, with U.S. agents in New York, Boston, and
Portland, Oregon, and Canadian agents in Toronto, Vancouver and Nova Scotia.
Transatlantic has recently gained and lost an agent. And Fiona Kenshole is
temporarily open to queries.
Transatlantic
partner and senior agent Marie Campbell is retiring but will remain on as an advisor
to the agency. A former editor, in-house rights manager, and instructor at
Ryerson University's Publishing Program, she has worked in publishing for over
30 years. She’ll be missed.
Meanwhile, Carolyn
Forde has moved over to Transatlantic
as senior agent. She was previously literary agent and director of
international rights at Westwood Creative Artists for 14 years, and brings many
of her clients with her, including Hannah Mary McKinnon, who many Quick Brown
Fox readers will know as a fellow participant in Brian’s writing classes and,
more recently, as a guest speaker at workshops.
Carolyn has a B.A. Hons in English Literature and History from Trent
University (year abroad at Liverpool Hope University), earned a Postgraduate
Certificate in Publishing Sciences from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen,
Scotland, and completed the Simon Fraser University Publishing Intensive course
in Vancouver. She has lived and worked in Japan, Mexico and the Czech Republic
and is a dual citizen of Canada and the UK.
Carolyn’s submission guidelines have not yet been posted on the
Transatlantic website, but previously, she’s said: “I am looking for books that I can’t put down. In fiction I’m
either so absorbed with the world and the story or so affected by the language
and characters that I’ll stay up past my bedtime. I like books that feel like
treats, not work. I know I’m onto something when I want to press a book into
the hands of my friends saying, ‘You must read this,’ because
I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they will love it.”
Carolyn has expressed a love for literary fiction and fiction with a
commercial bent, psychological thrillers, women’s fiction, literary horror,
crime, and whimsical almost-fantasy books. “I’d love to find some indigenous
authors too, as I don’t think we hear their voices enough,” she’s said. She
has not been looking for military or CIA inspired fiction, climate thrillers,
high fantasy, cozy mysteries, romance, erotica, poetry or humour.
In nonfiction, Carolyn’s
said, “I like an unusual tale in memoir, a book that I can learn from, also
something from an expert in a field on a current issue, and narrative
nonfiction that expands the reader’s world. I’m not looking for memoirs about
illness (not because they aren’t valid but because I don’t like to read them).
The writing and the story are both paramount.”
Carolyn has particularly been interested in books with an international
appeal.
Again, no posted guidelines yet, but previously Carolyn has wanted a
sample of your work of at least ten pages pasted into your email. No
attachments.
Other agents at Transatlantic who
are looking for new authors include:
Fiona
Kenshole is
actively looking for children’s picture books, YA, and middle grade, and she is open to queries until the
middle of February 2019.
Fiona spent 20 years as
a senior publisher, holding key positions in the UK, as Publishing Director at
Oxford University Press Children’s Books, Deputy Managing Director of Hodder
Children’s Books and Editorial Director at HarperCollins. Her authors have won
or been nominated for every major British children’s literary award. Several
have become million copy bestsellers.
Fiona has lectured
widely on children’s books including at Oxford and Cambridge Universities and
taught publishing to Masters degree students at Oxford Brookes University. She
is herself a published author. She has organized children’s events for the
Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival. In 2004 she became Vice President of
Development Acquisition at Laika Inc. She moved to the USA and spent several
years creating a development slate of new projects for the animation studio.
Fiona has worked with major directors and screenwriters, acquiring and adapting
children’s books and original scripts into movies, including the Academy
nominated “Coraline” and “Paranorman.”
Her current
wish list is for quirky contemporary, humor, unreliable narrators, immigrant
stories, stories by diverse writers, sister stories, real children in magical
worlds, thrillers, mysteries and ghost stories. Fiona has a soft spot for a
great detective story. Her dream is a submission so compelling she’d rather
read it than engage with real life! She is not taking on rhyming picture books,
poetry, screenplays or faith-based stories.
To submit, please use the following link: QueryMe.Online/QueryFiona and
follow the helpful instructions given. If you have attended a conference,
please indicate which one in the subject line of your query. No
attachments. See Fiona’s full guidelines here.
