PairPi is a verified literary agent directory for writers looking for representation. Save shortlists, check submission details, and track every submission in one place.
Start a free account →History is not historical fiction with the names changed. Agents looking at history want authority, narrative control, and a reason the reader should follow the argument beyond the facts themselves. Popular history, biography, social history, military history, and books in the long shadow of Hilary Mantel or Simon Schama all ask for different kinds of evidence and pace. Some projects are sold on scholarly depth, others on access, voice, or a brilliantly framed question. 200+ agents on this page have signals around history or closely related non-fiction, but the useful shortlist depends on whether the book reads like narrative non-fiction, biography, cultural criticism, or a trade history with serious research behind it. When preparing a submission, be clear about the archive, the story, and why this version of the past needs this writer now.
Looking for history agents in a specific country?
Describe your book in a sentence or two. Smart Search ranks open agents whose taste actually matches.
Women's fiction, crime, thrillers, new nature writing
Well-written, engrossing fiction with a compelling plot, characters worth caring about, and an intriguing or attractive world. Particularly interested in women's fiction, contemporary or historical, as well as crime and thrillers. Also actively seeking new nature writing as a personal enthusiasm.
Email anne@khla.co.uk. The agency accepts submissions by email only.
Fiction and non-fiction
Fiction: book club, psychological suspense, crime, speculative, historical, commercial and upmarket women's with unique hook/voice/characters. Non-fiction: history (with platform) and memoir
Email - kate@khla.co.uk
General fiction, thrillers, crime, historical fiction, suspense, mystery, women's commercial fiction, non-fiction, arts and crafts, cookery, biography and autobiography, popular science, business, natural history, sport, travel, health
Wants: See submissions page; requires synopsis and first 3 chapters.
General fiction including thrillers, crime, historical fiction, suspense, mystery, and women's commercial fiction. On the nonfiction side, illustrated books covering arts and crafts, cookery, biography and autobiography, popular science, business, natural history, sport, travel, and health. Open to submissions from new authors.
Email a brief synopsis and the first three chapters as Word or Open Document attachments to mail@limelightmanagement.com. Include 'Submission' in the subject line and the title of your work in the attachment filename. Also include a note about your professional life and writing ambitions.
Non-fiction
History, politics, psychology, current affairs, natural world, expert-led books that change how we think, memoir (unique perspective), narrative non-fiction
Email a cover letter, one-page synopsis, and the first three chapters or 50 pages (or a proposal and sample chapters for non-fiction) to submissions@nurnberg.co.uk, addressed FAO Charlotte Merritt.
Non-fiction, book club fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, speculative fiction, crime fiction
Non-fiction across a broad range of subjects, particularly from authors who are authoritative and accessible, including activists, psychologists, creatives and thought leaders. Also growing a fiction list focused on book club, fantasy, historical, speculative and crime fiction. Actively champions marginalised and underrepresented voices.
For non-fiction, email nonfiction@grahammawchristie.com with a one-page topic summary, detailed chapter-by-chapter outline, author credentials, online profiles, market overview, promotional plan, and 1-2 sample chapters. For fiction, email fiction@grahammawchristie.com with a completed manuscript, including genre in the subject line, a one-to-two line elevator pitch, a 500-800 word synopsis (including spoilers), up to five comparative titles, author bio, promotional notes, and the first three chapters or approximately 10,000 words. Attach documents in Word, Pages or PDF format. Do not submit directly to individual agents. No postal submissions accepted.
Commercial fiction, women's fiction, intelligent crime, thrillers, historical fiction, history, nature, science, self-development, biography, memoir, lifestyle, food
Quality commercial and popular literary fiction with emotional heft, original voices and broad appeal, including twisty thrillers, ghost stories, and epic romantic stories. For non-fiction, experts in their fields writing about history, nature, science, self-development, biography, memoir, original thinking, lifestyle and food — particularly books that educate and illuminate worlds readers don't know, strong women's voices, and food writers with fresh perspectives or a built community.
