This is a list of the major UK literary agencies, by order of the year of their establishment, including selected notable clients.
| Year founded | Agency | Management | Notable clients | Website | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1875 | A P Watt | Caradoc King (chairman and joint managing director), Derek Johns (joint managing director) | Philip Pullman | www.apwatt.co.ukwww.unitedagents.co.uk/ap-watt | Oldest literary agency in the world. In December 2012 A P Watt joined the United Agents Partnership.[1] | |
| 1898 (US) | WME (UK) | Simon Trewin (head of UK Literary Division)[2] | www.wmeagency.com | Formerly William Morris Endeavor. The largest talent agency in the world, having been created in 2009 by the merger of the William Morris Agency and the Endeavor Agency. | ||
| 1899 | Curtis Brown | Jonathan Lloyd (chief executive), Jonny Geller (managing director, books division) | curtisbrown.co.uk | |||
| 1919 | AM Heath | Bill Hamilton (managing director) | Hilary Mantel, George Orwell (estate) | www.amheath.com | ||
| 1924 | Peters Fraser & Dunlop (PFD) | Caroline Michel (chief executive) | Simon Schama, Jeanette Winterson, C. S. Forester (estate) | www.petersfraserdunlop.com | Part of the Rights House Group, which was established in 2010, PFD is the result of a 1989 merger between the A. D. Peters Agency and the Fraser and Dunlop Agency. | |
| 1932 | Eric Glass Ltd | ericglass.agency | Founded in 1932 by Eric Glass. | |||
| 1935 | David Higham Associates | Anthony Goff (managing director) | J. M. Coetzee, Roald Dahl (estate), Stephen Fry, Eric Hobsbawm, Jacqueline Wilson, Rosemary Sutcliff | www.davidhigham.co.uk | Originally Pearn, Pollinger & Higham; David Higham Associates since 1956. | |
| 1956[3] | Johnson & Alcock | Michael Alcock, Andrew Hewson | Candace Allen, Beryl Bainbridge (estate), Lawrence Scott, D. M. Thomas | www.johnsonandalcock.co.uk | Created in 2003 by the merger of Michael Alcock Management and the John Johnson Agency.[4] | |
| 1961 | Roger Hancock Ltd | Lucy Hancock (director)[5] | Tony Hancock, Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie, Annie Leake | http://www.rogerhancock.com | Founded in 1961 by Roger Hancock. | |
| 1962 | Sheil Land Associates | Sonia Land (chief executive)[6] | Peter Ackroyd, Melvyn Bragg,[7] Susan Hill,[8] Patrick O’Brian (estate)[9] | www.sheilland.co.uk | Based in London, UK. Incorporates Richard Scott Simon Ltd (1971) and Christy & Moore Ltd (1912). Overseas associates: Georges Borchardt, Inc. (USA).[10] | |
| 1963[11] | Greene & Heaton | Carol Heaton | Michael Frayn, Richard Reed | www.greeneheaton.co.uk | Founded by Elaine Greene, who was later joined by Carol Heaton.[12] | |
| 1967 | Rogers, Coleridge & White | Gill Coleridge (chairman), Peter Straus (managing director) | David Aaronovitch, Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Nick Hornby, Kazuo Ishiguro, James Kelman, Ian McEwan, Caryl Phillips, Zadie Smith, Meera Syal, Donna Tartt | www.rcwlitagency.com | Founded as Deborah Rogers Ltd by Deborah Rogers who was soon joined by Pat White and in 1988 by Gill Coleridge when Rogers, Coleridge & White was formed. Representing adult fiction and non-fiction, and children's and YA. | |
| 1970 | Watson, Little Ltd | James Wills (managing director) | Lynne Reid Banks, D. J. Enright, Margaret Mahy, James Wong, Evie Wyld | www.watsonlittle.com | Founded by Sheila Watson and Mandy Little. Based in London, UK. | |
| 1973 (US)[13] | Janklow & Nesbit (UK) | Will Francis (Managing Director, London office)[14] | Alan Rusbridger, Rebecca Stott | www.janklowandnesbit.co.uk | London office opened in 2000. | |
| 1974[15] | Independent Talent | Duncan Heath (chairman), Paul Lyon-Maris (deputy chairman and managing director), Lyndsey Posner (managing director – corporate affairs)[16] | Founded as Duncan Heath & Associates, which was bought by ICM in 1985.[17] In 1991, ICM merged Duncan Heath & Associates with its UK office and, in 2002, a management buyout took place.[18] The agency was renamed Independent Talent in August 2007. | |||
| 1974 | MBA | Diana Tyler (joint managing director), Laura Longrigg (joint managing director) | www.mbalit.co.uk | Represents writers in all media, including books, and scripts for film, television, radio and theatre. | ||
| 1976[19] | Ed Victor Literary Agency | Ed Victor (executive chairman), Sophie Hicks (joint managing director), Margaret Phillips (joint managing director) | www.edvictor.com | Acquired by Curtis Brown in 2017.[20] | ||
