The 2021 A&E Conference will include literary agents from a notable list of reputable literary agencies.
Please note, the following agents and editors are now closed to consultation appointments: Stephanie Delman, Allison Hunter, Patricia Nelson. This list will be updated as consultation appointments are assigned and filled. (Updated 9/8/21)
Kirsten Aguilar joined Ladderbird Literary Agency after interning at Folio Literary Management. She is currently building her list in adult fiction and nonfiction, and is actively seeking literary fiction with a magical realist bent, narrative nonfiction, and braided memoir. She is dedicated to elevating stories that have been underrepresented in publishing and is looking for work that centers BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ experience. She is particularly drawn to atmospheric writing with a strong sense of place, work that grapples with climate change, and sneakily propulsive plots. Kirsten is based in Chicago and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Notre Dame where she taught creative writing to undergraduate students. She loves to work collaboratively with authors while always honoring their vision for their work. You can find her on Twitter @LitAgentAguilar.
Kirsten is actively seeking:
Adult Fiction: High Concept Commercial, Literary, Women’s
Adult Nonfiction: Narrative, Memoir, Pop Culture, Essays
Noah Ballard is a literary agent at Verve Talent & Literary Agency. After graduating from the University of Nebraska—Lincoln, he began his career at Emma Sweeney Agency before moving to Curtis Brown, Ltd. to build his own list of fiction and non-fiction for adults and children. Noah joined Verve in 2021, where he specializes in platform-driven non-fiction, memoir, and journalism, as well as literary fiction, thrillers and crime fiction and YA, middle-grade fiction, and picture books. A New Jersey native, Noah lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Maggie Cooper is an agent with Aevitas Creative Management, representing adult fiction and select nonfiction projects. Based in Boston, Maggie joined Aevitas in 2018. She holds a degree in English from Yale University, attended the Clarion Writers Workshop, and earned her MFA in fiction from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she served as an editor for The Greensboro Review. Prior to becoming an agent, she worked in the world of independent and university presses, as a bookseller, and as a teacher to students ages 10 through 85. Maggie is actively seeking imaginative, genre-bending literary fiction; capacious historical novels; beautifully told queer stories; and smart, feminist romance. Her other loves include epistolary novels, well-earned happy endings, and narratives that disrupt cisness, whiteness, and the heteropatriarchy.
Maggie is actively seeking:
Adult Fiction: Literary, Women’s, Romance, Short Fiction, Graphic Novels
Adult Nonfiction: Pop Culture, Essays, Graphic Memoir
To learn more, read our interview with Maggie here.
Stephanie Delman joined Sanford J. Greenburger Associates in early 2012, and has since developed her list with a focus on adult fiction: literary/upmarket, psychologically propulsive suspense, near-historical and non-Eurocentric historical fiction, light horror, and novels that play with genre and dip a toe into the speculative, magical, and/or surreal. Some of Stephanie’s buzzwords in fiction: hauntings, migrations, intergenerational trauma, inheritance, hunger, devotion, curses, competition, cultural commentary, wit, and whimsy. Stephanie also represents a limited selection of narrative nonfiction projects by authors with established platforms and diverse perspectives. In both fiction and nonfiction, Stephanie favors authenticity, underrepresented voices, and feminist narratives. A graduate of Johns Hopkins’ Writing Seminars program, Stephanie considers herself a “hands-on” agent and is eager to work with debut authors who are serious about their craft. Her clients include NYT bestseller Zakiya Dalila Harris (THE OTHER BLACK GIRL), Barnes & Noble Discover author Julia Fine (WHAT SHOULD BE WILD and THE UPSTAIRS HOUSE), national bestseller Serena Burdick (THE GIRLS WITH NO NAMES), NEA fellows Jami Nakamura Lin (THE NIGHT PARADE) and Theodore Wheeler (KINGS OF BROKEN THINGS), as well as Jenny Tinghui Zhang, Amy Feltman, Monet P. Thomas, Alison Wisdom, Katie M. Flynn, and many more.
