Canadian literary agency has 5 agents looking for manuscripts ~ picture books through adult fiction and nonfiction

The Virgins of Venice, Gina Buonaguro
represented by Westwood 

Westwood Creative Artists

The Chelsea Shop
386 Huron Street
 Toronto, Ontario

http://www.wcaltd.com/

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Westwood is one of Canada’s largest literary agencies. It’s also one of the oldest and most respected. Clients include Rohinton Mistry, Joanne Levy, Justin, Alexandre, and Margaret Trudeau, Thomas King, Alan Doyle, Rosemary Sullivan, Gina Buonaguro, and Yann Martel. They have ten agents on the team, five of whom are accepting new authors:

Bridgette Kam, Literary Agent
& Contracts Associate

Bridgette joined WCA in 2019 after interning at McClelland & Stewart. She represents authors across three main areas: book club or upmarket fiction, nonfiction, and kid lit (middle grade, YA, and picture books).

In fiction, she’s looking for book club and upmarket novels that explore timely and urgent themes like Jessamine Chan’s The School for Good Mothers and Shilpi Somaya Gowda’s A Great Country; feature irresistibly lovable characters like those in Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry; powerfully bring history to life like Jabari Asim’s Yonder; and are brilliantly multi-layered like R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface.

Submissions that keep her reading have: a strong hook, skillful balance of good pacing and character immersion, emotional resonance, and very polished writing on the line-by-line level.

In middle grade and YA, she wants to see a protagonist with an unforgettable voice who she can root for, plus one or more of: mystery, history, a little bit of fantasy, and family. She prefers romance not be the central focus. “Give me a protagonist who is completely surrendered to a cause!”

Some of her favourite YA writers are June Hur (The Forest of Stolen Girls) and Stacey Lee (The Downstairs Girl), and in middle grade, Susin Nielsen, Kelly Yang, and Daniel Nayeri.

In picture books, she’s seeking kids-centric, age-appropriate books by writers and illustrators alike that have a clear story, guaranteed rer-ead quality, and an inviting and engaging approach rather than a didactic one.

In nonfiction, Kim welcomes proposals from journalists, emerging writers, and deep thinkers alike on the topics of culture, sociology, psychology, faith, and history. Some books in the last few years that have stood out for her are Jessica J. Lee’s Two Trees Make a Forest, Cheuk Kwan’s Have You Eaten Yet? Tara Isabella Burton’s Self-Made, Hua Hsu’s Stay True, Tamara Cherry’s The Trauma Beat, and Luke Burgis’ Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life.

Query Kim at: submissions@wcaltd.com

Include a brief synopsis of your work and a sample of 10 to 20 pages pasted into the email.

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Note: If you’re interested in writing kid lit, don’t miss our upcoming one-day online workshop “Writing for Children and for Young Adults,” with guest Karen Li, Publisher at Groundwood Books, Sunday, Sept 22. Details here.

Also, be sure to sign up for our weekly online course “Writing Kid Lit ~ The Next Level” on Monday evenings, starting September 30. Details here.

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Chris Casuccio, Literary Agent

Chris started at Westwood in 2006, working at the front desk and being groomed to become an agent. His clients now includes both emerging authors and more acclaimed authors such as Stephen Bown, George Jonas, Richard Wagamese, and Max Wallace.

Chris is actively growing his client list.

He’s looking for stories he hasn’t heard, told well – stories that need to be told, particularly the ones that aren’t often shared, the dark corners most people don’t explore.

He’s especially attracted to big ideas, diverse voices (like everyone else), inspired experts, and driven journalism – to authors who know something that he doesn’t and care deeply about sharing their knowledge; people fearless enough to stand up and tell their truths.

He loves being floored by the impossibly simple and the endlessly complex He’s represented journalists, scientists, chefs, adventurers, poets and activists.

Chris also loves literary fiction that’s told fearlessly and authentically. 

Query Chris at: submissions@wcaltd.com

Include a brief synopsis of your work and a sample of 10 to 20 pages pasted into the email.

Jake Babad, Co-head of Media Rights
& VP Finance

As Co-Head of Media Rights, Jake helps Westwood’s clients share their stories with new audiences in film, television, theatre, etc. But although his primary focus is on media rights and financial administration, he is building a small list of clients for literary representation in the following areas:

Fiction: crime and mystery with a strong sense of place; upmarket literary fiction (especially stories involving family dynamics); sci-fi and fantasy.

Nonfiction: behaviour and neuroscience; economics; family and parenting; labour and the culture of work; law and social justice; popular culture.

Query Jake at: submissions@wcaltd.com

Include a brief synopsis of your work and a sample of 10 to 20 pages pasted into the email.

Michael Levine, Chairman

At Westwood, Michael’s talents are focussed not only on book deals, but also on the sale of rights for TV, film, and other media.

“My passions, taste and expertise are largely focused on nonfiction,” says Michael, “including history, politics, ideas books, memoirs. I have also been privileged to do work in the fiction area with such authors as the late Mordecai Richler.”

Query Michael at: submissions@wcaltd.com

Include a brief synopsis of your work and a sample of 10 to 20 pages pasted into the email.

Sara Harowitz, Literary Agent

Sara come to WCA with a decade of magazine experience as an editor and journalist. She specializes in narrative nonfiction, including lifestyle, wellness, and culture reportage; essay collections; and memoirs (think: Durga Chew-Bose’s TOO MUCH AND NOT IN THE MOOD; Alicia Elliott’s A MIND SPREAD OUT ON THE GROUND; Lisa Taddeo’s THREE WOMEN; John Vaillant’s THE GOLDEN SPRUCE). She’s interested in books that make her feel something, that take her outside of herself.

Include a brief synopsis of your work and a sample of 10 to 20 pages pasted into the email.

Full guidelines for Westwood Creative artists here.

See upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here. 

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