Email submissions@hhbagency.com with the genre in the subject line. Put your covering letter in the body of the email including a brief pitch, relevant background, and comparison titles. Attach the first three chapters or around 50 pages as a Word document, plus a synopsis. Fiction writers must have completed the manuscript before submitting. Non-fiction writers may submit before completion.
Memoir, geography, economics, politics, history, nature writing, biography, science, travel, literary fiction
Wants: Genres include memoir; geography; economics; politics; history; nature writing; biography; science; travel; and literary fiction.
See source page for more info
Email james@jameslockhartagency.com with a covering letter in the body of the email and the first 30 pages attached as a Word doc or PDF.
Fiction, non-fiction, children's fiction 8 and
Distinctive fiction, non-fiction including memoir, history, narrative, biography, lifestyle, sports, self-help, humour, pop culture. Not horror, sci-fi, screenplays, or picture books
Email info@lisarichards.ie. For fiction, include the first three or four chapters, a covering letter, and an SAE if required. For non-fiction, send a detailed proposal, a sample chapter, and a cover letter.
Fiction, literary non-fiction, memoir, biography, nature, history
Small list: fiction and literary non-fiction, memoir, biography, nature, history
Email - submissions@nurnberg.co.uk
Fiction, non-fiction, crime, historical fiction, thriller
A good story, whether fiction or non-fiction, peopled by credible characters and told in a distinctive voice. Represents crime writers, historical novelists, thriller writers and non-fiction. Also looks after several major literary estates including Georgette Heyer.
Email - peter@theampersandagency.co.uk
Adult fiction, thriller, psychological thriller, historical fiction, literary fiction, upmarket fiction, book club fiction, young adult romance
Wants: Query form, first five pages unless form specifies otherwise
Jillian Schelzi is a junior agent at HG Literary. She is primarily looking for adult fiction, especially psychological thrillers, shocking twists, page-turning suspense, and rich historical fiction set against war. She also likes mental-health representation, darker and challenging themes, literary and upmarket fiction, book club fiction, and YA romance. She is not looking for middle grade, picture books, religious books, fantasy, romantasy, or horror.
Submit through Jillian Schelzi's official QueryTracker form. HG Literary accepts electronic submissions only and asks writers to query one agent at a time. Unless the agent-specific form says otherwise, HG requests a query letter and the first five pages. HG does not represent screenplays or religious fiction.
Non-fiction
History, current affairs/politics/economics, biography and memoir, narrative/literary non-fiction, sport/adventure, pop culture/film/music, popular science/psychology, ideas ('smart thinking'), narrative-led business
Email - andrewgordon@davidhigham.co.uk
Crime fiction, thriller fiction, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, women's fiction
Kate Burke seeks dark thrillers with surprising plot twists and interesting narrative structures, crime series featuring fresh lead investigators, and high-concept thrillers with 'what if?' premises that comment on society. She represents historical fiction combining strong sense of place and time with mystery elements, particularly post-1800 settings, and has special interest in Gothic, atmospheric historical thrillers set in spooky old houses. Burke also looks for contemporary novels with discussable issues suitable for book club debates and sweeping family stories about mothers, sisters and daughters set anywhere in the world.
Email kate@blakefriedmann.co.uk with your cover letter as the body of the email and the book title and your name in the subject line. Attach a synopsis (250–300 words for fiction, up to 500 words for non-fiction) and the first three chapters or first 10,000 words as Word documents (.doc or .docx) with 1.5 line spacing and numbered pages. Name each attachment with the book title and your name. Do not send PDFs, Pages files, or external links such as Google Docs. Submit to one agent only.
Fiction, non-fiction, memoir, popular science, historical fiction, crime, thrillers
See source page for more info
Send a submission package to london@susannalea.com. See the submissions page for more details on how to submit to the London office.
