Politics & Current Affairs Literary Agents Open to Submissions

Biography, history, current affairs, international relations, politics, arts, sciences, sports, popular culture, literary fiction, genre fiction

Wants: Query letter

He is looking for engaging stories that make complex ideas accessible to the curious reader and bold arguments that challenge the conventional wisdom. He is also interested in finding new, compelling voices in literary and genre fiction, especially novels that bridge the gap between the two.

Query by email only. Query letters should be no more than two pages and should include a convincing overview of the book project and information about the author and his or her writing credits.

Literary fiction, historical fiction, commercial fiction, narrative non-fiction, biography, memoir, current affairs, cultural criticism, science, sports, children's

Wants: Query letter, first ten pages

He works primarily with quality fiction – literary, historical, strongly written commercial – and with voice-driven nonfiction across a range of areas including narrative history, biography, memoir, current affairs, cultural trends and criticism, science, and sports.

Email query letters to mail@dclagency.com and paste the first ten pages of your manuscript below your letter. Address your email to a specific agent who you think might be the right fit. Submitting to more than one agent at a time is permitted, but indicate in your letter which agents you are querying. Emails with attachments will not be opened.

Narrative non-fiction, literary fiction

Narrative non-fiction with strong writing (science/nature/landscape/anthropology/history/politics/philosophy/gender/health/myth, environmentally aware). Internationally relevant literary fiction, character-led, warm/life-affirming or dark, lasting impression

Email jessicawoollard@davidhigham.co.uk and esmebright@davidhigham.co.uk — submissions should be sent to both the agent and her assistant Esme Bright

Literary fiction, near historical fiction, narrative non-fiction, adventure, popular science, history, politics, current affairs, social history, memoir, biography

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, author bio, first five pages

Wendy specializes in literary fiction and narrative nonfiction. She represents award winning literary novelists, short story writers, journalists, activists, anthropologists, scientists, doctors, and educators.

Make your submission letter to the point and as brief as possible. Include a short synopsis of your work, an author bio, and the first five pages of your manuscript pasted into the body of your email, no attachments please.

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, memoir, nonfiction, business, art, history, politics, sports, popular culture

Wants: Email query

Dan Mandel represents literary and commercial fiction, memoir, and nonfiction about business, art, history, politics, sports, and popular culture.

Email Dan Mandel at querydm@sjga.com. Greenburger asks writers to read each agent page, submit to only one Greenburger agent at a time, and query by email only, if there is no response within 8 weeks, writers may query another Greenburger agent.

Adult fiction, young adult fiction, book club fiction, romantic comedy, literary fiction, mystery, thriller, horror, narrative nonfiction, cultural criticism, essays, current affairs, pop culture, psychology, nature, science

Wants: Query letter, comparable books, first twenty pages or proposal

Dana Murphy represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction for adults and select fiction for teen readers. She wants fiction with heart, humor, specificity, surprise, high-concept hooks, confident voice, rom-coms, book club fiction, literary fiction with form or genre elements, mysteries, thrillers, horror, found family stories, and narrative nonfiction or essay collections about culture, pop culture, criticism, power structures, object histories, big ideas, and deeply researched cultural history.

Submit through Dana Murphy's official QueryManager form linked from Trellis. The form asks writers to review her wishlist and provide author bio, title, word count, genre, query letter, comparable books, AI-use disclosure, and the first 20 pages or a full nonfiction proposal. Trellis asks writers not to submit to multiple Trellis agents during the 8-12 week review window.

Literary fiction, nonfiction, cultural history, political nonfiction, hybrid memoir, literary criticism, biography, literature in translation

Wants: Query letter, bio, first five to ten pages

Elianna Kan represents international literary voices in any language, literary fiction, and literary nonfiction in English. She is particularly interested in voice-driven literary fiction and select nonfiction, including cultural history, political reportage, hybrid memoir, literary criticism, and biography. She reads and edits in English and Spanish and is a native Russian speaker, and is drawn to voice-driven narratives from underrepresented places.

Email queries directly to Elianna Kan at elianna@mmqalit.com. MMQA asks for a query letter briefly describing the project, relevant personal or professional information, the word Query in the subject line, and the first 5-10 pages pasted into the body of the email. Query only one MMQA agent at a time.

Literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, cultural history, politics, biography, arts

Wants: Query letter, short bio, first ten pages

Edward Orloff is interested in literary fiction and narrative nonfiction, especially cultural history, politics, biography, and the arts.

Email queries to queries@mccormicklit.com and indicate in the subject line that you are querying Edward Orloff. Include a query letter describing the work, a short bio, and up to ten sample pages in the body of the email. Do not send attachments.

Narrative nonfiction, history, science, politics, environment, business, memoir, literary fiction, young adult, middle grade, science fiction, fantasy

Wants: Query letter, sample pages, proposal

Diana Finch is currently taking only nonfiction queries, including memoir, until further notice. Her official page lists favorite nonfiction categories as narrative nonfiction, history, science, progressive politics, environmental books, business, and memoir. The same page also describes fiction interests in strong storytelling for adult, YA, and middle grade, literary fiction with unique or unexpected elements, and selected genre fiction other than romance, but fiction submissions are currently closed.