Stephanie will be available for virtual consultations only during the conference weekend and will not be in attendance at the in-person event.
Stephanie is actively seeking:
Adult Fiction: High Concept Commercial, Literary, Historical Fiction
To learn more, read our interview with Stephanie here.
Ronald Gerber is a literary agent and manages foreign rights, permissions, and contracts at Lowenstein Associates. Before joining the Lowenstein team in 2019, he spent several years in literary scouting at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates and Maximum Films & Management and supported two agents at Writers House. Ronald is a proud graduate of Bard College at Simon’s Rock and received his B.A., summa cum laude with high honors, from Clark University. Ronald’s clients have books forthcoming with Simon & Schuster, St. Martin’s Press, and more. His focus is on cinematic stories with strong hooks and relatable characters, and he is always looking for projects from queer, BIPOC, and other underrepresented authors. He is actively building his list in thriller/mystery, historical and contemporary fiction, romance, grounded sci-fi, narrative nonfiction, memoir/biography, and middle grade. For more information, see Ronald’s manuscript wish list at https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/ronald-gerber/. Follow him on Twitter @RGerberAgent.
Ronald is actively seeking:
Adult Fiction: High Concept Commercial, Women’s, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense, Romance, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Adult Nonfiction: Narrative, Current Events, Pop Culture, History, Biography, Memoir
Children’s: MG Fiction (General)
To learn more, read our interview with Ronald here.
Alia Hanna Habib is a literary agent at the Gernert Company. She began her publishing career as a publicist at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and her in-house publicity experience informs her close working relationships with her clients. She represents narrative nonfiction, memoir and literary fiction, including Nikole Hannah-Jones and the New York Times’ 1619 Project’s forthcoming book series; Clint Smith’s How the Word is Passed; and Lauren Oyler’s Fake Accounts. Her authors have been awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the LA Times Book Prize, among others, and have been nominated for the Edgar Awards, PEN Awards and National Book Award.
Alia is actively seeking:
Adult Fiction: Literary, Short Fiction, Poetry
Adult Nonfiction: Narrative, Current Events, History, Biography, Memoir, Pop Culture, Essays
Haley Heidemann is a literary agent at William Morris Endeavor, representing adult fiction, narrative nonfiction, and pop culture. In the fiction space, she is looking for upmarket commercial and literary fiction with a strong voice. She is drawn to novels with complex female characters, dark female friendships and relationships, and a fun family saga. For non-fiction, she’s looking for voice-driven narratives, pop culture, sex and dating, essay collections, thought leaders, and lifestyle. In both, she is looking for books that move her and say something subversive about our culture.
Haley is actively seeking:
Adult Fiction: High Concept Commercial, Literary, Women’s, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Adult Nonfiction: Narrative, Memoir, Pop Culture, Essays, Lifestyle, Self-Help
To learn more, read our interview with Haley here.
Allison Hunter began her publishing career in 2005 working for the Los Angeles-based literary publicity firm Kim-from-L.A, and was an agent at InkWell Management and the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency before joining Janklow & Nesbit. She is actively acquiring literary and commercial fiction, especially book club and women’s fiction, as well as memoir, narrative nonfiction, cultural studies and pop culture. She is always looking for great love stories, campus novels, family epics, smart beach reads and for non-fiction projects that speak to the current cultural climate. Allison has a B.A. in American Studies and Creative Writing from Stanford University and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, she currently splits her time between Austin, TX and Hyde Park, NY.
Allison is actively seeking:
Adult Fiction: High Concept Commercial, Literary, Women’s, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense, Romance, Historical Fiction
Adult Nonfiction: Narrative, Current Events, History, Memoir, Pop Culture, Essays, Lifestyle, Family/Parenting, Self-Help
To learn more, read our interview with Allison here.
Renée Jarvis is an agent at Triangle House Literary. Born and raised in New York City, she graduated from Brooklyn College with a BFA in Creative Writing. She previously worked as an assistant and agent at MacKenzie Wolf Literary and spent two years as a writing teacher at the non-profit organization Legal Outreach.
