2024

Kelsey Day

KELSEY DAY

Non-binary person in their 20's, with long hair and one side shaved

 

 

Kelsey Day is an associate literary agent at Aragi Inc. Assisting Nicole Aragi, they cut their teeth working with bestselling phenomena such as Colson Whitehead, Tommy Orange, and Min Jin Lee. Within less than a year of assisting, Kelsey sold their first book, and began building their own list. Now an associate agent, Kelsey continues to work closely with Nicole with a focus on environmental works across multiple genres.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

Jack Forbes wrote in Columbus and Other Cannibals: “I can lose my hands, and still live. I can lose my legs and still live. I can lose my eyes and still live… But if I lose the air I die. If I lose the sun I die. If I lose the earth I die. If I lose the water I die. If I lose the plants and animals I die. All of these things are more a part of me, more essential to my every breath, than is my so-called body.”

In that vein, I am starving for stories about our relationship with land. Literary, speculative, horror, eco thrillers, and cli-fi are especially welcome. Think books like Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation, Tanya Tagaq’s Split Tooth, and Han Kang’s The Vegetarian. Grounded, but weird—and weird in the way that it reveals something deep and unsettling within us.

SAMPLE AUTHORS OR TITLES

Maria Zoccola - HELEN OF TROY, 1993.
David Naimon - CONVERSATIONS ON WRITING, with Ursula le Guin
Jay Martel - CODEBREAKER

Specializes In

FICTION: LGBTQIA+, Literary Fiction, Young Adult

NONFICTION: 

Considers

FICTION: Children's, Horror, Humor/Satire, Middle Grade, Romance, Thrillers/Suspense

NONFICTION:

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Agent

Sarah Khalil

SARAH KHALIL

A brunette woman in her 20s wearing round-frame glasses.

 

 

Sarah Khalil is seeking serious narrative nonfiction with a lens toward social, economic, and environmental justice; anti-imperialist thought; pop/cultural criticism and histories; cross-cultural narratives; and writing from Caribbean, MENA, Muslim and LGBTQIA+ creators; all deeply explored by experts—academics, journalists, and those with lived experience. Big ideas, radical thought, and propulsive writing are the cornerstones of her taste. She is also seeking select fiction in the same space. She holds an MA in Publishing & Writing from Emerson College and a BA in English Literature with a minor in History from the American University of Beirut.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

I am looking for complete or nearly complete fiction manuscripts or memoirs. I am looking for upmarket fiction, LGBTQ+ romance, stories otherwise told from marginalized perspectives.

SAMPLE AUTHORS OR TITLES

BY HANDS NOW KNOWN, by Margaret Burnham
POVERTY, BY AMERICA, by Matthew Desmond
TYRANNY OF THE MINORITY, by Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt

Specializes In

FICTION: 

NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues, Current Affairs, History, Investigative Journalism, LGBTQIA+, Memoir, Multicultural/Global Perspectives, Narrative, Politics, Pop Culture

Considers

FICTION: 

NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues, Current Affairs, Food & Lifestyle, Health & Fitness, History, Investigative Journalism, LGBTQIA+, Medical, Memoir, Multicultural/Global Perspectives, Music, Narrative, Nature/Ecology, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychology, Technology

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Agent

Natalie Edwards

NATALIE EDWARDS

A white woman in her late 20s with curly brown hair wearing a teal jumpsuit.

Natalie Edwards joined Trellis Literary in November 2021. Prior to that, she was at Janklow & Nesbit and Curtis Brown, Ltd. In terms of fiction, she is looking for commercial, upmarket, and literary titles: stories of queerness and diaspora, speculative novels infused with folklore and magical realism, hidden histories, workplace satires/sendups of #girlbosses, and anything that offers biting social commentary. In the nonfiction space, she is seeking hybrid memoirs that combine personal stories with research/reportage; narrative nonfiction; and cultural histories about music, film, art, and sports.

Natalie is NOT looking for high fantasy or sci-fi, erotica, gratuitously violent horror, commercial romance (unless it’s queer), commercial thrillers/procedurals, cozy mysteries, prescriptive/how-tos, celebrity memoir, cookbooks, business/finance, religion/spirituality, coffee table/photography/design books, or children’s books for any level (picture books, MG, YA, New Adult).

