If you’re looking for a list of UK literary agents accepting unsolicited manuscripts, below is a compilation of agents especially for you.
1. Madeleine Milburn
Madeleine Milburn is a successful literary agent and the founder of the Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency, a London-based agency established in 2012. She represents authors from the UK, Canada, the US, and beyond. Her client list includes New York Times and Sunday Times bestsellers, such as Gail Honeyman, C.L. Taylor, and Fiona Barton. She is currently accepting submissions in the following areas: domestic suspense, thriller, mystery, crime fiction, family drama, edgy comedy, and literary fiction.
If you are interested in working with Madeleine Milburn, you can send her a query via email. In your email, include a synopsis and the first three chapters of your book. For more information, you can check out her submission guidelines here.
2. Charlotte Seymour
Charlotte Seymour is a literary agent working at the London-based agency Andrew Nurnberg Associates. She represents authors of both fiction and non-fiction. At the moment, her fiction wish list includes character-driven thriller, suspense, and crime fiction, as well as book club and literary fiction. In non-fiction, Charlotte is most interested in the following subjects: linguistics, popular culture, popular science, social and cultural history, food and cooking, and nature. Her clients include Bethany Rose Lamont, Ann Gosslin, Elizabeth Romer, Martine Bailey, Tim Martindale, and Matt Morgan, among others.
Should you wish to submit your work for Charlotte’s consideration, you can send her your cover letter, a one-page synopsis, and the first three chapters of your manuscript via email. Learn more by checking out Andrew Nurnberg Associates’ submission guidelines here.
3. Jenny Savill
Also from Andrew Nurnberg Associates, Jenny Savill represents authors of fiction and non-fiction for both adults and children. She is always interested in finding new voices in young adult and middle grade writing. In adult fiction, she is looking for women’s commercial and literary fiction, psychological suspense, thriller, historical fiction, memoir, and narrative non-fiction. Authors she currently represents include Sharon Jones, Anna Bowles, James Harper, Dave Cousins, Helen Moss, and more.
Interested in working with Jenny Savill? You may submit your cover letter, along with a one-page synopsis and the first three chapters of your manuscript, via email. For more information, you can take a look at the submission guidelines listed here.
4. Eve White
Founder of the Eve White Literary Agency, Eve White is a London-based literary agent specializing in fiction for adults and children. She also represents authors of non-fiction. She is a member of the Association of Authors’ Agents and the Crime Writers’ Association. She has been shortlisted for several awards, including the British Book Awards’ Literary Agent of the Year. Her clients include Ruth Ware, Saskia Sarginson, and Jane Shemilt, among others.
Eve is currently open for submissions in both fiction and non-fiction. Should you be interested in submitting your work, you can check out her submission guidelines here. For any additional questions, you can get in touch with Eve through her agency’s online contact form.
5. Lucy Morris
Lucy Morris is a literary agent working in the Books Department of Curtis Brown. Prior to joining Curtis Brown in 2014, she worked at Bloomsbury Publishing. Lucy represents both fiction and non-fiction authors. She is a big fan of fiction with humor and heart, and she has a soft spot for stories about families. Her non-fiction tastes are quite varied, but she is always interested in professional and personal memoirs told with wit and warmth. Her current roster includes Gillian McAllister, Fran Cooper, Elizabeth Lee, and Cash Carraway.
If you are interested in being represented by Lucy, you can send her a query via email. In your email, include a synopsis of your book and a few sample chapters.
6. Karolina Sutton
Karolina Sutton is another literary agent from Curtis Brown. She represents authors of fiction and non-fiction, and her clients include bestselling authors, debut authors, and winners of major literary awards. She has a wide range of interests, including literary fiction, crime, suspense, and narrative non-fiction. She is also interested in non-fiction writing by journalists, social and political commentators, environmental campaigners, academics, and professional experts. Authors she currently represents include Margaret Atwood, Haruki Murakami, Tara Westover, and Emma Healey, among others.
Karolina is currently accepting submissions. Should you wish to work with Karolina, you can email her a sample of your work along with a biographical note.
7. Tim Bates
Tim Bates is a senior agent at Peters Fraser + Dunlop, a long-established literary agency based in London. Tim spent nearly a decade working as an agent at Pollinger Limited before joining the PFD team. Prior to becoming an agent, he held different positions in the publishing industry, including Commissioning Editor for Penguin Classics. Tim represents both fiction and non-fiction authors. In non-fiction, he is most interested in pop culture, food writing, sports, nature and the outdoors, and narrative non-fiction. His clients include Rob Atkinson, Caroline Fleming, Annie Gray, Jon Dunn, and more.
If you are interested in submitting your work for Tim’s consideration, you can send him a query via email. Include the first three chapters of your manuscript, as well as a brief curriculum vitae and a cover letter. For more information, check out Peters Fraser + Dunlop’s submission guidelines here.
8. Tessa David
Tessa David is another agent from Peters Fraser + Dunlop. Her clients include Stephan Malinowski, Rebecca O’Connor, Edmund Richardson, Emma Rosen, William Goldsmith, and Katarina Cermeli, among others. Tessa is currently seeking adult fiction and non-fiction, as well as children’s fiction. In fiction, she is currently seeking literary fiction in all genres, atmospheric psychological thrillers, and historical fiction set in the 19th century. In non-fiction, she is interested in nature writing, history, popular science, philosophy, cooking, and narrative non-fiction.
Tessa is open for submissions, and you may submit your query via email. You can also check out Peter Fraser + Dunlop’s submission guidelines for more information.
