MARIAH STOVALL

A black woman in her twenties, with dark hair pulled back into a bun, wearing a black top and silver jewelry
Mariah Stovall joined Trellis Literary Management upon its founding in 2021, after previously working at Howland Literary and Writers House, and on the other side of the business at Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and Gallery Books. Across genres, she’s drawn to books that break new ground in content, style and point-of-view. Advocating for authors from underrepresented and marginalized and minoritized groups (including writers without MFAs) is central to her agenting philosophy. She has a hands-on, collaborative approach to editing, and loves helping writers shape their projects for publication.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

Actively seeking: socially conscious nonfiction rooted in research or journalism, and on the topics of sociology, cultural criticism, world history and geopolitics, and science and technology

Selectively seeking: literary and upmarket fiction that features any of the following: heady, difficult, and darkly funny outsiders; lyrical surrealism, magic, or horror grounded in reality; formally playful but accessible structures

Favorite topics and themes include: linguistics, food systems, media studies, the stories behind everyday objects and ideas, friendship, mental illness and neurodivergence, and Black stories that don't center racism or identity crises

Not seeking: memoir, prescriptive nonfiction, sci-fi/fantasy with extensive world building, children's/YA

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

Post-Traumatic by Chantal Johnson

Groupies by Sarah Priscus

The Nature Book by Tom Comitta

Specializes In

FICTION: Literary Fiction, Multi-Cultural

NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues, Multi-Cultural, Music, Pop Culture, Women's Concerns, Narrative, Sports, Science, Technology, Psychology, Politics, Nature/Ecology, Investigative Journalism, History, Current Affair

Considers

FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Horror, Historical Fiction, Family Saga