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James Catchpole

Closed
The Catchpole Agency·UK

Agent profile summary

Represents
children's books
Looking for
Children's fiction and illustration: voice/style-first; strong hooks; diverse/own voices welcomed
How to submit
Email
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Recently verified·Last verified: 8 May 2026
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James Catchpole is a literary agent at The Catchpole Agency based in UK. Their list focuses on children's books. Currently closed to submissions, with response guidance listed as Only if interested. Submissions via Email. For current guidelines, check the agent's own submission page linked below.

Age Categories

Children's, Middle Grade, YA

Response Time

Only if interested

Notes

The Catchpole Agency has been operating for over twenty-five years and represents clients including the authors and illustrators behind Varjak Paw and The Top Secret Diary of Pig. The agency keeps its list small and intentionally selective, noting that most of its current clients came through the open submissions route. James Catchpole tends to work with illustrators who write or intend to write, as the agency's editorial input is most valuable in that context.

Other agents at The Catchpole Agency

Celia Catchpole

The Catchpole Agency

Closed
RepresentsPicture books, children's fiction
Looking forVoice and style come first — the agency needs to fall for your voice above all else. Ideas are secondary and can be developed, but the voice must draw them in immediately. Particularly interested in hearing from diverse authors and illustrators, and those writing own voices stories. Also interested in illustrators who write or intend to write, as they benefit most from the agency's editorial input.
How to submitEmail submissions@thecatchpoleagency.co.uk with: a short cover letter with a couple of details about yourself, a one- or two-sentence pitch setting out the hook of your premise, a brief note on intended readership, and a writing sample pasted into the body of the email (a complete picture book text or a couple of chapters of a novel). Illustrators should also include a link to work viewable online plus some writing. No postal submissions accepted. If own voices or diverse applies to you, include #ownvoices or #diverse in the subject line. Note: submissions are closed until June 2026.
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Ariana Philips

Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency

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RepresentsFiction, nonfiction, children's books, illustration
Looking forAriana Philips represents a diverse range of award-winning fiction and nonfiction for adults and children, as well as talented illustrators. She loves to find new talent and work with clients to develop strong manuscripts and proposals. Her philosophy is to take on an author for the duration of their career and help guide them through the ever-changing publishing landscape.
How to submitAriana Philips is an agent at the Jean V.
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Penny Holroyde

Holroyde Cartey

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RepresentsChildren's authors and illustrators
Looking forChildren's fiction and non-fiction across all ages, with a particular love for picture books, and authors and illustrators across fiction and non-fiction for all ages
How to submitEmail penny@holroydecartey.com with a cover letter. Authors: attach synopsis and full manuscript as separate Word files labelled with title and author name, picture book authors may send up to three finished texts, non-fiction authors should include a CV, three-page proposal, and market analysis. Illustrators: send a portfolio of around 12 images as JPEG or PDF, maximum 5MB, do not send links to websites or file transfer services. Submit to either Claire or Penny, not both.
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Erin Murphy

Aevitas Creative Management (ACM UK)

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RepresentsPicture books, middle grade fiction, young adult fiction, children's nonfiction
Looking forMiddle-grade and young adult fiction, including novels celebrating unlikely underdog alliances, close siblings, fierce friendships, and found families, with particular interest in stories centered on queer and BIPOC community and joy. In middle-grade: cozy, emotionally resonant fantasy and literary-leaning multi-layered mysteries. In young adult: sweeping fantasy set in fully realized unique worlds, especially those inspired by non-European cultures, as well as thrillers with strong hooks. Also open to well-researched, propulsive narrative nonfiction for both categories, especially from authors from marginalized communities.
How to submitQuery Erin Murphy through Query Tracker only. Include a query letter and sample pages as requested through the platform.
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Becky Bagnell

Lindsay Literary Agency

Open
RepresentsChildren's fiction, children's nonfiction, young adult, middle grade, picture books, illustrators
Looking forBecky Bagnell founded Lindsay Literary Agency. The agency specialises in writing for children, from picture books to Young Adult fiction and nonfiction for young people. It is currently open to submissions, particularly from diverse or underrepresented authors. It is full for picture book scripts, but actively looking for YA in any genre, middle grade with a strong concept or hook, epic middle-grade fantasy, younger 5-7 stories around 5,000 words, voice-led YA, high-concept YA, contemporary love stories, and romantasy.
How to submitEmail info@lindsayliteraryagency.co.uk. For novels, attach the first three chapters and a single-page synopsis as two separate double-spaced Word documents, and put a covering letter in the email body with brief author information and a 2-3 sentence pitch. Picture book submissions should include a covering letter and complete story in Word format, illustrators should send small PDF samples and a link to online work. Postal submissions are not accepted.
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Nicky Lander

The Bright Agency

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RepresentsHumor, children's, picture books, middle grade, young adult
Looking forCreative, proactive, and friendly artists working across all genres and age ranges, particularly projects that are humorous, quirky, or designed to spark meaningful conversations
How to submitSend all enquiries to mail@thebrightagency.com.
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This profile was last verified on 8 May 2026. PairPi tracks UK literary agents' submission guidelines against their own websites. If you spot something wrong, please email hello@pairpi.com.