5½ literary agents at Transatlantic are looking for manuscripts

Blue to the Sky by Sylvia McNicoll
represented by Transatlantic

Transatlantic Agency

68 Claremont Street
Suite 100
Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

https://transatlanticagency.com/

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Transatlantic Agency is a leading literary management company with a team of 22 experienced agents based in cities across North America. They offer a full spectrum of career representation to authors (Adult, Children’s & YA, and illustrators) and storytellers (Speakers, Industry leaders & Influencers) across all genres and formats for book, content development, speaking and TV & Film.

Transatlantic represents more than 700 American, Canadian and internationally bestselling and award-winning clients, writing commercial and literary fiction and nonfiction, graphic novels, and picture books.

Books by Transatlantic’s clients regularly appear on notable bestseller lists across North America and have won major awards such as the Newbery Medal (U.S.), the Giller Prize (Canada), Michael L. Printz Honor Book (U.S.), and the Governor General’s Award for both adult and children’s literature (Canada).

Four of their agents are currently open to queries (and one more will open to queries in the fall, hence the ½ in the headline :-)

Jane Chun joined Transatlantic in 2023 after four years at Janklow & Nesbit Associates. Prior to her time at J&N, she worked on a freelance project for HG Literary and interned at Writers House and Maximum Films & Management.

Before entering the publishing world, Jane attended NYU where she majored in History and minored in Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology; Creative Writing; and Spanish. She returned to NYU shortly after graduation and a brief stint at Asian CineVision and the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) to receive her M.S. in Publishing with distinction. She is a native New Yorker.

Jane is particularly interested in stories that center marginalized communities and prose that is cinematic and atmospheric with good rhythm. In both fiction and nonfiction, she is drawn towards compelling, fresh voices that make her feel as though the writer is in the room with her, telling her their story with intimacy as if they were already acquainted. Regardless of how plot-driven a story is, characters with rich inner worlds and emotional depth are a must for her.

For fiction, Jane is open to contemporary, historical, fantasy, sci-fi, speculative, and horror.

For nonfiction, Jane is looking for memoirs, narrative nonfiction, history, investigative journalism, books about nature, climate, and science, and books about food, travel, pop culture, and cultural criticism.

In addition to traditional prose, she is very interested in graphic novels and graphic nonfiction.

Be sure to check out Jane’s more detailed likes and dislikes here.

Query Jane through her Query Manager here.

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Laura Cameron is a literary agent and the in-house film and television agent at the Transatlantic Agency. She joined the Transatlantic Agency after six years at Penguin Random House Canada. Before her career in publishing, Laura did a Master’s in Journalism at Columbia University and interned at the Economist.

Laura represents a diverse mix of books. While her focus is adult upmarket and literary fiction and elevated horror and suspense, she is particularly drawn to work that blends and subverts genres. Above all, she seeks to represent novels that combine an ingenious plot with an unforgettable voice. Whether it’s a story that provides a new way into a familiar world or one that’s rooted in lesser-known mythology, she loves to be surprised by characters and craves books that show her something new.

Laura is specifically interested in the psychology of memory, complicated female friendships, sibling relationships, family mysteries, books about art, doppelgängers and mistaken identity, deeply flawed protagonists, crime and uniquely gifted criminals, a genuinely shocking twist, dark stories with redemption, and funny novels that start urgent conversations.

Laura also represents select picture books, middle grade, and young adult but currently, she’s open only to adult fiction and nonfiction.

In her role as Film and TV agent, Laura works with a boutique list of author-turned-screenwriters in addition to representing books for screen adaptation. Along with Samantha Haywood, Laura is the lead on Transatlantic Agency’s joint venture with Blink49 Studios and Fifth Season.

For inquires, please email: lcameron@transatlanticagency.com

Samantha Haywood is owner and President of the Transatlantic Agency. She has extensive experience selling authors in North America for publication and TV/film representation. She launched her client list with Transatlantic Agency in 2004 after working in the international rights departments of Random House of Canada and Westwood Creative Artists. 