Natalie holds a BA in English from Bowdoin College, where she played four years of varsity softball. She lives in Brooklyn and still plays softball here in the city.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

In fiction, I'm looking for the right queer historical manuscript, as well as upmarket and literary that deal with contemporary issues, particularly by authors from marginalized backgrounds. In nonfiction, I have a fair number of memoirs right now, so I'd love to find some narrative nonfiction where the writer is a little less present on the page.

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

ABOVE THE WATERLINE, by Aram Mrjoian
MORE PLEASE: ON FOOD, FAT, BINGEING, LONGING, AND THE LUST FOR ENOUGH, by Emma Specter (forthcoming)
WOMEN! IN! PERIL!, by Jessie Ren Marshall

Specializes In

FICTION: Family Saga, LGBTQIA+, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Multi-Cultural/Global Fiction, Short Story Collections

NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues, Current Affairs, LGBTQIA+, History, Investigative Journalism, Memoir, Multicultural/Global Perspectives, Narrative, Politics, Pop Culture

Considers

FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Horror, Humor/Satire, Mystery, Romance, Thrillers/Suspense

NONFICTION: Music, Nature/Ecology, Psychology, Religion, Science, Technology

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Agent

Barbara Jones

BARBARA JONES

A white woman in her fifties with blue-green eyes, reddish-brown hair, chin-length hair and bangs.

Barbara Jones is a literary agent with Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency, a leading, independent New York literary agency representing a distinguished list of bestselling and award-winning authors. Jones represents writers of fiction and nonfiction, from highly literary works to more commercial fare, with an emphasis across all forms on voices from previously underrepresented communities and on durable talents and stories.

Previously, she spent several decades as an editor, first in magazines (HARPER’s, VOGUE, REAL SIMPLE) and then in books (as editorial director at Hyperion Books and as an executive editor at Henry Holt). Barbara edited celebrated novels such as TRUST EXERCISE by Susan Choi, which won the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction, and Paul Auster’s Booker-Prize shortlisted novel 4 3 2 1. She published NEW YORK TIMES bestsellers such as Julie Lythcott-Haims’s HOW TO RAISE AN ADULT and Luvvie Ajayi’s I'M JUDGING YOU. Other notable titles include ARCADIA and DELICATE EDIBLE BIRDS, by Lauren Groff, GOODBYE, VITAMIN by Rachel Khong, MY LIFE by Coretta Scott King, MY MONTICELLO by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, NUMBER ONE CHINESE RESTAURANT by Lillian Li, and books by Janice Hadlow, Sebastian Faulks, Jacqueline Novogratz, Christa Parravani and Carl Safina. She has also led writing workshops for 30 years, at Yale University, New York University, Queens University of Charlotte, and elsewhere.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

High quality debut novels and works of narrative nonfiction by writers with several books in them.

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

CONFIDENCE and BUGSY & OTHER STORIES, by Rafael Frumkin

THE SWANS OF HARLEM: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History, by Karen Valby

HOW TO GET ALONG WITHOUT ME, Stories by Kate Axelrod

I WILL DO BETTER: A Grieving Father and his Plucky Little Girl, a memoir by Charles Bock

Other clients include the fiction writers Mohammed Naseehu Ali, Elizabeth Ferris, Russell Hogg, Danielle Lazarin, Isaac Olivers, and the MacArthur Genius Award winner Byllye Avery.

Specializes In

FICTION: Literary Fiction, Commercial Fiction

NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues, Investigative Journalism, Memoir, Nature/Ecology, Narrative, Women's Concerns

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Agent

Foyinsi Adegbonmire

FOYINSI ADEGBONMIRE

A smiling brownskin Black woman in her late 20s wearing a blue blouse and white pants

Foyinsi Adegbonmire is an Editor at Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. She acquires Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction, from contemporary to mystery to grounded science-fiction, and enjoys lighthearted stories with conversational narrative voices. She was named a 2021 PW Star Watch Honoree and her acquisitions include New York Times-bestseller Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. When not reading or thinking about her very large TBR pile, she can be found watching Black sitcoms from the 90s/early-2000s or being sucked into Twitter (@Foyinsi_Pub).

