David Higham Agency
6th Floor, Waverley House
7–12 Noel Street
London W1F 8GQ
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David Higham Agency was established in 1935. It represents commercial and literary
fiction and nonfiction, in all media and languages, and are a leading agency
for children’s authors and illustrators.
The agency also has a Film, TV &
Theatre department for writers originating and scripting material for stage,
screen and new media, as well as selling screen and stage rights to the books
we handle.
Like everyone else, they want to find
more diverse authors.
David Higham Agency has thirteen
literary agents, ten of whom are open to new clients, including Christabel
McKinley, who was recently promoted from
assistant to agent. Like all new agents, she needs authors.
Christabel McKinley joined David Higham Associates in 2018, having
previously worked in translation rights and at a scouting agency. She graduated
with a degree in Russian and English Literature from Trinity College Dublin,
after which she spent a year teaching English in South Korea.
Christabel assists Caroline Walsh and is
also building a list of children’s authors and illustrators, from picture books
to Young Adult fiction.
She is particularly drawn
to writing that feels authentically child-oriented with clear insight into the
way young people feel and think. Her favourite works for children include Howl’s
Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, The Princess Diaries by
Meg Cabot and Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn.
Query Christabel at: childrenssubmissions@davidhigham.co.uk
Include your name and book title in the subject header; address your
chosen agent in the first line of the email {eg: Dear Ms Christabel McKinley}; for young fiction and novels attach the first
3 chapters and a synopsis {max 2 pages}. For picture books, attach the full
manuscript(s); send a maximum of three texts. Attachments must be Word documents
or PDFs.
Other
agents at David Higham Agency accepting submissions:
Veronique Baxter, Agent and Director. She is looking for literary fiction, fiction with a speculative edge, historical fiction that surprises and upmarket crime and thrillers.
In children’s books,
Veronique is looking for standout middle-grade and YA with heart or adventure,
or preferably both!
In non-fiction, she is
particularly drawn to feminism, history, current affairs, memoir and narrative
non-fiction.
If you would like to
submit your work to Veronique, please email: veroniquemanuscripts@davidhigham.co.uk
Include a covering letter,
a synopsis, and the first three chapters of your book. Full submission
guidelines here.
Query Nicola at: submissions@davidhigham.co.uk
Full submission guidelines here.
Elise Dillsworth set up her agency in 2012, and became an associate of David Higham Agency in 2020. She represents literary and commercial fiction and nonfiction, with a keen aim to reflect writing that is international.
Query Elise at: elise@elisedillsworthagency.com
Include your name and
title of the work in the subject line. For fiction, attach the first three chapters
{or about 50 pages} and a short synopsis in Microsoft Word or PDF format. For
nonfiction, attach a proposal and a writing sample {about 30 pages}. Full
guidelines here.
Read more about the
Elise Dillsworth Agency here.
Jemima Forrester joined David Higham in
2016 having previously been senior commissioning editor at Orion Publishing
Group. She is looking for commercial and upmarket fiction, including accessible
literary fiction, crime and thrillers, historical, psychological suspense,
women’s fiction and speculative/high-concept novels.
In nonfiction, she is looking for innovative lifestyle, cookery and
popular-culture projects, unique personal stories and humour.
In both fiction and non-fiction, Jemima
is actively seeking diverse voices and books with a strong feminist angle.
Query Jemima at: jemimaforrester@davidhigham.co.uk
Include a covering letter, a synopsis and the first three chapters of your book. Please put your name and the title of your manuscript in the subject line of your email.
Andrew Gordon joined
David
Higham Agency in 2007 and is an agent and acompany director.He primarily represents nonfiction. He welcomes
approaches from experts in their field who want to communicate their ideas to a
wider audience.
He’s open to new projects, especially
history, current affairs, biography and memoir, narrative nonfiction, sport, popular
culture, popular science and psychology, smart thinking and business books with
a strong story.
In fiction, he likes novels that grab the
attention, whether literary or commercial. He does not represent any YA
authors, or science fiction/fantasy.
Full submission guidelines here.
Jane Gregory currently
accepts only crime fiction submissions, including
but not limited to: procedural, psychological, thriller, domestic noir,
historical.
Query Jane at: maryjones@davidhigham.co.uk
Attach a synopsis (not a jacket-style blurb) and the first three chapters (in Word, double-spaced and with page numbers) of your book. Please put your name and the title of your manuscript in the subject line of your email.
She represents commercial
and literary fiction and nonfiction. She is always keen to discover compelling
new voices in commercial and literary fiction and has posted on the subject of
what she looks for in fiction submissions here; on the subject of fiction for women here; on crime writing here; and on genre fiction here.
Query Lizzy at: lizzymanuscripts@davidhigham.co.uk
Attach a synopsis and the first three chapters of your book. Please put your name and the title of your manuscript in the subject line of your email.
Harriet Moore represents literary
fiction, narrative non-fiction, and poetry. She is mostly looking for new
fiction at the moment.
In fiction, she admires clarity, energy,
emotional candour, intense interior portraits, close observation, texture,
craft and compression.
Some examples: Jane
Bowles’ Two
Serious Ladies; Amina Cain’s Indelicacy; James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s
Room; Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation;
Carson McCullers’ The Member of the Wedding;
Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle; Elizabeth
Strout’s My
Name is Lucy Barton; Edward St Aubyn’s Patrick Melrose novels; all
Marilynne Robinson; the short stories of Joy Williams, Lydia Davis, Mary
Gaitskill.
In all
forms {fiction, nonfiction and poetry} she is interested in how writing and
visual art correspond, and a scholarly attention to the ordinary and everyday.
Full submission guidelines here.
Caroline Walsh joined
David Higham Associates in 1996 after twelve years as a children’s books
editor. Her client list is made up predominantly of children’s writers and
illustrators, many of them award-winners and bestsellers. In addition she
handles some adult fiction and nonfiction.
She is always on the look-out for original contemporary
writing and talented author/illustrators.
Full submission guidelines here.
 |
| Literary agent Paige Sisley en route to our workshop in Collingwood in the Before Times |
If you’re interested in meeting an agent and in getting published, don’t miss our online How to Get Published, Saturday, Nov 27, with guest, literary agent Paige Sisley. Details here.
Beyond that, Brian Henry’s schedule continues to take shape...
November
Online: Free Writers' Meet-Ups sponsored by
the Burlington Public Library, Monday evenings, Nov 1, 15 & 29. Details here.
Online: Writing for Children and for Young Adults, Sunday, Nov 14, with guests Katie Hearn, editorial director, Annick Press, and picture book
author Lana Button. Details here. {Probably
full, but email to join the wait list and to be the first to hear about our
next Kid Lit workshop.}
Online: How to Make Yourself Write ~ A Creativity Workout, Sunday, Jan 23, 2022. Details here.
In-person: Exploring Creative Writing class, 10 weeks of discovering your creative side, Thursday
evenings, Jan 20 – March 31, in Burlington, Ontario. Details here.
Details of online
classes offered in the new year to come.
Writing
Retreats:
Jackson's Point on
Lake Simcoe: Writing Retreat
at The Briars Resort and Spa. Get away to this modern lakeside resort built
around a historic country estate. Friday, March 4 – Monday, March 7,
2022. Details here.
Algonquin Park: Writing Retreat at Arowhon
Pines Resort, Friday, June 3 – Monday, June 6. Details here.
***
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