Renée is seeking narrative nonfiction, adult speculative, upmarket, and literary fiction, and children’s books. She is looking for works that center POC and LGBTQIA+ voices and is particularly drawn to the work of Black writers across the African diaspora. In nonfiction, she is interested in pop culture analysis, cultural histories, linguistics, food writing, international stories, and explorations of music, fashion, and art. In fiction, she loves robust plots, bold characters with a sense of humor, unique formats, stories that explore friendship and family, and lyrical prose.
Renée is actively seeking:
Adult Fiction: High Concept Commercial, Literary, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Short Fiction, Graphic Novels
Adult Nonfiction: Narrative, Current Events, History, Memoir, Pop Culture
Children’s: YA Fiction (General, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Graphic Novels), MG Fiction (General, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Graphic Novels), Picture Books
Kat Kerr joined Donald Maass Literary Agency in 2019. She graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelors in English in 2009 and is drawn to literary and commercial voices within the adult and YA markets, as well as adult nonfiction. Kat is passionate about creating space in this industry for those from historically marginalized communities. She is actively seeking to grow her client list and is particularly hungry for magical realism, literary leaning speculative and science fiction, women’s fiction, YA works with a lot of heart, and narrative nonfiction with something to say.
Kat is actively seeking:
Adult Fiction: High Concept Commercial, Literary, Women’s, Romance, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Adult Nonfiction: Narrative, Current Events, Biography, Memoir, Family/Parenting, Self-Help
Children’s: YA Fiction (General, Science Fiction/Fantasy)
To learn more, read our interview with Kat here.
Patricia Nelson has been a literary agent with Marsal Lyon Literary Agency since 2014, representing all genres of young adult and middle grade fiction, as well as women’s fiction and romance. Her clients include bestselling and award-winning authors, and recent sales include books placed with Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster, among others. Patricia holds master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Southern California and has previously taught literature and writing at the college level.
Patricia is actively seeking:
Adult Fiction: High Concept Commercial, Women’s, Romance, Historical Fiction
Children’s: YA Fiction (General, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction/Fantasy), MG Fiction (General, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction/Fantasy)
To learn more, read our interview with Patricia here.
Liz Parker heads up the publishing department at Verve Talent & Literary, an agency based in Los Angeles, CA. She represents upmarket and literary fiction, horror, select YA, as well as memoir, sociopolitical, narrative and platform-driven nonfiction. Liz began her career in editorial, serving as an editorial assistant at Viking/Penguin, and ultimately as the publishing director at Counterpoint and Soft Skull Press. She was a scout with Maria B. Campbell Associates, and spent three years with InkWell Management before joining Verve Talent & Literary in April 2018. She’s an avid reader of the beach read, of novels that make her think, and of any unheard voices demanding to be heard. Liz is also the author of ALL ARE WELCOME (Lake Union Press, August 2021).
Liz is actively seeking:
Adult Fiction: High Concept Commercial, Literary, Women’s, Horror
Adult Nonfiction: Narrative, Memoir, Pop Culture
To learn more, read our interview with Liz here.
A Texas native, Leah Pierre moved to the East Coast to pursue her dream of working in publishing. She graduated from Rosemont College in 2019 with her Bachelor’s in English and History. Not long after, she joined the Ladderbird Literary Agency as a Junior Agent in October of the same year. Leah gained her experience through interning for an online literary arts journal, through various mentorships with industry professionals, and through years of research on the industry’s methods, trends, and issues. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Publishing at her alma mater and is expected to graduate in 2022. Leah spends her time enjoying the company of fictional characters more than people. When not in the company of fictional characters, Leah hangs out with friends and family, cooks, and catches up on movies and tv shows she is always behind on.
Leah is actively seeking:
Adult Fiction: High Concept Commercial, Women’s, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Children’s: YA Fiction (General, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense, Science Fiction/Fantasy)
To learn more, read our interview with Leah here.