Use the official Diana Finch Literary Agency Submittable page. Include a full query letter and sample material. The Submittable page asks fiction writers for the first ten pages or so, and nonfiction writers for a full proposal and sample chapters, the agency blog currently says fiction submissions are closed and only nonfiction queries, including memoir, are being taken until further notice.

Nonfiction, lifestyle, current affairs, health, sport, true crime, family issues, crime, thriller, book club fiction, historical fiction, romance

Wants: Synopsis, first three chapters, covering letter, detailed outline, sample material

Katie Fulford is looking for authors in both nonfiction and fiction. In nonfiction she wants experts and journalists with something new to say, especially in lifestyle, current affairs, health, sport, smart true crime, and books about female and family issues that put women at the heart of things. In fiction she wants high-concept and hooky crime and thriller, commercial locked-room thrillers, emotional uplit, book club books with big issues, memorable characters and immersive settings, historical fiction about forgotten real people or people connected to more famous figures, and romance. She does not want fantasy, science fiction, children's fiction, or picture books.

Email submissions@belllomaxmoreton.co.uk. For fiction, children's and young adult fiction, or narrative nonfiction, send a short synopsis including the full plot for fiction, the first three chapters or no more than 50 pages double spaced, and a covering letter with any previous publications. For illustrated nonfiction send a detailed outline, sample material if available, and previous publication information. Query one Bell Lomax Moreton agent at a time.

Fiction and non-fiction

Page-turners, clever, gripping stories with complicated/flawed characters, relationship-driven fiction, YA/NA fantasy, millennial and audience, underrepresented voices, environmental/social issues

Submit via the online form at https://amheath.com or submissions. Use submissions@amheath.com only for following up after 6 weeks with no response, notifying of an offer, sending requested full manuscripts, or submitting cookery or illustrated children's titles.

Fiction and non-fiction

Book club/crossover fiction, crime and thrillers (incl unusual hooks), historical fiction (incl historical crime). Non-fiction: memoir, narrative-led books from experts (history/science/tech/politics/nature)

Submit via the agency online form at https://amheath.com or submissions

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.

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.

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

Literary and general fiction, non-fiction, poetry (select)

Original, distinctive voices, literary and general fiction including short stories, non-fiction with persuasive perspectives and interplay between personal/political (power, class, culture), literary memoir/auto-fiction borderlands, selective cookery/food writing and cookbooks

Email - nicolasubmissions@davidhigham.co.uk

Fiction and non-fiction

Fiction: literary/upmarket with edge, romance (incl dark academia, paranormals, grounded romantasy), mysteries with fresh angle, some literary speculative (not hard SFF). Non-fiction: science/nature, art/culture, social issues/politics, love/relationships, illustrated non-fiction, food/drink

Email (to one agent) - dchandley@pfd.co.uk

Literary fiction and narrative non-fiction

Literary fiction with distinctive/off-kilter voice, high-concept literary, realist novels exploring moral/philosophical/political questions, non-fiction bold voices, investigative/essayistic work, cultural histories, literary true crime

Email - seren@lexingtonliterary.co.uk

Non-fiction, politics, culture, biography, memoir, music writing, fiction

Wants: Adult

Serious and popular non-fiction, with a particular focus on politics and culture from across the ideological spectrum, as well as music writing. Also represents fiction, though non-fiction remains the core of the list. Areas include political commentary, cultural criticism, biography, memoir, and music history.

Submissions should include a covering letter, a short bio, and a brief synopsis. A full manuscript or an excerpt of the work should be attached as a Word document. Queries by mail or over the phone are not accepted. Submissions can be made through the agency's online submission form on their website, which accepts doc, pdf, and docx files up to 128 MB. If no response is received within two months, the agency will not be making an offer of representation.

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.

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 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.

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.

Literary fiction, non-fiction in cultural criticism, food, popular culture, journalism, science, current affairs

Wants: Query letter, first 10 pages

Plot-driven literary novels, non-fiction that is creatively critical, unique perspectives, a great cookbook, and above all, original prose

Send a query letter to monika@triangle.house describing your project along with the first ten pages of your manuscript in the body of the email in a normal-sized font

Nonfiction, health, medical, religion, spirituality, self-help, parenting, current affairs, history, narrative nonfiction, fiction

Wants: Query letter, bio, first twenty five pages, synopsis or proposal

Carol Mann specializes in nonfiction, including health and medical, religion, spirituality, self-help, parenting, current affairs, history, and narrative nonfiction, while also taking on occasional fiction.

Email queries to submissions@carolmannagency.com and include Carol Mann's name in the subject line. For fiction, send a query letter with a brief bio and first 25 pages pasted into the body. For nonfiction, send a query letter with brief bio, synopsis or proposal, and first 25 pages pasted into the body. Attachments are not opened.

