List of UK literary agencies


This is a list of the major UK literary agencies, by order of the year of their establishment, including selected notable clients.

Literary agencies

Year foundedAgencyManagementNotable clientsWebsiteNotes
1875A P WattCaradoc King, Derek Johns Philip Pullman
Oldest literary agency in the world. In December 2012 A P Watt joined the United Agents Partnership.
1898 WME Simon Trewin Formerly William Morris Endeavor. The largest talent agency in the world, having been created in 2009 by the merger of the William Morris Agency and the Endeavor Agency.
1899Curtis BrownJonathan Lloyd, Jonny Geller Bonnie Garmus,Bono, Monica Ali, John Le Carré, Daphne du Maurier
1919AM HeathBill Hamilton Hilary Mantel, George Orwell -
1924Peters Fraser & Dunlop Caroline Michel Simon Schama, Jeanette Winterson, C. S. Forester Part of the Rights House Group, which was established in 2010, PFD is the result of a 1989 merger between the A. D. Peters Agency and the Fraser and Dunlop Agency.
1932Eric Glass LtdFounded in 1932 by Eric Glass.
1935David Higham AssociatesAnthony Goff J. M. Coetzee, Roald Dahl, Stephen Fry, Eric Hobsbawm, Jacqueline Wilson, Rosemary SutcliffOriginally Pearn, Pollinger & Higham; David Higham Associates since 1956.
1956Johnson & AlcockMichael Alcock, Andrew HewsonCandace Allen, Beryl Bainbridge, Lawrence Scott, D. M. ThomasCreated in 2003 by the merger of Michael Alcock Management and the John Johnson Agency.
1961Roger Hancock LtdLucy Hancock Tony Hancock, Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie, Annie LeakeFounded in 1961 by Roger Hancock.
1962Sheil Land AssociatesSonia Land Peter Ackroyd, Melvyn Bragg, Susan Hill, Patrick O’Brian Based in London, UK. Incorporates Richard Scott Simon Ltd and Christy & Moore Ltd. Overseas associates: Georges Borchardt, Inc..
1963Greene & HeatonCarol HeatonMichael Frayn, Richard ReedFounded by Elaine Greene, who was later joined by Carol Heaton.
1967Rogers, Coleridge & WhiteGill Coleridge, Peter Straus David Aaronovitch, Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Nick Hornby, Kazuo Ishiguro, James Kelman, Ian McEwan, Caryl Phillips, Zadie Smith, Meera Syal, Donna TarttFounded as Deborah Rogers Ltd by Deborah Rogers who was soon joined by Pat White and in 1988 by Gill Coleridge when Rogers, Coleridge & White was formed. Representing adult fiction and non-fiction, and children's and YA.
1970Watson, Little LtdJames Wills Lynne Reid Banks, D. J. Enright, Margaret Mahy, James Wong, Evie WyldFounded by Sheila Watson and Mandy Little. Based in London, UK.
1973 Janklow & Nesbit Will Francis Alan Rusbridger, Rebecca StottLondon office opened in 2000.
1974Independent Talent GroupDuncan Heath, Sally Long-Innes,www.independenttalent.comFounded as Duncan Heath & Associates, which was bought by ICM in 1985. In 1991, ICM merged Duncan Heath & Associates with its UK office and, in 2002, a management buyout took place. The agency was renamed Independent Talent in August 2007.
1974MBADiana Tyler, Laura Longrigg Represents writers in all media, including books, and scripts for film, television, radio and theatre.
1976Ed Victor Literary AgencyEd Victor, Sophie Hicks, Margaret Phillips Acquired by Curtis Brown in 2017.
1976Aitken Alexander AssociatesGillon Aitken, Clare Alexander, Sally Riley Originally Gillon Aitken Associates, and operated for a time as Aitken & Stone.
1982Blake FriedmannCarole Blake, Julian Friedmann Created by the merger of Julian Friedmann Literary Agency and the Carole Blake Literary Agency, which were founded in 1976 and 1977 respectively.