Brenna English-Loeb represents children’s and adult authors. Brenna
English-Loeb comes to Transatlantic after working for several years at Janklow
& Nesbit Associates and Writers House, where she had the pleasure of
working with New York Times bestselling and award-winning
authors across multiple genres. At Transatlantic she’s excited to grow her list
of speculative and suspenseful fiction in both YA and adult, as well as adult
nonfiction, in collaboration with senior agents.
Raised on an eclectic blend of Jane Austen, Terry
Pratchett and Ursula K Le Guin, Brenna has always gravitated to unique stories
with a strong point of view. She is specifically looking for works of YA and
adult science fiction, fantasy, and suspense, as well as some adult literary
fiction. She loves space operas, myth and fairy tale retellings, survival
stories, epistolary novels, and heists. She also has a soft spot for stories that
blend multiple genres and for works by and about underrepresented groups and
identities.
Aspects of a work that are sure to catch her eye
include: evocative atmospheres, character-driven plots, a sense of adventure,
and narratives that reveal a deep knowledge of a particular subject. She also
loves old tropes made new again, unreliable narrators, and power imbalances.
For nonfiction, Brenna is looking for serious,
groundbreaking sociological work that holds our culture up to the magnifying
glass. She also loves accounts of historical events and people that deserve to
be better known, as well as unusual and influential object histories.
Please include
a short synopsis and the first ten pages of your manuscript. See Brenna’s full
guidelines here.
Stephanie Sinclair represents adult
authors. She joined Transatlantic in 2012. She has been an Associate Agent for
five years, while also working as Samantha Haywood’s Executive Assistant, a
role she left last Spring. Within her own list, Sinclair represents writers of
award-winning fiction and nonfiction including Journey Prize winner Sharon
Bala’s THE BOAT PEOPLE and the Indigenous writers Harold Johnson and Billy Ray
Belcourt.
Stephanie is a graduate
of the publishing program at Ryerson University, creative writing program at
the Humber School for Writers and the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts.
For many years, authors, journalists and theatre writers have benefited from
Stephanie’s uniquely attuned and effective advice in her work as an
award-nominated freelance editor.
Stephanie is growing her own author list and simultaneously
manages international rights for Samantha Haywood's client list as well as for
Page Two Books, a separate company owned and operated by Transatlantic agents
Jesse Finkelstein and Trena White.
In fiction, Stephanie represents literary fiction and upmarket women’s
and will consider literary thriller and suspense and YA crossover.
In nonfiction, Stephanie represents narrative nonfiction, memoir,
investigative journalism and true crime.
Marilyn Biderman represents
adult authors. Before joining Transatlantic, Marilyn worked at her own
literary agency and consultancy practice for seven years, where she helped
launch the careers of début and prize-winning authors. She had previously
worked at McClelland & Stewart for twelve years, most recently as Vice President,
Director, Rights and Contracts. At M&S, she handled the international
rights for many renowned authors, including Leonard Cohen, Alistair MacLeod,
and Madeleine Thien.
Marilyn is seeking literary
fiction; sweet-spot fiction, that is, accessible but literary in intent (often
found at book clubs); literary crime fiction; and women’s commercial and
historical fiction.
“I love memoir with an utterly unique story and
brilliant writing; narrative nonfiction on compelling and newsworthy topics
that anticipate trends; expert nonfiction of wide appeal from authors with
established social media platforms; and biographies of fascinating lives.
“I don’t handle children’s books, except for young
adult novels with cross-over appeal (very selectively, and only by referral);
or poetry, screenplays, science fiction, paranormal, and fantasy for adult
readers.”
Jesse Finkelstein represents adult authors. In conjunction with Trena White, Jesse is one of the principals of Page Two, a nonfiction publishing company, and represents adult non-fiction to the book trade as an associate agent with Transatlantic Agency.
Finkelstein and White
met on the management team at D&M Publishers Inc., whose day-to-day
operations Finkelstein ran as chief operating officer. She also led the
company’s digital and international sales strategies, licensing content in
multiple formats and in global markets, and developing one of Canada’s first
enhanced ebook apps. Prior to working at D&M, Finkelstein was associate
publisher at Raincoast Books, where she managed the publishing department and
oversaw acquisitions. She is a graduate of the Simon Fraser University Master
of Publishing program.