Suspense, literary fiction, commercial fiction, current affairs, politics, history

Wants: Query letter, sample chapter

Will is looking for original and unpredictable suspense novels, both literary and commercial, plus nonfiction focused on current affairs, politics, and history.

Email info@thegernertco.com with a query letter describing the work, author information, and a sample chapter if appropriate. Indicate which agent you are querying, do not email agents directly.

Literary fiction, women's fiction, historical fiction, romance, mystery, suspense, memoir, narrative nonfiction, history, current affairs

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, author bio, sample pages

Elizabeth is interested in literary fiction, women's fiction, historical fiction, romance, mystery/suspense, memoir, narrative nonfiction, history, and current affairs.

Submit electronically to the appropriate agent at the address listed on the official submissions page. For adult fiction, send query letter, synopsis, author bio, and first three consecutive chapters up to 30 pages pasted in the email. Only query one agent at a time.

Practical nonfiction, business, health, wellness, mind body spirit, psychology, parenting, technology, narrative nonfiction, memoir, biography, history, pop culture, current affairs, women's interest, social trends, sports, fitness, literary fiction, upmarket fiction, suspense, thriller

Wants: Query letter, author bio

Dana is interested in practical nonfiction by authors with smart, unique perspectives and established platforms, compelling narrative nonfiction, memoir, biography, history, pop culture, current affairs, women's interest, social trends, sports and fitness, plus select literary fiction, upmarket fiction, and suspense/thriller.

Email dananewmanliterary@gmail.com with QUERY and the title in the subject line. Send a one-page query letter in the body of the email with category, title, word count, project overview, credentials, publishing history, contact details, and disclosure of simultaneous submissions. Do not send attachments.

Narrative nonfiction, history, biography, politics, current affairs, foreign affairs, memoir, food, health, adventure, environment, travel, historical fiction

Wants: Query letter, first three pages

Deborah is interested in narrative nonfiction in history, biography, politics, current and foreign affairs, memoir, food, health, adventure, the environment and travel, especially academic writers ready to move to more popular writing. For fiction, she is interested in great storytelling, especially in a historical context.

Email queries only, with no attachments. For fiction, paste the first three pages into the email. For nonfiction, include evidence of a full-length book idea, author credentials, and market.

Fiction, nonfiction, memoir, food writing, cookbooks, nature, environment, biography, pop culture, travel, adventure, true crime, politics, health, fitness, picture books, middle grade, young adult

Wants: Pitch

The Unter Agency is interested in quality fiction and general nonfiction, especially memoir, food/cooking, nature/environment, biography, pop culture, travel/adventure, true crime, politics and health/fitness, plus all types of children's literature.

Email Jennifer Unter with a pitch at Jennifer@theunteragency.com. If there is no response within three months, consider it a pass.

Fiction and non-fiction

Commercial women's fiction with strong hook/twisty plots/emotion/drama, eclectic list. Agency also considers crime/mystery/suspense/thrillers, horror, historical, commercial and literary, non-fiction including politics/current affairs, environment, lifestyle, popular science, self-help/how-to, true crime

Email submissions@cmm.agency with a one-paragraph author biography, a one-paragraph blurb or hook including genre and audience, a short synopsis covering plot, setting, theme and characters, and the first three chapters as an attachment. Manuscript must be double or 1.5 line-spaced, with wide margins, in a font no smaller than 12-point (preferably Times New Roman), fully page-numbered, with your name, address, contact number and email on the first page.

Fiction and non-fiction

Thrillers, commercial fiction, historical and literary fiction, narrative non-fiction (history, natural history, politics, military)

Email - philip@marjacq.com

Literary fiction and narrative non-fiction

Fiction: stunning sentences, convincing narratives, on-the-page magic. Non-fiction: narrative, personal accounts with political context, transporting/teaching. Original voices and captivating storytelling

Email submissions@aitkenalexander.co.uk with the subject line marked FAO Lisa Baker. For fiction, attach the first three chapters or up to fifty pages plus a short synopsis as Word-compatible files. For narrative non-fiction, include a short overview and up to 10,000 words of sample writing, for subject-led non-fiction, a proposal of approximately 5,000 words and at least 5,000 words of sample writing. Include a cover letter with a brief book description, any writing credits or qualifications, and a short biographical note. Submit to one agent only, do not contact agents' assistants directly.

Fiction and non-fiction

Fiction: literary/upmarket with escapism and page-turning readability, big high-stakes love stories from original angles. Non-fiction: writers shifting public discourse, health, medicine, history, politics, biographies/memoirs, cookery, art, music, lifestyle with a strong angle

Email submissions@aitkenalexander.co.uk with subject line marked FAO Monica MacSwan. For fiction, attach the first three chapters or fifty pages plus a short synopsis. For narrative non-fiction, attach a short overview and up to 10,000 words of sample writing. For subject-led non-fiction, attach a proposal of approximately 5,000 words and no less than 5,000 words of sample writing. Include a cover letter with a brief description of the book, any writing credits or qualifications, and a short biographical note. All attachments should be Microsoft Word compatible.