1985Caroline Sheldon Literary AgencyCaroline SheldonJohn Agard, Patrice LawrenceRepresenting a roster of authors and illustrators, the agency's particular areas of interest are fiction and all types of children's books.
1986Artellus LimitedGabriele Pantucci, Leslie Gardner Anthony Burgess,Robert Aickman, Roger Lewis-
1988Andrew Lownie Literary AgencyAndrew Lownie
1988Darley AndersonDarley Anderson Lee Child, Martina Cole
1995David Godwin Associates David Godwin, Heather Godwin Sade Adeniran, Lucy Ellmann, Aminatta Forna, Ian Jack, Vikram Seth, Marina WarnerBased in London, DGA represent a varied list of international writers, including novelists, poets, biographers, historians and journalists.
1996Lucas Alexander Whitley Mark Lucas, Julian Alexander, Araminta Whitley, Philippa Milnes-Smith Frank Gardner, Sophie Kinsella, Andy McNab, Kate Mosse, Condé Nast, Philip Reeve, Chris Riddell, Nigel Slater, Alison Weirhttp://www.lawagency.co.uk/Based in London, UK, LAW was founded in 1996 by literary agents Mark Lucas, Julian Alexander, and Araminta Whitley. In 2001 Philippa Milnes-Smith joined the agency from Penguin Children's Books to create a children's and YA department.
1997Annette Green Authors' Agency Annette Green, David Smith,Adam Macqueen, Elizabeth Haynes, Maria McCann, Ian Marchant, Louis Barfe, Katherine Clementshttp://www.annettegreenagency.co.uk/AGA was founded in 1997 by Annette Green. In 2001 David Smith, previously of Time Out magazine, joined the agency from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer law firm.
1997BookBlast LtdGeorgia de Chamberet, Jemma Jupp, Ben FiagbeLesley Blanch, George Elton Mayo http://www.bookblast.comLondon-based agency set up by a commissioning editor specialising in translations, representing literature with a cross cultural focus and literary estates. Also promotes the output of independent publishers.
First website launched in 2000.
2000Conville & WalshClare Conville, Patrick Walsh, Jake Smith-Bosanquet, Alan Oliver DBC Pierre, S. J. Watson, Charlie Brooker, Belle de Jour, Vic Reeves, Francis Bacon
2002Jenny Brown AssociatesJenny BrownThe largest literary agency in Scotland.
2003Eve White Literary AgencyEve White, Ludo Cinelli Andy Stanton, Ruth Ware, Yvvette Edwards, Eloise Head, Abie Longstaff, Tracey Corderoy, Rae Earl Johnson, Sarah Ockwell-Smith, Luan Goldie.Independent literary agency founded in 2003 by Eve White and based in London, UK. Eve White Literary Agency represents authors of fiction, non-fiction and children's/YA fiction. Its authors' books have gone on to become bestsellers, win awards and be longlisted for the Booker Prize and Women's Prize for Fiction.
2005Graham Maw Christie Literary AgencyJennifer Christie, Jane Graham MawRaynor Winn,
,
A UK agency in London specialising in non-fiction, with a host of international bestsellers and Sunday Times Bestsellers across a wide range of subjects.
2007United AgentsPeter Bennett-Jones, Lindy King, St. John Donald In October 2013 Jon Elek of United Agents sold the North American rights for Tina Seskis's debut novel One Step Too Far to HarperCollins’s William Morrow imprint for $500,000.
2008Writers House UKAngharad Kowal In April 2008, Writers House opened Writers House UK, a London-based office run by Angharad Kowal, dedicated to selling and supporting US Authors directly in the United Kingdom, British Commonwealth, Australia, and New Zealand. The UK office closed in 2017.
2009The Bent AgencyJenny Bent, Molly Ker Hawnhttp://www.thebentagency.comBased in London and New York. representing adult fiction and non-fiction, and children's and YA with a commitment to building bestsellers.