Jesse specializes in upmarket, accessible nonfiction that challenges current
conceptions, whether through a “big ideas” book or narrative. She is drawn to
entrepreneurs and people who are innovators in their fields and writing about
current affairs, business, culture, politics, technology, religion, and the
environment. She is most interested in authors who have an existing platform.
Attach a
maximum 20-page writing sample/excerpt (as a Word document), along with a
publishing history and synopsis. Please note if other agents are also
considering the project. See Jesse’s full guidelines here.
Trena White represents
adult authors. In conjunction with Jesse Finkelstein, Trena is one of the
principals of Page
Two. As the publisher of Douglas & McIntyre and Greystone
Books, Trena was responsible for running a publishing program of sixty new
books a year. Before joining D&M, she spent several years in Toronto as a
nonfiction editor at McClelland & Stewart. Trena is a graduate of the Simon
Fraser University Master of Publishing program and is now adjunct faculty of
SFU publishing
Trena specializes in upmarket, accessible
nonfiction that challenges current conceptions, whether through a “big ideas”
book or narrative. She is drawn to entrepreneurs and people who are innovators
in their fields and writing about current affairs, business, culture, politics,
technology, religion, and the environment. She is most interested in authors
who have an existing platform.
Authors are
encouraged to email a cover letter with an maximum 20-page writing
sample/excerpt embedded in the body of the email, along with a publishing
history and synopsis. No attachments. Please note if other agents are also
considering the project. See Trena’s full guidelines here.
 |
| Author Tanaz Bhathena |
If you’re interested in getting published,
then start upping your game and attend some of the great workshops coming soon: Writing and
Revising, Sat, Jan 26, in
Caledon at the Bolton Library (see here), Writing with Style, Saturday,
Feb 23, in Waterloo (see here) and
Saturday, March 16, in Mississauga (see here), and How to Write a Bestseller, with New York
Times #1 bestselling author Kelley Armstrong, Saturday, March 2 (see here).
And don’t miss the Writing for Children and for Young Adults workshop, with Erin O’Connor, senior editor,
Scholastic Books, and young adult author Tanaz Bhathena, Saturday, May 11, in
Brampton. Details here.
But the best way to grow as a writer is probably with a weekly
course. In the spring, a full range
of classes will be offered:
Burlington: Welcome to Creative
Writing, Thursday afternoons, April 18 – June 20 (No class
May 30). Details here.
Toronto: Welcome to Creative
Writing, Friday
afternoons, April 26 – June 28 (No class May 31). Details here.
Oakville Central Library: Writing
Personal Stories, Thursday evenings, April 18 – June 27 (No class May
30). Details here.
Burlington: Intensive Creative
Writing, Tuesday
afternoons, 12:30 – 2:45; April 16 – June 25 (No class June 4). Details here.
Burlington: Intensive Creative
Writing, Wednesday afternoons, 12:30 – 2:45; April 17
– June 19. Details here.
Georgetown: Intensive Creative
Writing, Wednesday
evenings, 6:45 – 9:00; April 17 – June 19. Details here.
Toronto: Intensive Creative
Writing, Friday mornings,
10:15 – 12:30 / 12: 45, April 26 – June 28. (No class
May 31). Details here.
See details of all 7 courses here.
A bit later in the spring, look forward to a wonderful
weekend writing retreat:
Algonquin
Writing Retreat, Friday, May 31 – Monday, June 3, 2019: four days in the luxurious
isolation of Arowhon
Pines Resort to get down to some real creative growth.
Details here.
To reserve a spot in any upcoming weekly course,
weekend retreat, or Saturday workshop, email Brian at: brianhenry@sympatico.ca
Read reviews of Brian’s courses,
retreats, and workshops here.
See
Brian’s complete current schedule here, including Saturday
writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend
retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton,
Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton,
Jackson’s Point, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, New
Tecumseth, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Toronto,
Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA,
Ontario and beyond.
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 more interviews with literary agents or a literary agent who represents a particular type of book, check out this post.
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 more interviews with literary agents or a literary agent who represents a particular type of book, check out this post.
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