9. Laetitia Rutherford
Laetitia Rutherford is a London-based literary agent from Watson Little. She holds literary degrees from Oxford and Goldsmiths, and has been working as an agent since 2003. She represents a diverse set of clients, including Amos Ruiz, Katrina Hodge, Jeremy Daldry, Ruth Brooks, Akemi Tanaka, Tamsin Osmond, and Samson Kambalu, among others. Laetitia is currently interested in literary fiction, upmarket thrillers, young adult fiction, and children’s fiction. She is also drawn to engrossing memoirs and lifestyle books.
Should you wish to query Laetitia, you can do so via email. Make sure you include a cover letter, synopsis, and the first 10,000 words of your manuscript. Learn more by checking out Watson Little’s submission guidelines here.
10. James Wills
James Wills, Managing Director of Watson Little, represents both fiction and non-fiction authors. He is always interested in discovering fresh material and finding new authors to work with. At the moment, he is looking for bold, character-driven fiction—both literary and commercial. He is also interested in narrative non-fiction written by experts in the areas of history, popular culture, music, sports, and humor.
For information on querying James, you can take a look at Watson Little’s submission guidelines here. Don’t forget to direct your email to James, and make sure you send the first 10,000 words of your book along with your query.
11. Victoria Hobbs
Victoria Hobbs is an agent from AM Heath, a London-based literary agency established in 1919. Her client list spans a wide range of styles and genres, and she represents many award-winning and bestselling authors. Some of the authors she currently represents include Maggie O’Farrell, Sandra Newman, Tim Shipman, Conn Iggulden, Julia Blackburn, and Kamila Shamsie. She also represents the estates of Mary McCarthy and Shirley Jackson. Victoria is currently accepting submissions from fiction and non-fiction authors, and she is always happy to hear from new writers.
To query Victoria, you can fill out AM Heath’s online submission form. Find more information on preparing your submission here.
12. Oli Munson
Also from AM Heath, Oli Munson is a literary agent and a former committee member of the Association of Authors Agents. A big part of his client list is made up of bestselling and award-winning crime and thriller writers, including Julia Chapman, David Jackson, Mari Hannah, and David Mark. He is also interested in high-concept speculative fiction and commercial fiction with a heart. In non-fiction, he is particularly drawn to sports writing and narrative non-fiction that explores social issues.
Should you wish to query Oli Munson, you can do so through the submission form on AM Heath’s website. You will need to prepare a cover letter, synopsis, and the first 10,000 words of your book. For additional information, feel free to check out AM Heath’s submission guidelines here.
13. Jane Gregory
Jane Gregory of David Higham Associates represents fiction authors, particularly authors of crime fiction, psychological suspense, thrillers, literary fiction, and historical fiction. Many of her clients have won or been nominated for major literary awards, including the Man Booker Prize, the Edgar Allan Poe Award, the British Book Awards, and more. Her clients include Val McDermid, Belinda Bauer, Robert Barnard, Mo Hayder, Tan Twan Eng, Minette Walters, and Laura Wilson, among others.
If you are interested in querying Jane, you may follow the instructions listed here. Submissions must include a one-page synopsis and the first three chapters of your manuscript. Jane usually responds to queries she is interested in pursuing within four to six weeks.
14. Camilla Bolton
Camilla Bolton is a senior agent at the Darley Anderson Agency. She represents a range of award-winning and critically-acclaimed authors, many of whom have appeared on The New York Times and The Sunday Times bestsellers lists. Her client list includes Phoebe Morgan, James Carol, Jason Dean, Catherine Steadman, Rebecca Shaw, Gloria Cook, Rob Sinclair, and Lee Stone, among others. Camilla is most interested in women’s fiction, suspense, thrillers, and crime fiction.
Camilla is currently accepting submissions via email. Please note that she only accepts submissions with material attached. For more information, you can take a look at the submission guidelines listed here.
15. Clare Alexander
Clare Alexander, current chair of Aitken Alexander Associates, has been working as a literary agent for more than two decades. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to the industry and has received a number of awards. Her clients include Jung Chang, Diana Evans, Andrew Wilson, Mark Haddon, Cherie Jones, Marina Kemp, and Ayobami Adebayo, among others. Although Clare is quite selective when it comes to taking on new clients, she is always interested in discovering new fiction that moves, delights, and surprises.
If you would like to submit a query to Clare, you can email a cover letter, synopsis, and the first 30 pages of your book to Aitken Alexander Associates, indicating Clare’s name in the subject line. Learn more by checking out the submission guidelines posted here.
16. Chris Wellbelove
Also from Aitken Alexander Associates, Chris Wellbelove represents both fiction and non-fiction authors, as well as several poets. His clients include Andrew McMillan, The Secret Barrister, Daisy Johnson, and Kayo Chingonyi, among others. In fiction, Chris is drawn to literary works that play with language or form, especially those that feature stories about the human condition. His non-fiction tastes are quite broad, spanning everything from popular science and current affairs to memoirs and nature writing.
You may query Chris via email. Make sure you indicate his name in the subject line, and don’t forget to include a cover letter, a short synopsis, and the first 30 pages of your manuscript. For more information, check out Aitken Alexander Associates’ submission guidelines here.
17. Jamie Cowen
Jamie Cowen of the Ampersand Agency has been working in the publishing industry for more than a decade. Prior to joining the Ampersand team, he was a Commissioning Editor for HarperCollins. Jamie is fond of genre fiction of all kinds, including science fiction, horror, fantasy, crime, and thrillers. He is also interested in commercial narrative non-fiction and sport-related non-fiction. He is particularly keen on receiving submissions from LGBTQ+ and BAME authors.
If you would like to submit your work to Jamie, you may send him a proposal via email. In addition to a brief synopsis and some information about yourself, you also need to include the first three chapters of your book. Learn more by checking out the Ampersand Agency’s submission guidelines here.
Hiten Vyas is the Founder and Managing Editor of Writing Tips Oasis.