4 UK Agents Seeking Science Fiction/Fantasy, Horror, MG, YA, Thrillers, Nonfiction & more

Updated 6/9/22

Here are four UK literary agents seeking clients. Rebecca Carter is looking for ground-breaking new literary fiction writers, as well as writers of upmarket crime and thrillers, and some children’s and YA authors. In non-fiction, she works mainly in the fields of history, politics, social and cultural commentary, design and technology, the environment and travel, often mixed together with memoir, and with a strong emphasis on quality of writing and storytelling.  Zoe Plant is looking for commercial, exciting middle-grade, young adult and adult fiction, including science fiction, fantasy and horror of all types.

Claudia Young is interested in all types of writing, in particular cooking and food journalism, comedy and travel writing, literary fiction, contemporary as well as historical novels, crime fiction and thrillers. Matthew Marland is  seeking nonfiction, crime, thrillers, historical fiction, literary and commercial fiction.

IMPORTANT: Always read the agency website and agent bio before submitting!

You can find a full list of agents actively seeking new clients here: Agents Seeking Clients

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Zoe Plant of The Bent Agency

"A Londoner by birth, I studied for my degree in Russian and Spanish at Cambridge and lived in Moscow for a year before making my way back to the UK to start my publishing career. I started out as an intern at the Bent Agency in 2014 and went on to spend five years working as a literary scout, scouring the UK market for the very best children’s and adult books to recommend to international publishers. I was named as one of the ’30 under 30′ publishing professionals to watch on the London Book Fair Trailblazer Awards shortlist in 2018. As an agent, I am delighted to now have the opportunity to work with talented authors to bring their books into the world, and I welcome submissions from authors based anywhere."

What she is seeking: "I am looking for commercial, exciting middle-grade, young adult and adult fiction. Across all age ranges, my favourite books are full of pace and plot, but have something quirky and fresh about them: a speculative or high-concept setting, an unusual twist or a voice that changes how I see the world. I particularly love fantasy, science fiction and horror, so am looking for these genres across both adult and children’s.

For middle grade and young adult fiction, I am on the hunt for action, adventure and worlds that I can fall in love with, no matter the genre. Whether it’s about spies, astronauts, zombies, or just an odd day at school, if it has a strong voice and a compelling setting I would love to read it.

On the adult side, as well as science fiction, fantasy and horror of all types, I’m looking for commercial crime and thrillers. I am open to anything—cosy or gritty, speculative, historical or contemporary, as long as it has a good hook and an inventive plot."

How to submit: Send your query to plantqueries@thebentagency.com  Include the title of your project in the subject line of your email. Then paste the first ten pages of your book in the body of your email (not as an attachment, please).

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Rebecca Carter of Rebecca Carter Literary (UK)

Before becoming an agent, Carter was editorial director at Chatto & Windus and then Harvill Secker, publishing books ranging from Roger Deakin’s Waterlog, early in her career there, to Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus shortly before she left to become an agent. She also led the publication in English of Irène Némirovsky’s Suite Française.

What she is seeking: In fiction, she is looking for ground-breaking new literary fiction writers, as well as writers of upmarket crime and thrillers, and some children’s and YA authors. She has very varied taste in fiction, enjoying the spare and the dark as well as the rich and linguistically playful; the big family drama alongside the smaller prose poem; the bitingly contemporary as well as the reflectively historical; novels set in worlds already familiar, as well as those opening up different, distant lives and places. In non-fiction, her curiosity and tastes are similarly broad but she works mainly in the fields of history, politics, social and cultural commentary, design and technology, the environment and travel, often mixed together with memoir, and with a strong emphasis on quality of writing and storytelling.

How to submit: Currently closed to queries.

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Claudia Young of Greene & Heaton Ltd

Claudia Young joined the agency in 2009. Claudia also works closely with radio and television production companies, and the speakers and presenters side of the agency.

What she is seeking: Claudia is interested in all types of writing, in particular cooking and food journalism, comedy and travel writing. Claudia loves literary fiction, contemporary as well as historical novels, crime fiction and thrillers.

How to submit: Submissions should be sent by email to submissions@greeneheaton.co.uk. Please attach a synopsis and the first three chapters (or about fifty pages) in Microsoft Word or PDF format. Mention the name of your preferred agent in the subject line of your email. Children’s or YA submissions should also be clearly marked in the subject line.

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Matthew Marland of Rogers, Coleridge & White

Matthew Marland joined Rogers, Coleridge & White in 2016 after working at Conville & Walsh. He has a BA and MA in English Literature. Matthew works closely with Natasha Fairweather, Peter Robinson, and Peter Straus, and is also building his own list.

What he is seeking: Nonfiction, crime, thrillers, historical fiction, literary and commercial fiction.

How to submit: Send a query to matthewm@rcwlitagency.com For fiction send the first three chapters or approximately the first fifty pages of the work to a natural break, and a brief synopsis. Non-fiction submissions should take the form of a proposal up to twenty pages in length explaining what the work is about and why you are best placed to write it.