Justine is the Development Editor at Bell Lomax Moreton, where she also builds a boutique list of her own clients.
She joined the agency from Pan Macmillan, where she commissioned and acquired picture books. Justine is an experienced editor and ex-publisher who has worked on picture books, non-fiction, chapter books and middle-grade fiction. She has also worked in animation as a script editor and holds a postgraduate diploma in children's illustration.
The agency considers most fiction, non-fiction and children's book proposals, and sends submissions to submission@bell-lomax.co.uk. Not represented: poetry, short stories or novellas, educational textbooks, film scripts or stage plays. Fiction, children's and young adult fiction or narrative non-fiction: send a short synopsis including details of the entire plot. Send the first three chapters (no more than 50 pages), double spaced. Include a covering letter with details of any previously published work. Send in word document or PDF format. Illustrated non-fiction: send a detailed outline, sample material if available, and information regarding previously published work. Children's picture books: send the full text of up to 3 manuscripts in one email. Include sample illustrations if available, in pdf, png or jpg format. WeTransfer or Google Drive links are not accepted. Include a covering letter with details of any previously published work. Do not address a submission to more than one agent within the agency. Julie Gourinchas: open to queries only in the first week (days 1-7) of every calendar month, exclusively via QueryManager. Queries sent to her by email are deleted unread. Hard copy submissions should include an email address for correspondence, or an appropriately stamped and addressed envelope for returns, and be sent to Suite C, Victory House, 131 Queensway, Petts Wood, Kent BR5 1DG. No reading fee is charged.
They do not accept AI-generated or AI-assisted content.
Jo is a literary agent at Bell Lomax Moreton. She has over 20 years' experience in the publishing industry, having worked for HarperCollins and Parragon Books as Sales Director. She brings her knowledge, warmth and passion for storytelling to the team, representing both adult fiction and non-fiction authors.
Genres:Commercial Fiction · Contemporary Fiction · Crime · Health & Wellness · Historical Fiction +9 more
Julie is a French-American literary agent who champions an award-winning, selective list of upmarket adult and new adult fiction with commercial drive and appeal, across a wide variety of genres. Authors she represents have won or been nominated for awards including the British Book Awards, the Hugo Awards, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Stoker Awards, the Shirley Jackson Awards, the Saltire National Book Awards and the BSFAs, and she has represented several Sunday Times bestselling titles. She is a member of the Association of Authors' Agents Bridge Committee, which supports junior agent development.
Genres:Contemporary Fiction · Fantasy · Historical Fiction · Historical Non-Fiction · Horror +8 more
Katie is a literary agent at Bell Lomax Moreton who represents fiction and non-fiction authors. She spent 25 years at HarperCollins in roles including Group Rights Director and Managing Director of Collins non-fiction. She was Executive Producer on Channel 4's adaptation of The Tiger Who Came To Tea. Her broad experience across publishing and rights management informs how she works with authors across media and markets.
Genres:Commercial Fiction · Contemporary Fiction · Crime · Current Affairs · Health & Wellness +11 more
Lauren represents authors and illustrators across children's and young adult fiction, new adult/crossover and commercial women's fiction, and adult non-fiction. She joined Bell Lomax Moreton in 2014 and has built a list of children's and young adult fiction, adult fiction and adult non-fiction authors whose work has won or been shortlisted for prizes including the Waterstones Children's Prize, the Carnegie Medal and the Branford Boase. In 2020 she was selected as one of The Bookseller's Rising Stars.
Genres:Biography · Children's Books · Commercial Fiction · Fantasy · Health & Wellness +9 more
Paul is the Managing Director of Bell Lomax Moreton. He joined the agency in 2000 from Penguin Books, where he was Head of Children's Book Sales. He represents children's books across all age ranges, along with narrative non-fiction, biography, sport, music and autobiography.
Genres:Biography · Children's Books · Commercial Fiction · Contemporary Fiction · Crime +10 more
Laura is an associate literary agent at the Liverpool Literary Agency. She studied Writing at Liverpool John Moores University, gaining a BA and later an MA, after an early career in teaching that included working with young adults with special needs and in further education. She moved into editing after her teaching career and also works as a freelance writer, having written for a video game and several roleplaying games.
Genres:Commercial Fiction · Contemporary Fiction · Cosy Mystery · Crime · Fantasy +12 more
Christabel came into publishing via teaching English in Korea, where she taught literature to children between six and eleven years of age. She believes children's books should be accessible, inclusive and unpatronising, as well as impactful and a pleasure to read. She represents authors and illustrators across the spectrum of writing and illustrating for children and young adults, spanning fiction to non-fiction and picture books to graphic novels.
Genres:Children's Books · Fantasy · Graphic Novels · Historical Fiction · Middle Grade +3 more
Esme assists Andrew Gordon and Jessica Woollard and is starting to build her own list of literary fiction, narrative non-fiction and poetry. She is actively searching for writers who combine intellect, intention and feeling, and would love to hear from new authors.
Genres:Biography · Food & Drink · Graphic Novels · Historical Non-Fiction · Literary Fiction +4 more
Isobel joined David Higham in 2025 after more than ten years working as an editor in illustrated children's publishing. She began her career at Templar Publishing and Big Picture Press, commissioning across a boutique list of illustrated books, and was later Commissioning Editor at Walker Books. She is building a list of children's book creators and works across all formats.
Genres:Children's Books · Graphic Novels · Middle Grade · Narrative Non-Fiction · Other Non-Fiction
Molly joined David Higham as a director of the company in 2025, after fourteen years running the United Kingdom arm of the Bent Agency. Her primary focus is books for children and young adults, and she has worked in publishing for most of the last thirty years. She sells directly to publishers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada and Australia, and about half her clients are American or Canadian. Her authors' books have been New York Times, Sunday Times and international bestsellers, and have won or been shortlisted for the Michael L. Printz Award, the William C. Morris Debut Award, the Barnes & Noble Children's Book Award, the Costa Book Award, the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the Carnegie Medal. She served for three years on the governing committee of the Association of Authors' Agents.
Genres:Children's Books · Contemporary Fiction · Fantasy · Graphic Novels · Historical Fiction +5 more
Sara is actively building a list of literary and upmarket fiction and non-fiction. Generally, Sara is looking for wonderful, clear writing with beauty at its heart, great hooky plot-driven stories and/or a combination of both. Sara admires authors such as Elif Batuman, Miranda July, Sarah Moss, Katie Kitamura, Miriam Toews, Sarah Hall, Catherine Newman, Ali Smith, Ann Patchett and Helen Garner. Sara loves speculative and genre-bending fiction such as The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley and The Echoes by Evie Wyld, and novels that play with form and structure, such as Theory and Practice by Michelle de Kretser and Fair Play by Louise Hegarty. Sara is interested in short stories, both dark and gentle comedies, and books on the edges of horror. Sara would love to find a really wild idea that is immaculate on the page. Sara is keen to find a great love story set against the backdrop of historical events as well as swoony contemporary love stories. Sara loves literary crime and is interested in detective novels and literary thrillers such as Sebastian Barry’s Old God’s Time, Eleanor Catton’s Birnam Wood or Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie series. In non-fiction, Sara is always looking to learn new things and enjoys works such as A Thread of Violence by Mark O’Connell, Monsters by Claire Dederer, A Month in Siena by Hisham Matar and Question 7 by Richard Flanagan. Sara would love to find a graphic novel on any subject.
Genres:Contemporary Fiction · Crime · Graphic Novels · Historical Fiction · Horror +6 more