John Rudolph joined Dystel Goderich & Bourret in 2010 after twelve years as an acquiring children’s book editor. He began his career at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers as an Editorial Assistant and then moved to the G. P. Putnam’s Sons imprint of the Penguin Young Readers Group, where he eventually served as Executive Editor on a wide range of young adult, middle-grade, nonfiction, and picture book titles. He graduated from Amherst College with a double major in Classics and Music. While John’s list started out as mostly children’s books, it has evolved to the point where it is now half adult, half children’s authors —and he’s looking to maintain that balance. On the children’s side, John is keenly interested in middle-grade and young adult fiction and would love to find the next great picture book author/illustrator. For adults, he is actively looking for narrative nonfiction, especially in music, sports, history, popular science, “big think”, performing arts, health, business, memoir, military history, and humor. He is also interested in commercial fiction, but is very selective in what he takes on.
John will be available for virtual consultations only during the conference weekend and will not be in attendance at the in-person event.
Mariah Stovall joined Howland Literary after working at Writers House, at Farrar, Straus & Giroux and at Gallery Books. She is actively seeking voice-driven, upmarket and literary fiction from the margins, and narrative and reported nonfiction, memoir and essay collections. She loves innovative yet accessible writing and intersectional and interdisciplinary perspectives, particularly on Blackness, mental illness, friendship, pop culture, linguistics, untold histories, biology, neuroscience and food systems. She’s written for The Paris Review, Poets & Writers, Literary Hub, Joyland and Hobart, and is working on her first novel, so she knows firsthand how difficult the querying process can be. She studied literature and linguistics at Pitzer College and is originally from New Jersey.
Mariah will be available for virtual consultations only during the conference weekend and will not be in attendance at the in-person event.
Mariah is actively seeking:
Adult Fiction: High Concept Commercial, Literary, Women’s, Short Fiction
Adult Nonfiction: Narrative, Current Events, History, Memoir, Pop Culture, Essays
Martha Wydysh is a graduate of Cornell University and the Columbia Publishing Course. Martha’s first job in agenting was as a literary assistant in subsidiary rights at ICM Partners, helping to sell audiobook and serial rights for all clients at the agency. She came to Trident in 2016 to work as Magazine Rights Associate and Executive Assistant to Ellen Levine, and began building her list in 2019. In addition to working closely with her clients on their book projects, she loves placing their short stories, book excerpts, articles, and essays with magazines and literary journals. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Martha is actively seeking:
Adult Fiction: Literary, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense, Short Fiction
Adult Nonfiction: Narrative, Memoir, Pop Culture, Essays
To learn more, read our interview with Martha here.
Ayla Zuraw-Friedland joined the David Black Agency in 2019. Previously, she worked as an editorial assistant and assistant editor at Beacon Press in Boston, and as a development editor for encyclopedias at Oxford University Press. She received her BA in English and Creative Writing from Connecticut College in 2015, and her writing can be found in GAY the Magazine and Publishers Weekly. She is interested in literary fiction and nonfiction that inspects queer experiences and narratives, and would love to see pitches from BIPOC and disabled writers from a diversity of backgrounds. A few of her favorite contemporary writers are Carmen Maria Machado, Kristen Arnett, Hanif Abdurraqib, Helen Oyeyemi, Daniel M. Lavery, Raven Leilani, Candice Carty-Williams, Kacen Callendar, Alexander Chee, Akwaeke Emezi, and Samantha Irby. Her current clients include Jamie Hood (HOW TO BE A GOOD GIRL, Grieveland 2020), Haley Jakobsen, Ross Showalter, Aimee Keeble, Margaret Lee, Sarah Hartshorne, and others.
Ayla is actively seeking:
Adult Fiction: Literary, Historical Fiction, Short Fiction, Poetry
Adult Nonfiction: Narrative, History, Biography, Memoir, Pop Culture, Essays
To learn more, read our interview with Ayla here.