| 1976 | Aitken Alexander Associates | Gillon Aitken (chairman), Clare Alexander (joint managing director), Sally Riley (joint managing director) | www.aitkenalexander.co.uk | Originally Gillon Aitken Associates, and operated for a time as Aitken & Stone. | ||
| 1982 | Blake Friedmann | Carole Blake (joint managing director), Julian Friedmann (joint managing director) | www.blakefriedmann.co.uk | Created by the merger of Julian Friedmann Literary Agency and the Carole Blake Literary Agency, which were founded in 1976 and 1977 respectively. | ||
| 1985 | Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency | Caroline Sheldon | John Agard, Patrice Lawrence | www.carolinesheldon.co.uk | Representing a roster of authors and illustrators, the agency's particular areas of interest are fiction and all types of children's books.[21] | |
| 1988 | Andrew Lownie Literary Agency | Andrew Lownie (managing director) | www.andrewlownie.co.uk | |||
| 1988 | Darley Anderson | Darley Anderson (founder and proprietor)[22] | Lee Child, Martina Cole | www.darleyanderson.com | ||
| 1995 | David Godwin Associates (DGA) | David Godwin (director), Heather Godwin (director)[23] | Sade Adeniran, Lucy Ellmann, Aminatta Forna, Ian Jack, Vikram Seth, Marina Warner | davidgodwinassociates.com | Based in London, DGA represent a varied list of international writers, including novelists, poets, biographers, historians and journalists. | |
| 1996[24] | Lucas Alexander Whitley (LAW) | Mark Lucas (director), Julian Alexander (director), Araminta Whitley (director), Philippa Milnes-Smith (managing director) | Frank Gardner, Sophie Kinsella, Andy McNab, Kate Mosse, Condé Nast, Philip Reeve, Chris Riddell, Nigel Slater, Alison Weir | http://www.lawagency.co.uk/ | Based in London, UK, LAW was founded in 1996[25] by literary agents Mark Lucas, Julian Alexander, and Araminta Whitley. In 2001 Philippa Milnes-Smith joined the agency from Penguin Children's Books to create a children's and YA department.[26] | |
| 1997[27] | Annette Green Authors' Agency (AGA) | Annette Green, David Smith, | Adam Macqueen, Elizabeth Haynes, Maria McCann, Ian Marchant, Louis Barfe, Katherine Clements | http://www.annettegreenagency.co.uk/ | AGA was founded in 1997 by Annette Green. In 2001 David Smith, previously of Time Out magazine, joined the agency from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer law firm. | |
| 1997 | BookBlast Ltd | Georgia de Chamberet, Jemma Jupp, Ben Fiagbe | Lesley Blanch (estate), George Elton Mayo (estate) | http://www.bookblast.com | London-based agency set up by a commissioning editor specialising in translations,[28] representing literature with a cross cultural focus[29] and literary estates. Also promotes the output of independent publishers.[30] First website launched in 2000.[31] | |
| 2000[32] | Conville & Walsh | Clare Conville, Patrick Walsh, Jake Smith-Bosanquet (managing director), Alan Oliver (finance director)[33] | DBC Pierre, S. J. Watson, Charlie Brooker, Belle de Jour, Vic Reeves, Francis Bacon (estate) | www.convilleandwalsh.com | ||
| 2002[34] | Jenny Brown Associates | Jenny Brown | www.jennybrownassociates.com | The largest literary agency in Scotland. | ||
| 2003 | Eve White Literary Agency | Eve White (Owner, CEO and Agent), Ludo Cinelli (Managing Director and Agent) | Andy Stanton, Ruth Ware, Yvvette Edwards, Eloise Head, Abie Longstaff, Tracey Corderoy, Rae Earl Johnson, Sarah Ockwell-Smith, Luan Goldie. | www.evewhite.co.uk | Independent literary agency founded in 2003 by Eve White and based in London, UK. Eve White Literary Agency represents authors of fiction, non-fiction and children's/YA fiction. Its authors' books have gone on to become bestsellers, win awards and be longlisted for the Booker Prize and Women's Prize for Fiction. | |
| 2005 | Graham Maw Christie Literary Agency | Raynor Winn,Vex King, Michael Foley | www.grahammawchristie.com | A UK agency in London specialising in non-fiction, with a host of international bestsellers and Sunday Times Bestsellers across a wide range of subjects. | ||
| 2007 | United Agents | Peter Bennett-Jones (co-chairman), Lindy King (co-chairman), St. John Donald (managing director)[35] | www.unitedagents.co.uk | In October 2013 Jon Elek of United Agents sold the North American rights for Tina Seskis's debut novel One Step Too Far to HarperCollins’s William Morrow imprint for $500,000.[36] | ||
| 2008 | Writers House UK | Angharad Kowal (managing director) | www.writershouse.com | In April 2008, Writers House opened Writers House UK, a London-based office run by Angharad Kowal, dedicated to selling and supporting US Authors directly in the United Kingdom, British Commonwealth, Australia, and New Zealand. The UK office closed in 2017.[37] | ||