Samantha represents a diverse and vibrant client list of novelists, memoirists, investigative journalists, graphic novelists, cookbook authors and thought leaders. Samantha represents international rights for the renowned publisher, Drawn & Quarterly. She is also a founding member and former President of PACLA, the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents.

Samantha encourages submissions from a plurality of voices, stories and authors of all backgrounds. For her client list, her objective is originality and diversity.

In fiction, Samantha is looking for literary fiction and upmarket commercial fiction of all types. Getting more specific, yes to: smart contemporary fiction, upmarket women’s fiction, upmarket escapist fiction, crossover/hybrid style novels, and sophisticated novels with speculative or horror elements with a genre slant.

Yes to literary thrillers and upmarket mystery. Witty, sharp, biting or satirical elements are also welcome, especially when it comes to socio-political issues including class and late-stage capitalism. Yes also to fiction which examines identity, gender/sexuality and/or racism through a unique lens. 

In nonfiction, Samantha prefers narrative nonfiction and big idea nonfiction, especially on culturally relevant topics such as feminism, environmentalism, Indigenous issues, societal inequities with forecasts for progress.

She represents some prescriptive, inspirational and motivational nonfiction, matched with expertise and a platform, and preferably with a personal story woven throughout. Yes also to investigative reportage; historical narratives handled in refreshing ways, true crime with societal implications and occasionally an outstanding memoir (must be truly original or well-known subjects).

Essentially, she’s looking for a strong narrative drive and distinctive voice at all times.

Samantha also wants graphic novels and nonfiction): Preferably full-length graphic novels with author and illustrator as one creator or already teamed-up. Graphic novel memoirs, biographies, travel narratives and other nonfiction graphica also welcome.

Query Samantha at: querysamantha@transatlanticagency.com

Authors are encouraged to email a cover letter with a sample/excerpt of the book in question. Please submit a maximum of 20 pages. Embed the sample/excerpt into the email after the cover letter. Graphic novel submissions may include an attachment. Please submit an author bio/publishing history and a synopsis. 

Rob Firing has been working as a promoter and publicist for more than 20 years, 15 of those at HarperCollins as their Senior Director of Publicity, Communications and Speakers’ Bureau. Rob has worked closely with everyone from JK Rowling to Tom Wolfe, from Margaret Trudeau to Margaret Drabble — literally hundreds of writers across many genres. 

He is also the co-author of The Everyday Squash Cook (HarperCollins, 2014), and the author of STEAK REVOLUTION (HarperCollins, 2018), which was a Gourmand World Cookbook Award finalist. 

Rob is seeking nonfiction only:

– Social and cultural history or other fun history
– History that connects to today, history that asks questions
– Investigative reporting and narrative journalism
– Popular science when it’s careful and Insightful
– Narrative nonfiction that engages with food, the natural world,
travel, or everyday objects
– Cookbooks with something extra
– Highly applicable prescriptive nonfiction

Please note that due to the sometimes very high volume of inquiries, not all inquiries regarding manuscript submissions will be answered.

If you are submitting a proposal, please submit a synopsis and 20 pages of the manuscript via email to: rob@transatlanticagency.com

Attachments will not be opened.

Noelle Falcis Math has garnered a breadth of experience as a writer and editor before transitioning into agenting. She holds a BA and MFA in English and Creative Writing, and has received fellowships or residencies from VONA (Voices of Our Nations), Tinhouse, The Seventh Wave, and Lemontree House. 

In 2021, she completed the Los Angeles Review of Books’ Publishing Workshop and Transatlantic Agency’s BIPOC mentorship program. In 2023, she transitioned into an Associate Agent and began building her list of authors. Just recently, in 2025, she was promoted to agent.

Noelle is currently accepting submissions for the month of August.

