Cara Lee Simpson

About

Cara is a literary agent at Susanna Lea Associates.

Cara represents literary, book club and general fiction, along with some narrative non-fiction. Cara grew up in Wales and studied English Literature at King's College London, then completed a Master's at the London School of Economics. Cara joined SLA's London office in 2024, having previously worked as an agent at PFD, where they launched the Queer Fiction Prize.

Genres

Looking for

• general fiction, immersive book club novels and literary fiction
• smart, clean prose or a lyrical voice
• books with an interesting form or structure
• character-driven fiction with unusual and absorbing protagonists
• career writers who they can work with to develop their craft over multiple novels
• fiction that is accessible to a wide readership while remaining beautifully written
• stories that explore gender, race, class, sexuality
• a profound look at relationship dynamics
• submissions that are ambitious in what they set out to do, whether that's defying genre, bringing a new perspective to stories we think we already know, or taking a deep dive into the mind of a particular character
• a traditional intergenerational family or friendship story (contemporary or historical), something sweeping in scope with a richly imagined setting, exploring an unusual event or unexpected setup
• books by writers still marginalised by mainstream publishing
• something speculative, taking an unusual scenario slightly removed from the everyday, through which regular human relationships play out in a heightened way
• something quirky
• memoirs and real-life stories, nature writing, and social commentaries told through an interesting lens and with a strong sense of personal journey
• something as playfully clever as Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood

Agency submission guidelines

The agency considers submissions of a cover letter, synopsis, and either the first three chapters or a detailed proposal. What to send: a concise and thoughtful cover letter, including contact details and any relevant information about the writer. A brief synopsis, outlining a simplified explanation of the plot. Either the first three chapters OR a detailed proposal of the manuscript. Exclusions: poetry, plays, screenplays, academic texts, and illustrated works are not considered. How to send: queries sent by post or fax are not considered. Submissions should be sent by email to the relevant regional office. French-language submissions go to the Paris office (paris@susannalea.com). Submissions from the UK, ANZ and other Commonwealth territories go to the London office (london@susannalea.com). Submissions from North America go to the New York office (ny@susannalea.com). A manuscript should not be submitted to more than one office. Response: due to the volume of submissions received, no response or editorial advice is provided on manuscripts not taken on.

Links

Other agents at Susanna Lea Associates

• Thérèse Coen

  Susanna Lea Associates

  Thérèse is a literary agent at Susanna Lea Associates, building her own list of authors while also selling translation rights. She was born and raised in Belgium and moved to England in her late teens, later studying History at University College London. She began her career in the rights department at Bloomsbury Publishing before moving to Ed Victor's agency. She has been building her own list of authors since early 2016.

  Genres:Children's Books · Crime · Fantasy · Historical (Non-Fiction) · Historical Fiction +6 more

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  Last checked 2 days ago