2012Madeleine Milburn LtdMadeleine Milburn, Giles MilburnCJ Daugherty, Cally Taylor
Fiona Barton, Holly Bourne, Nuala Ellwood, Gail Honeyman, C.J. Tudor
Literary, TV & Film Agency based in Mayfair, London, founded by Madeleine Milburn in February 2012 Representing adult fiction and non-fiction, and children's and YA, with a reputation for launching new writers on a global level in major deals
2012Hardman & SwainsonCaroline Hardman & Joanna Swainson, Hannah Ferguson Based in London, UK, Hardman & Swainson was founded in June 2012 by Caroline Hardman and Joanna Swainson. In September 2014, Hannah Ferguson joined the agency from the Marsh Agency. Hardman & Swainson represents a range of fiction and non-fiction.
2012Elise Dillsworth Agency Elise DillsworthRobert Antoni, Roy Heath, Anthony Joseph, Irenosen Okojie, Yewande Omotoso, Courtney Pine, Noo Saro-WiwaBased in London, Elise Dillsworth Agency represents literary and general fiction and non-fiction, with an aim to reflect writing that is international.
2013Collective TalentSteven Russell Collective Talent represents screenwriters, directors, book and graphic novel rights.
2013Rocking Chair Books Literary AgencySamar Hammam Warsan Shire, Lakambini SitoyDedicated to original page-turning books.
2014Greyhound Literary AgentsCharlie Campbell, Sam EdenboroughSJ Bennett, Edward Brooke-Hitching, Rebecca Front, Maisie Hill, Will Hill, Julian Gough, Lias SaoudiFounded as Kingsford Campbell, the agency became Greyhound Literary Agents in 2022. Based in London and represents a range of fiction, non-fiction and children's books.
2014Skylark LiteraryAmber Caraveo, Joanna Moulthttp://www.skylark-literary.comSpecialist Children's and YA Literary Agency
2016Pew LiteraryPatrick Walsh Tom Holland, Andrea Wulfhttps://www.pewliterary.com/Founded by Patrick Walsh, previously of "Conville & Walsh" agency, which was sold to Curtis Brown and then renamed "C+W Agency".
2016Golden Quill UKJohn GroutVictoria Ewarthttps://goldenquilliterary.co.uk/Located in UK, US and Spain. Represented Fiction and Nonfiction books.
2016Blue Boar BooksChildren's, YA and Adult Fiction/Non-Fiction Literary Agents
2016Outlaw Agents UKSam Bellis, Tom EdwardsAdam Manuel, Danny Martinhttp://www.outlawagentsuk.comUK Screenwriting Agent specialising in Film, TV, Video Games and viral campaign industries.
2017Tin-Can Telephone Literary AgencyCassian Hallhttp://tctliteraryagency.comLiterary Agency based in Edinburgh, UK. Representing adult fiction, children's and YA. Breaking new ground by building a writers community around the agency.
2017The Ruppin AgencyJonathan Ruppinhttp://www.ruppinagency.comLondon-based literary agency set up by former bookseller, handling fiction and non-fiction for adult market; particularly keen to find voices from unrepresented communities.
2017The Good Literary AgencyJoy Francishttps://www.thegoodliteraryagency.orgOnly represents writers from a background under-represented in UK publishing, including writers of colour, working-class, disability, LGBTQ+.
2020Exprimez Literary AgencyMatthew SmithPhilip Norman, Jenny BoydRepresenting UK authors including film/television and translation rights.
2020Laxfield Literary AssociatesEmma ShercliffBrian Chikwava, Idza Luhumyo, Olumide Popoola, Tom ShakespeareRepresents authors in Norfolk and Suffolk, and writers from under-represented backgrounds, with a particular interest in working with authors based in Africa, the Middle East and Ukraine.
2020Riviera Artists AgencyJustin Jones, Gemma HarrisLondon - Miami - Monaco. Representing screenwriters, authors and motion picture/television talent.
2023Rebecca Carter LiteraryRebecca CarterFerdia Lennon, Timothy Coulson, Olivia Laing, Diana AthillRepresenting UK authors including film/television and translation rights.