Fiction, non-fiction, literary fiction, commercial fiction
Wants: Strong commercial genre fiction (noir-ish thrillers/spy/gritty crime; also saga/romance/romcom) and surprising reading-group fiction; non-fiction with strong narrative voice in memoir/history and big ideas/smart thinking
Wide range of fiction and non-fiction, literary and commercial. Has a taste for the unlikely, likes to be surprised and transported. In fiction, loves stories that take him somewhere strange and wonderful. For non-fiction, loves books that reveal something new or inspire readers to imagine the world differently.
Email - submissions@sheilland.co.uk
Fiction, non-fiction, ya
Character-driven, high-concept fiction with commercial hook, genre esp fantasy/horror, high-concept thrillers, voice-led contemporary, sweeping historical, romance/romcom, select narrative non-fiction (memoir/history/nature/science)
Email maria@greyhoundliterary.co.uk with a cover letter and pitch in the body of the email. For fiction, attach the first three chapters and a synopsis. For non-fiction, attach a proposal and sample writing.
Fiction and non-fiction
Fiction: book club/literary, character- and voice-driven crime/thriller/suspense, dark/gothic/uncanny, love stories, family sagas, historical from a slant, Highsmithian thrillers. Non-fiction: accessible social/cultural history, biography/memoir, reportage, popular science, nature, arts, food/cookery, experts, journalists, lived experience
Email charlotte@johnsonandalcock.co.uk with a short covering letter (including a book blurb and brief author bio), a synopsis of no more than two pages, and the opening 50 pages of the manuscript (fiction), or a book proposal of approximately 50 pages (non-fiction). Submissions must be in Word Doc format, at least 1.5 line spaced, page-numbered, on A4. Submit to one agent only, do not blind-copy. Attachments must be under 5MB.
Literary fiction, commercial fiction, book club fiction, contemporary fiction, commercial women's fiction, crime, mystery, thrillers, fantasy, genre romance, historical fiction, horror, ghost stories, sagas, science fiction, biography, memoir, cookery, gardening, gift books, humour, history, military history, lifestyle, mind-body-spirit, self-improvement, politics, popular science, psychology, travel, children's, ya
SF/fantasy, sweeping historical fiction, character-driven sci-fi, action/adventure, crime. Non-fiction: history, biography, music
Email submissions@sheilland.co.uk with a cover letter, a one-page synopsis (fiction) or brief outline (non-fiction), a short CV, and the first three chapters or around fifty pages. Submissions should be 1.5 line spaced with margins and page numbers, and must include a word count. Only one work at a time. No AI-generated content accepted.
Nonfiction, practical lifestyle, how-to, wellness, mindfulness, cookbooks, narrative nonfiction, history, cultural criticism, ecology, food, social justice, illustrated books, literary estates
Wants: Query letter
Jenny represents award-winning nonfiction, including practical lifestyle and how-to projects, wellness and mindfulness, cookbooks, narrative nonfiction about history, cultural criticism, ecology and the natural world, food, and social justice. For adults and kids, she loves highly designed books that inform and inspire through text and image.
Submit through Sterling Lord Literistic's submissions page and choose only one SLL agent to query. The agency says it can only respond if interested in seeing more material.
Fiction and non-fiction
Fiction: high-concept crime/thrillers, female-led commercial, upmarket commercial, book club, contemporary women's stories, romance, underrepresented voices, fresh-take historical, funny smart romcoms, sagas, gothic, sweeping love stories. Non-fiction: humour, memoir, lifestyle, social justice/polemic, cookery. Not horror/ghosts, not SFF, not YA/children, not sport/true crime, no short stories/novellas, no poetry/screenplay
Email db.submission@dhhliteraryagency.com with a cover letter, first 3 chapters, and a 1-page synopsis as Word attachments.
