Lesley is Joint Managing Director at Aitken Alexander and runs the Film and TV Department, representing novelists, non-fiction writers and screenwriters.
She began her career in literary publishing, working at Fourth Estate and Hamish Hamilton before joining Aitken Alexander in 1999 to assist Gillon Aitken. In 2004 she began to focus on dramatic rights in the agency's books and building her own client list.
Submissions are accepted by email only, to submissions@aitkenalexander.co.uk. The agency no longer accepts postal submissions. Eligibility: only writers based in the UK should submit. Screenwriters are considered only if they have credits or work in development with UK production companies, unless they are already a published author or journalist. Fiction (novels and short stories): send the first three chapters or fifty pages together with a short synopsis, ideally as Microsoft Word compatible attachments. Submit only once a full manuscript is ready. Narrative non-fiction: send a short overview and up to 10,000 words of sample writing, ideally as Microsoft Word compatible attachments. Subject-led non-fiction: send a proposal of approximately 5,000 words outlining the book and the writer's suitability to write it, along with no less than 5,000 words of sample writing, ideally as Microsoft Word compatible attachments. Cover letter: include a short cover letter with a description of the book, details of previous writing credits or qualifications if applicable, and a brief biographical note. Screenwriting: send a cover letter and best sample script introducing the writer, their work, any credits, screenwriting prizes, or relevant experience. Other rules: inform the agency if submitting simultaneously to other agencies or if there is already interest from other agents, and keep the agency informed of any interest received while the book is on submission. Ensure contact details are provided so the agency can reach the writer if it wants to read more.
Chris is Joint Managing Director at Aitken Alexander Associates. He represents writers of fiction and nonfiction from across the literary spectrum, as well as a handful of poets.
Genres:Business · Contemporary Fiction · Historical Fiction · Historical Non-Fiction · Literary Fiction +4 more
Clare is Chair of Aitken Alexander Associates. Before becoming a literary agent, she spent more than 20 years in publishing, editing books that won the Booker Prize, the Orange Prize (now the Women's Prize) and the Whitbread Award. She represents novelists including Pat Barker, Sebastian Faulks and Mark Haddon. She is a Founding Patron of the Women's Prize and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Genres:Biography · Contemporary Fiction · Historical Non-Fiction · Literary Fiction · Memoir
Emma is a Director at Aitken Alexander Associates. She joined the agency in 2018 after eight years at other literary agencies. She is a member of the Booker Prize Foundation Advisory Committee and an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. She represents writers of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, including a number of bestselling and prize-winning authors.
Genres:Biography · Contemporary Fiction · Crime · Fantasy · Historical Fiction +9 more
Harriet is an agent at Aitken Alexander Associates, representing literary fiction, non-fiction and poetry. She joined Aitken Alexander Associates in 2024 after a decade at David Higham Associates. She is drawn to literary novelists who play with genre and form, and admires writers who approach subjects and archives in rigorous, intimate ways.
Genres:Biography · Literary Fiction · Memoir · Narrative Non-Fiction · Poetry
Lisa runs the Foreign Rights department at Aitken Alexander Associates and represents a select list of literary fiction and non-fiction. She joined the agency in 2016 and became a Director in 2017. Before that, she was Rights Director at Faber & Faber.
Genres:Literary Fiction · Memoir · Narrative Non-Fiction
Monica is an Associate Agent at Aitken Alexander, where she has worked in the books department since 2020. Her authors include Peter Apps, Onyi Nwabineli and Nicola Dinan. She is actively building a list of new writers and also handles speaking engagements at the agency for several clients.
Genres:Biography · Commercial Fiction · Contemporary Fiction · Current Affairs · Food & Drink +8 more
John Ash is a literary agent at CAA Publishing, representing literary fiction, upmarket general fiction and serious nonfiction. He began his career at PEW Literary, where he spent six and a half years before joining CAA in 2023. His fiction interests range from literary fiction and epic fantasy to upmarket general fiction, while his nonfiction interests include history, memoir and reportage.
Genres:Commercial Fiction · Contemporary Fiction · Fantasy · Historical Non-Fiction · Literary Fiction +3 more
Natalie is an agent at Originate Literary Agency, seeking game-changing stories across fiction, non-fiction, young adult and children's books. She represents Sir Lenny Henry's children's publishing. Her taste has been shaped by writers such as Toni Morrison, James Baldwin and Octavia E. Butler, and by a lifelong search for diverse voices and backgrounds in books.
Genres:Biography · Children's Books · Commercial Fiction · Literary Fiction · Memoir +3 more
Maria represents both fiction and nonfiction writers at Mushens Entertainment. Before joining the agency in September 2025, she worked at InkWell Management in New York for over eight years as an assistant and agent. She began her career in publishing as a Foreign Rights Assistant at Janklow & Nesbit in New York. Maria graduated from University College Dublin with a BA in English and Drama, then obtained her Master's in Literature and Modernity from the University of Edinburgh.
Genres:Contemporary Fiction · Food & Drink · Historical Non-Fiction · Horror · Literary Fiction +2 more
Elise is a literary agent based in London, representing literary and general fiction and non-fiction. She became an agent in 2012, having previously worked as a commissioning editor at Virago Press. She co-founded the Diversity in Publishing Network in 2004 and has judged several literary prizes, including the OCM Bocas Fiction Prize and the SI Leeds Prize.
Genres:Biography · Commercial Fiction · Contemporary Fiction · Literary Fiction · Memoir +2 more
Karolina is known for launching successful debuts in literary and upmarket commercial fiction, as well as shepherding long-term literary careers. She works across literary fiction, crime and psychological suspense, historical fiction, serious non-fiction and memoir, and remains open to new voices, including traditional storytellers and those challenging form and convention. She has worked with many admired novelists, journalists, academics and public figures, including winners of the Booker Prize, the Nobel Peace Prize and the Baillie Gifford Prize. In 2020, she was named Agent of the Year at the British Book Awards.
Genres:Commercial Fiction · Contemporary Fiction · Crime · Historical Fiction · Literary Fiction +3 more
Harriet focuses on narrative, voice-driven non-fiction, pop culture, memoir, comedy, journalism, and platform talent. She joined CAA in 2023 after serving as editorial director at Hodder & Stoughton. Prior to Hodder, she held positions at Hodder Studio, Audible, and The Hanbury Agency.
Genres:Historical Non-Fiction · Memoir · Narrative Non-Fiction · Other Non-Fiction
