alterean.

Kat Aitken

Lexington Literary Ltd

Submission status
Open
Submission route
Email
Response time
Not stated
Last checked
2 days ago

About

Kat worked as a bookseller, in the rights department of Robert Laffont in Paris, and then for nine years at United Agents before co-founding Lexington Literary in 2024.

Kat represents writers of literary fiction, thought-provoking non-fiction and some poetry, always seeking fresh perspectives and bold voices. Kat is hungry for emotionally intelligent storytelling, taut prose and anything subversive and astute.

Genres

Literary FictionOther Non-Fiction

Looking for

  • anything extraordinary and precise, in the vein of Anita Brookner, Jenny Offill and Gwendoline Riley
  • work that pulls apart the strands of the everyday and weaves them into powerful, elegant prose like Claire Keegan's So Late In the Day and the short stories of Tessa Hadley
  • literary fiction which plays with genre
  • political and erotic thrillers such as Eleanor Catton's Birnam Wood and In the Cut by Susannah Moore
  • writing that is always astute in its characterisation and world view, as well as propulsive and perfectly paced
  • shades of the surreal and grotesque
  • work that isn't afraid to expose our worst instincts, as masterfully displayed in Fernanda Melchor's Hurricane Season and Dinah Brooke's Lord Jim at Home
  • narratives of obsession and infatuation, I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel, Vladimir by Julia May Jonas and the work of Annie Ernaux
  • work on longing and belonging in the style of Brandon Taylor's Real Life
  • anything playful, lively and innovative
  • novels which assess humanity at an angle, with a sharp gaze
  • novels which make them laugh
  • a novel which appraises the world with shrewdness, clarity and humour
  • work that pokes fun at the banalities of society like Barbara Trapido and Laurie Colwyn
  • a Lorrie Moore eye for the absurdities of life
  • writing that is as witty and biting as Elif Batuman's
  • stylish writing, fresh perspectives and anything that makes you think about the impossible task of being alive, from Philippa Snow to Gillian Rose
  • proposals on all aspects of history, science and politics
  • conversation starting cultural commentary
  • work as clarifying and intelligent as White Girls by Hilton Als
  • thought-provoking work from experts in their field, academics, journalists and critics looking to write for a trade audience
  • work which is experimental and genre-defying, of which Christina Sharpe's Ordinary Notes is a particular favourite
  • work which is surprising and investigative in the spirit of Patrick Radden Keefe, Janet Malcolm and Helen Garner
  • writing on psychoanalysis and therapy, Nuar Alsadir's Animal Joy being one of their favourite books of recent years
  • anything beautifully written and convincingly rendered

Agency submission guidelines

Submissions go by email, directly to the agent who best suits your work; each agent's page sets out what they represent. Kat Aitken (kat@lexingtonliterary.co.uk): a brief cover letter with a biographical note, and either the first three chapters for fiction or a proposal for non-fiction. Seren Adams (seren@lexingtonliterary.co.uk): a sample and a description of the project, with a brief biographical note. Sophie Scard (sophie@lexingtonliterary.co.uk): a short descriptive email with a biographical note and a sample of your text.

Links

Clients include

  • Anu Ambasna
  • Ariane Bankes
  • David Bather Woods
  • Laura Bannister
  • Augustine Cerf
  • Rosie Chen
  • Elsa Court
  • Samuel Earle
  • Chloe Evans
  • Lydia Figes
  • Charlie Fox
  • Ella Fox-Martens
  • Suyin Haynes
  • Eloise Hendy
  • William Rayfet Hunter

Other agents at Lexington Literary Ltd