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The Catchpole Agency·UK

Agent profile summary

Represents
picture bookschildren's fiction
How to submit
Email
Recently verified·Last verified: 13 May 2026

Celia Catchpole is a literary agent at The Catchpole Agency based in UK. Their list focuses on picture books and children's fiction. Currently closed to submissions. Submissions via Email. For current guidelines, check the agent's own submission page linked below.

Age Categories

Children's, Picture Books

Notes

Celia trained in art and specialises in discovering and developing new author-illustrators of picture books, with a strong editorial focus. She began her publishing career in rights before working at Pollinger, where she discovered JM Coetzee from unsolicited submissions. The agency is small and long-established (over 25 years), with notable clients including the creators of Varjak Paw and Top Secret Diary of Pig; the agency only responds to submissions that genuinely capture their attention, and warns that the odds are slim.

Other agents at The Catchpole Agency

The Catchpole Agency

Closed
RepresentsChildren's books
Looking forChildren's fiction and illustration: voice/style-first, strong hooks, diverse/own voices welcomed
How to submitEmail a short cover letter, a one- or two-sentence pitch including the hook and intended readership, and a writing sample pasted into the body of the email (a full picture book text or a couple of chapters of a novel) to submissions@thecatchpoleagency.co.uk. Illustrators should also include a link to their online portfolio. Do not submit by post. If own voices or diverse applies, include #ownvoices or #diverse in the subject line.
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How to submitReview David Higham's submission guidelines before submitting. Send your work by email to isobelsubmissions@davidhigham.co.uk. If you do not receive a response within twelve weeks, the agent will not be pursuing your work.
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Looking forCurrently (Jan 2026) only open to: non-fiction (adult or children) from experts, and non-rhyming picture books (especially author-illustrators)
How to submitEmail charlotte@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. For children's picture books, attach the full manuscript and sample illustrations if you are also the illustrator.
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This profile was last verified on 13 May 2026. PairPi tracks UK literary agents' submission guidelines against their own websites. If you spot something wrong, please email hello@pairpi.com.