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

I'm currently REALLY looking for YA fantasy (contemporary or secondary world) that is NOT dark fantasy so the general tone is lighter, even if touching on heavy themes; big fan of worldbuilding and concrete magic systems. I'm also open to touching and lighthearted MG contemporary or stories about kids starting high school.

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

Dear Wendy, by Ann Zhao
Adventures on Trains, series by M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman
Four Eids and a Funeral, by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jaigirdar

Specializes In

FICTION: Children's, Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Middle Grade, Mystery, Romance, Thrillers/Suspense, Young Adult

Posted by GrubStreet in Editor

Rebecca Podos

REBECCA PODOS

A person in their 30's with long brown and blue hair.

Senior Agent Rebecca Podos (she/they) has been with the Rees Literary Agency since 2011. She specializes in Young Adult fiction and Adult genre fiction. A graduate of the MFA Writing, Literature and Publishing program at Emerson College, her own Young Adult fiction is published by Balzer+Bray, Running Press Kids, and Page Street. A complete list of her authors’ published and upcoming projects can be found on her website, rebeccapodos.com

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

Across the board, I’m seeking Adult and Young Adult Fiction by marginalized and underrepresented creators, from frothy books full of well-deserved joy, to epic romances across the galaxies, to rich contemporary stories, to monster-fighting and monstrous MC’s.

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

DELILAH GREEN DOESN'T CARE, by Ashley Herring Blake

THE BONE WITCH, by Rin Chupeco

TIL DEATH DO US BARD by Rose Black

Specializes In

FICTION: Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Horror, Young Adult, Romance, Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Multi-Cultural/Global Fiction

Considers

FICTION: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Multi-Cultural/Global Fiction, Horror, Historical Fiction, LGBTQIA+, Fantasy, Family Saga, Commercial Fiction

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Agent

Ann Rose

ANN ROSE

Blonde woman with shoulder length hair and sweeping fringe wearing a dark suit jacket and a hot pink shirt.

Ann Rose—Literary agent, wrangler of words, drinker of way too much coffee, and someone who’s always looking for the bright side. If the quote, “Though she be but little, she is fierce!” were a person, it would be Ann. She can be found at The Tobias Literary Agency.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

YA of all genres
MG of all genres, especially ones that push the boundaries of middle grade
Swoony romances
Rom-coms
Romantacy
Joyful stories
Light sci-fi or fantasy (emphasis on the light)
Commercial fiction
Heartwarming or heart wrenching contemporaries (even better if it’s both)
Graphic Novels (Author/Illustrators only at this time)
LGBTQIA+
Stories from underrepresented voices
I'm always looking for unique voices, diverse perspectives, vivid settings, and stories that explore tough topics. Give me your dark and edgy stories with unlikable characters.

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

Seton Girls by Charlene Thomas
The Curious League of Detectives and Thieves: Egypt's Fire by Tom Phillips
This Girl's a Killer by Emma C. Wells

Specializes In

FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Romance, Thrillers/Suspense, LGBTQIA+, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction

NONFICTION: 

Considers

FICTION: Crime, Literary Fiction, Family Saga, Mystery

NONFICTION: 

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Agent

Abby Muller

ABBY MULLER

A white woman in her late 20s with short brown hair and round tortoiseshell glasses wearing a floral black-and-white button-up.

Abby Muller is an editor at Abrams, where she acquires fiction for The Overlook Press and nonfiction for Abrams Press. Prior to joining Abrams in 2022, she spent six years at Algonquin Books. She is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and received her B.A. in anthropology from Brown University. Outside of publishing, she enjoys TTRPGs, marching bands, embroidery, and dabbling in an inadvisable number of crafts.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

In fiction, I look for literary and upmarket writing with deeply written characters and compelling emotional stakes. I love interesting, unusual premises and have a fondness for fiction that plays with the boundaries between literary and genre writing. I have a particular affinity for LGBTQ+ fiction and would like to see more works from disabled and neurodivergent writers, writers of color, and members of other underrepresented groups.