Fantasy, romantasy, rom-coms, book club romance, female-focused psychological thrillers, historical fiction, commercial non-fiction
Dark fantasy, romantasy (commercial and upmarket), dark academia, political intrigue, genre-blending (horror/romance, fantasy/horror), psychological thrillers with a dark edge, unhinged female protagonists, stories from underrepresented backgrounds. Interested in previously self-published authors within these genres and fanfiction authors writing original fiction
Send your cover letter, synopsis, and first three chapters or 10,000 words for fiction, or a proposal for non-fiction, to ciara.finan@curtisbrown.co.uk. Due to the volume of submissions received, a response to every query is not guaranteed. Writers should keep the agent updated if they receive a full manuscript request or an offer of representation from another agent.
Fiction, nonfiction, mystery, thriller, science fiction, fantasy, young adult, middle grade, biography, history, pop culture, sports, business, wellness, narrative nonfiction
Wants: Query letter, synopsis, author bio
Jonathan represents a select fiction and nonfiction list including mysteries, thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, young adult, middle grade, biographies, history, pop culture, sports, business, wellness, and general narrative nonfiction.
Email a query through the protected email listed on the Lyons and Salky literary representation page with a synopsis and short author biography in the body of the email. Do not include attachments or sample chapters.
Literary fiction, science fiction, fantasy, horror, young adult, middle grade, science, history, narrative nonfiction, graphic novels, comics
Wants: Query letter, first five pages, synopsis
Eddie represents literary fiction, science fiction, fantasy, horror, YA, middle grade, science, history, narrative nonfiction, graphic novels, and comics. He is looking for groundbreaking, genre-defining books that reflect the whole spectrum of human experience, with particular interest in fresh and diverse voices.
Submit through Eddie's QueryManager form with a query letter and roughly the first 5 pages pasted below the query. A 1-3 page synopsis may be included. Do not send attachments except art samples for graphic novels.
Fiction and non-fiction
Non-fiction: history, popular science, social issues, nature, money/life management, music, sport, film, technology, memoir, true crime, experts with wide appeal. Fiction: literary and well-written commercial, boundary-pushing style with emotional heart and plot, upmarket with satisfying arc, historical or contemporary, genre-mixing
Email submissions@watsonlittle.com with a cover letter in the body of the email, a synopsis, and approximately 10,000 words from the beginning of the manuscript for fiction, or a proposal including a sample chapter and chapter summaries for non-fiction. Address one agent only. No AI-originated or AI-edited material.
Young adult fiction, science fiction, fantasy, literary fiction, historical fiction, romantic comedy
Wants: Query letter, first five pages
Bridget is open to all genres of YA and has a soft spot for layered emotional contemporary, sophisticated or unusual SFF, and immersive historical fiction. She also represents literary SFF, historical fantasy, literary fiction with genre elements or interesting structure, contemporary fiction with speculative elements, and adult rom-coms.
Submit through Bridget's QueryManager form with a query and the first five pages. She is open for the first ten days of every month except December.
Narrative nonfiction, current events, history, journalism, science, literary fiction, commercial fiction, young adult
Wants: Query letter
Andy encourages queries for narrative nonfiction, current events and history, journalism, science, literary and commercial fiction, and young adult fiction. He does not want poetry, short stories, adult romance, science fiction and fantasy, adult or teen paranormal, or film scripts.
Email queries to andyrossagency@hotmail.com. Keep the query under half a page, put Query in the email subject line, state the project category in the first sentence, and include a short book description and writing qualifications.
Adult fiction, adult non-fiction
Adult fiction (excluding romance, historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy) and adult non-fiction, primarily memoir and narrative non-fiction, no children's/YA, no poetry/short stories/screenplays, no previously published (incl self-published), English language only, authors must be based in Ireland/Great Britain/US/Canada
Email a cover letter, a 1-2 page synopsis, and a brief biography for fiction (novel must be complete). For non-fiction, email a cover letter, a detailed proposal, and a brief biography. Send to submissions@thefeldsteinagency.co.uk
Fiction and non-fiction
Adult fiction (excluding romance, historical fiction, and science fiction/fantasy) and adult non-fiction, primarily memoir and narrative non-fiction
Email a cover letter, a 1-2 page synopsis (fiction) or detailed proposal (non-fiction), and a brief biography to submissions@thefeldsteinagency.co.uk. Novels must be completed prior to submission. English language only, authors must be based in Ireland, Great Britain, the US, or Canada.
