Kate founded The Shaw Agency in 2019 after eighteen years as a literary agent at Aitken Alexander Associates and The Viney Agency.
During her career she has discovered New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling writers and represented Reese and other Bookclub picks that have won major awards. These books have sold millions of copies worldwide in dozens of languages and been adapted into major film and TV series. Kate aims to inspire her clients to be the finest writers they can be, support them across all aspects of their careers, negotiate the best deals worldwide, and discover and nurture new talent.
Submissions are made via the agency's Contact page, not by direct email. What to send: a cover letter of up to 300 words, the first 6 pages (about 3,000 words) of the novel and a synopsis of about 500 words. For non-fiction, send a detailed proposal, a chapter plan and one sample chapter. How to send it: fill in Name and Email on the Contact page. Under Subject, type the manuscript's title, genre and word length. Paste the submission into the Message block, checking that paragraphs and line spaces are present (type them in manually if they are missing). Other rules: there is no reading fee. Simultaneous submissions to other agents are fine. Do not include more material than requested. Do not send material about more than one book. Do not query or chase for a response, but do get back in touch via the Contact page if another agent has offered representation or asked to meet. It also helps to mention any past publication, writing prizes, mentoring by leading authors, or if the agency's name was given by a client or contact.
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
Rachel represents a broad range of work at CAA, from commercial to literary fiction, with some non-fiction, across adult, young adult and middle-grade markets. She spent ten years editing and commissioning fiction for young people at houses including Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, and was global publishing director at the Roald Dahl Story Company. She became an agent in 2018 and joined CAA in 2023.
Genres:Commercial Fiction · Contemporary Fiction · Literary Fiction · Middle Grade · Narrative Non-Fiction +1 more
Alice is a Literary Agent at Peters Fraser + Dunlop, working primarily on the children's list. After an MA in Publishing from UAL she spent five years as a scout at London Literary Scouting, specialising in children's, young adult and science fiction and fantasy across all ages and working with publishers and media companies around the world. She joined the agency in 2026 from Felicity Bryan Associates, where she was a literary agent. Alongside building her own list she sells foreign rights in the agency's children's and young adult titles across many territories.
Genres:Children's Books · Fantasy · Horror · Middle Grade · Mystery +5 more
John is a genre-fiction Literary Agent at Peters Fraser + Dunlop, specialising in fantasy, science fiction, horror, and commercial crime and thriller for adult and young adult readers. His authors have won the Future Worlds Prize and the Imagined Futures Prize and been shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize, the British Science Fiction Association and British Fantasy awards, the Shirley Jackson Awards and the Bram Stoker Awards, with titles on the Sunday Times and USA Today bestseller charts and work adapted for global cinema by Oscar-winning collaborators.
Genres:Crime · Fantasy · Horror · Science Fiction · Thriller +1 more
Silvia is head of the children's and young adult books department at PFD. She runs her own list of clients and sells foreign and audio rights in the agency's children's and young adult titles. The Bookseller named her its Rising Star in 2019.
Genres:Children's Books · Commercial Fiction · Contemporary Fiction · Fantasy · Horror +8 more
Hannah is a literary agent at LBA Books, representing commercial and book club fiction, and select non-fiction. She joined LBA in 2018. She previously worked for a literary scout and in translation rights. Hannah grew up in Luxembourg, giving her an international perspective on the publishing market.
Genres:Commercial Fiction · Contemporary Fiction · Fantasy · Historical Fiction · Historical Non-Fiction +10 more