In nonfiction, my interests are broad, but are centered around smart, well-researched, accessible books that examine some aspect of how humans interact with each other or the world. For instance, I love cultural histories, subcultural deep dives, interdisciplinary approaches to STEM topics, journalistic exposés, and memoirs with a researched or reported element.

Across fiction and nonfiction, I appreciate a distinctive voice, a sense of humor, a drive towards introspection, and an attitude of empathy (on the part of the author, if not necessarily a novel’s characters).

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

Off the Edge, Kelly Weill

Idlewild, by James Frankie Thomas

Naked, by Fancy Feast

Specializes In

FICTION: LGBTQIA+, Literary Fiction, Multi-Cultural/Global Fiction, Family Saga

NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues, Investigative Journalism, LGBTQIA+, History, Science, Memoir, Narrative, Psychology, Pop Culture

Considers

FICTION: Crime, Family Saga, LGBTQIA+, Historical Fiction, Horror, Humor/Satire, Literary Fiction, Multi-Cultural/Global Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers/Suspense, Fantasy, Science Fiction

NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues, Investigative Journalism, LGBTQIA+, Current Affairs, Food & Lifestyle, History, Humor, Medical, Memoir, Multicultural/Global Perspectives, Narrative, Nature/Ecology, Parenting, Politics, Pop Culture, Psychology, Religion, Science, Technology, Travel

Posted by GrubStreet in Editor

Sacha Idell

SACHA IDELL

A man in his thirties wearing a hat in greyscale.

Sacha Idell is coeditor and prose editor of The Southern Review. His original stories appear in Ploughshares, Narrative, Gulf Coast, and elsewhere. His translations include stories by the Japanese writers Kyūsaku Yumeno and Toshirō Sasaki. Work he has acquired and edited has been featured in Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize Anthology, and Best American Mystery and Suspense, among others. After a number of years in Japan, he now lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

Interesting, original, and challenging fiction and nonfiction.

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

Fiction by Mariana Enríquez, Karin Lin-Greenberg, Yxta Maya Murray, and Kevin Wilson have been recent successes in our pages.

The Southern Review publishes an eclectic range of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, with a particular interest in the long poem and the long short story. Work in translation, as well as a feature on visual art, is featured in each issue.

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Magazine Editor

Sharon Pelletier

SHARON PELLETIER

a woman in her late 30s with long brown hair and glasses, standing in front of a bookshelf.

Sharon Pelletier joined Dystel, Goderich & Bourret in 2013 after working in editorial at small presses and as a B&N bookseller, and was named senior agent in 2021. Sharon’s list includes upmarket fiction of all sorts, from smart, complex women’s fiction; to unexpected suspense fiction and romance; to hearty, unforgettable book club fiction. She also occasionally takes on compelling, fierce narrative nonfiction by journalists, experts, or emerging voices with a promising platform. Visit her profile on MSWL for more info.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR

Sharon is especially seeking upmarket fiction, including unexpected suspense fiction; smart, complex women’s fiction; and hearty, unforgettable book club fiction. On the nonfiction side Sharon is eager for compelling, fierce narrative nonfiction by journalists and experts and emerging voices with a growing platform who can speak to pop culture, feminism, crime, social justice, and/or religion.

SAMPLE TITLES OR AUTHORS

Migrations, Charlotte McConaghy
The Fastest Way to Fall, Denise Williams
The Family Plot, Megan Collins

Specializes In

FICTION: Commercial Fiction, Crime, Family Saga, LGBTQIA+, Literary Fiction, Multi-Cultural/Global Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Thrillers/Suspense

NONFICTION: Cultural/Social Issues, Investigative Journalism, Current Affairs, Multicultural/Global Perspectives, Narrative, Music, Pop Culture, Religion, Women's concerns, True Crime, LGBTQIA+

FICTION: Historical Fiction, Horror, Humor/Satire, Short Story Collections, Science Fiction

NONFICTION: Adventure/True Story, Dating/Relationships, Gift Books, Food & Lifestyle, History, Humor, Medical, Memoir, Nature/Ecology, Parenting, Psychology, Science, Self Help, Sports, Technology, Travel

Posted by GrubStreet in Literary Agent