Fiction, non-fiction, literary estates
Non-fiction: history, current affairs, biography, geopolitics, intelligence studies, history of war. Fiction: international thrillers and espionage
Email submissions@nurnberg.co.uk with a covering letter in the body of the email, a one-page synopsis and first three chapters or 50 pages as attachments (for non-fiction: an overview, chapter outlines, and three sample chapters). Address the email for the attention of Michael Dean in the subject line.
Fiction and non-fiction, audio rights, some playwrights
Children's fiction, historical fiction, mystery and supernatural horror; particularly slick and humorous middle grade fiction and STEM titles for children
Email - submissions@mbalit.co.uk (FAO Sophie Gorell Barnes)
Fiction and non-fiction
Literary and upmarket fiction, literary thrillers, smart women's fiction. Non-fiction on serious subjects in innovative ways (history, science, memoir, cookery, cultural criticism, social issues, psychology)
Email imogen@marjacq.com
Fiction and non-fiction
Upmarket commercial to literary fiction, distinctive voice/character-driven with strong hook/unusual perspective, multigenerational novels, gripping love stories, funny fiction, feminist/revisionary, experimental/form. Non-fiction: memoir and narrative, history, food writing/food system, nature/planet, popular science, genre-melding cultural writing
Email submissions@janklow.co.uk with your full name, the title of your work, and Claire Paterson Conrad's name in the subject line. For fiction: include a covering letter (in the email body), synopsis, and the first three chapters or first fifty pages as attachments. For non-fiction: include a covering letter, a full chapter-by-chapter outline, and a sample chapter. All documents should be double-spaced, size 12, in a reasonable font, and submitted as Word or PDF attachments — no external links. Responses are sent within 8 weeks if the agency wishes to read more.
Fiction and non-fiction
Great storytelling, great writing, great history, fiction and non-fiction
Submit via the agency's online form at https://amheath.com or submissions, including a cover letter of up to 500 words, a synopsis of up to 1500 words, and the first 10,000 words of your manuscript pasted into the form.
Historical fiction, romance, magical realism, horror
Immersive, atmospheric stories across genres, especially historical fiction—gothic or moody tales, BIPOC romances rooted in heritage, and magical realism with political nuance. Feminist retellings that reclaim overlooked voices and narratives on identity and ancestry. Folklore-inspired horror
Check agent's submission page
Literary fiction, cultural history
Wants: Query letter, first 1-2 chapters
Literary fiction and works of cultural history.
Queries should be emailed to submissions@inkwellmanagement.com. In the body of your email, please include a query letter and a short writing sample (1-2 chapters). You may specify the name of the agent to whom you are submitting in the subject line.
Mysteries, thrillers, cozies, contemporary romance, romcoms, upmarket women's fiction, memoirs, narratives, cookbooks, self-help, mg fiction, ya fiction, historical narratives
Adult Fiction: High-stakes mysteries and thrillers, and funny cozies––especially ones featuring ensembles, intergenerational family dynamics, and/or main characters outside of law enforcement, military, or journalism; contemporary romance and romcoms; upmarket women's fiction. Adult Non-Fiction: memoirs, narratives, cookbooks involving family heritage, self-help with concrete takeaways, empowerment, cultural tradition, and parts of history not typically taught in school. MG and YA: commercial fiction, including contemporary fantasy, horror, romance, mystery, and thriller––including ones with spooky or paranormal elements––especially ones that grapple with identity and/or intersectionality with fresh perspectives.
Use QueryManager link provided
463+ agents we've verified represent history specifically. Many others represent broader categories like commercial fiction or genre fiction — try Smart Search to find those too.
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