Noelle is looking for projects that uplift essential voices from the margins and teaches how to better be human. She is eager to work with and prioritize authors of marginalized identities, and is particularly looking for narratives from Southeast Asian, Pacific Islander and Oceanic, and Indigenous perspectives.

This said, she welcomes all stories with compelling writing that explores the mythic and mundane, the sacred and profane, and the strange and fabulous beside the everyday. She likes to see characters evolve and change, teaching us further about ourselves and the resilience of the human condition.

For Fiction, she is keen on: reimagined folklore and mythology; dark, sad girl narratives; folks in the margins of their own communities; immigrant mothers and their daughters; coming-of-age stories and sisterhood; the softness of siblinghood; atmospheric, existential campus novels from BIPOC perspectives; the unique intricacies and messiness of romance; monstrous women (why are they monsters?); and anything brimming with ancestral ghosts.

She likes speculative work with surreal elements that flirt with the absurd. Last, any narrative in which the ocean holds weight will have an automatic layer of charm.

For Nonfiction, she’s looking for projects that explore the intersections of the personal, the political, and the cultural. She is specifically looking for narratives from the margins or from emerging artists, cultural practitioners, and academics that know their niche deeply.

She would love to see strong essay collections, narrative nonfiction, archival works, and experimental blendings exploring (or connecting) culture, the diaspora, decolonization, systemic inequalities, land relationships, climate change, and our striving toward wellness.

For Fall 2025, in Fiction, she is prioritizing literary, speculative, upmarket, and commercial narratives in the adult category. In Nonfiction, she is prioritizing cultural and narrative nonfiction. Across both categories, she maintains her perennial ask for experimental, form breaking and blending prose.

Some Key Themes she’s looking (Across Fiction and Nonfiction) for in 2025: 

·         Climate Futurism

·         Island Narratives

·         Dark Side of Beauty & Wellness Industries

·         Motherhood

·         Literary/Upmarket RomCom

·         Literary/Upmarket Narratives centered on Dance or Athletics

·         Dark Comedy on Influencer Culture and/or Millennial Life

·         Cozy + Anything! – Mystery, Fantasy, Grounded, Food

To query Noelle, please send a query letter, author bio, and 25-page sample (for fiction) or proposal (nonfiction) to: querynoelle@transatlanticagency.com

Include “Query” in the subject line along with the title and genre of your project, paste your sample into the body of the email, and notify her if another offer of representation is received.

Carolyn Forde is currently closed to queries, but will re-open to queries in the fall. Before joining Transatlantic, Carolyn was a literary agent and International Rights Director at Westwood Creative Artists for 14 years.

Carolyn would love to see literary fiction (especially speculative and horror), commercial fiction, narrative nonfiction by experts in the field and is open minded to a broad range of topics and styles – as long as it engages her.

There are a few things she’s not keen on: medical/disease related memoirs, police procedurals, climate thrillers, military or CIA fiction, cozy mysteries, books about film and tv behind the scenes, and fantasy. Don’t send her any of these.

Come the fall, check out Carolyn’s submissions page here.

Andrea Cascardi represents manuscripts for young readers. Unfortunately, she’s only open to submissions by professional referral or by participants in contests or conferences Andrea personally attends. So, I’ll have to see about getting her as a guest speaker! ~Brian 

Andrea Cascardi has held senior editorial positions at Random House, Disney/Hyperion, and Egmont USA. As an editor she acquired and edited Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King winner Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold, the Raffi Songs to Read series, and Pura Belpre winner Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez among many other award-winning books.

As an agent she has represented many bestselling and award-winning titles including Clare Vanderpool’s Newbery winner Moon Over Manifest and Printz Honor winner Navigating Early, e.E. Charlton-Truillo’s Stonewall winner Fat Angie, New York Times Bestseller: Nubs: A Mutt, A Marine, and a Miracle, and Texas Bluebonnet winner Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break if You Want to Survive the School Bus.

See Transatlantic’s submissions page here.

For information about other literary agents looking for authors, see here (and scroll down).

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.

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