| 2009 | The Bent Agency | Jenny Bent, Molly Ker Hawn | http://www.thebentagency.com | Based in London and New York. representing adult fiction and non-fiction, and children's and YA with a commitment to building bestsellers. | ||
| 2012[38] | Madeleine Milburn Ltd | Madeleine Milburn, Giles Milburn | CJ Daugherty, Cally TaylorFiona Barton, Holly Bourne, Nuala Ellwood, Gail Honeyman, C.J. Tudor | www.madeleinemilburn.co.uk | Literary, TV & Film Agency based in Mayfair, London, founded by Madeleine Milburn in February 2012[39] Representing adult fiction and non-fiction, and children's and YA, with a reputation for launching new writers on a global level in major deals[40] | |
| 2012 | Hardman & Swainson | Caroline Hardman & Joanna Swainson (founders & literary agents), Hannah Ferguson (literary agent) | www.hardmanswainson.com | Based in London, UK, Hardman & Swainson was founded in June 2012[41] by Caroline Hardman and Joanna Swainson. In September 2014, Hannah Ferguson joined the agency from the Marsh Agency.[42] Hardman & Swainson represents a range of fiction and non-fiction. | ||
| 2012 | Elise Dillsworth Agency (EDA) | Elise Dillsworth | Robert Antoni, Roy Heath (estate), Anthony Joseph, Irenosen Okojie, Yewande Omotoso, Courtney Pine, Noo Saro-Wiwa | http://elisedillsworthagency.com/ | Based in London, Elise Dillsworth Agency represents literary and general fiction and non-fiction, with an aim to reflect writing that is international.[43] [44] | |
| 2013 | Collective Talent | Steven Russell (director, agent) | www.collectivetalent.co.uk | Collective Talent represents screenwriters, directors, book and graphic novel rights. | ||
| 2013 | Rocking Chair Books Literary Agency | Samar Hammam (director & literary agent) | Warsan Shire, Lakambini Sitoy | www.rockingchairbooks.com | Dedicated to original page-turning books. | |
| 2014[45] | Greyhound Literary Agents | Charlie Campbell, Sam Edenborough | SJ Bennett, Edward Brooke-Hitching, Rebecca Front, Maisie Hill, Will Hill, Julian Gough, Lias Saoudi | www.greyhoundliterary.co.uk | Founded as Kingsford Campbell, the agency became Greyhound Literary Agents in 2022.[46] Based in London and represents a range of fiction, non-fiction and children's books. | |
| 2014 | Skylark Literary | Amber Caraveo, Joanna Moult | http://www.skylark-literary.com | Specialist Children's and YA Literary Agency | ||
| 2016 | Pew Literary | Patrick Walsh (founder) | Tom Holland, Andrea Wulf | https://www.pewliterary.com/ | Founded by Patrick Walsh, previously of "Conville & Walsh" agency, which was sold to Curtis Brown and then renamed "C+W Agency".[47] | |
| 2016 | Golden Quill UK | John Grout | Victoria Ewart | https://goldenquilliterary.co.uk/ | Located in UK, US and Spain. Represented Fiction and Nonfiction books. | |
| 2016 | Blue Boar Books | www.blueboarbooks.yolasite.com | Children's, YA and Adult Fiction/Non-Fiction Literary Agents | |||
| 2016 | Outlaw Agents UK | Sam Bellis, Tom Edwards | Adam Manuel, Danny Martin | http://www.outlawagentsuk.com | UK Screenwriting Agent specialising in Film, TV, Video Games and viral campaign industries. | |
| 2017 | Tin-Can Telephone Literary Agency | Cassian Hall | http://tctliteraryagency.com | Literary Agency based in Edinburgh, UK. Representing adult fiction, children's and YA. Breaking new ground by building a writers community around the agency. | ||
| 2017 | The Ruppin Agency | Jonathan Ruppin | http://www.ruppinagency.com | London-based literary agency set up by former bookseller, handling fiction and non-fiction for adult market; particularly keen to find voices from unrepresented communities. | ||
| 2017 | The Good Literary Agency[48] | Joy Francis | https://www.thegoodliteraryagency.org | Only represents writers from a background under-represented in UK publishing, including writers of colour, working-class, disability, LGBTQ+. | ||
| 2020 | Exprimez Literary Agency | Matthew Smith | Philip Norman, Jenny Boyd | www.exprimez.com | Representing UK authors including film/television and translation rights. | |
| 2020 | Laxfield Literary Associates | Emma Shercliff[49] | Brian Chikwava, Idza Luhumyo, Olumide Popoola, Tom Shakespeare | https://laxfieldliterary.com/ | Represents authors in Norfolk and Suffolk, and writers from under-represented backgrounds, with a particular interest in working with authors based in Africa, the Middle East and Ukraine. | |
| 2020 | Riviera Artists Agency | Justin Jones, Gemma Harris | www.rivieraartistsagency.com | London - Miami - Monaco. Representing screenwriters, authors and motion picture/television talent. |