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Maria Whelan

Open
Mushens Entertainment·UK

Agent profile summary

Represents
literary fictionupmarket fictionspeculative fictionhorrormagical realismmythology reimaginings
+9 morefairy tale reimaginingsfolklore reimaginingscultural criticismnarrative nonfictionnonfictioncookbooksfood writingshort story collectionsnovellas
Looking for
Cover letter, Synopsis, First three chapters
How to submit
Email
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Recently verified·Last verified: 22 May 2026
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Maria Whelan is a literary agent at Mushens Entertainment based in UK. Their list focuses on genres including literary fiction, upmarket fiction, and speculative fiction. Currently open to submissions, with responses usually within 4 to 6 weeks. Submissions via Email. For current guidelines, check the agent's own submission page linked below.

Age Categories

Adult, YA

Response Time

Usually responds within 4 to 6 weeks

Notes

Maria is the only agent at Mushens Entertainment who accepts novellas and short story collections. The agency does not accept picture books, middle grade, children's fiction younger than teen, individual short stories, erotica, poetry, screenplays, or comics. Mushens Entertainment represents a range of Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling authors and operates with a boutique approach from London.

Other agents at Mushens Entertainment

Rachel Neely

Mushens Entertainment

Open
RepresentsCrime, thrillers, literary thriller, commercial thriller, fantasy, dystopian, literary speculative fiction, dark academia, horror, high-concept book club fiction
Looking forCharacters with dark pasts, tragic futures or buried trauma. Crime and thrillers across the literary and commercial spectrum, fantasy, dystopian fiction, literary speculative fiction, dark academia, horror, and high-concept book club fiction.
How to submitEmail submissions@mushens-entertainment.com with the subject line 'Fiction Submission: TITLE OF YOUR WORK', addressed to Rachel Neely. Include a cover letter in the body of the email, a synopsis as an attachment, and a PDF or Word document of your first three chapters, first 10–15,000 words, or first 50 pages. Manuscript must be complete at time of submission.
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Juliet Mushens

Mushens Entertainment

Closed
RepresentsReading group fiction, crime, thriller, psychological fiction, literary fiction, fantasy, historical fiction
Looking forReading group fiction, crime and thriller, psychological novels, high-concept hooks, novels that feel ambitious and international, page-turners with a lot of twists and turns
How to submitEmail submissions@mushens-entertainment.com with a clear subject line (e.g. Fiction Submission: TITLE), the cover letter in the body of the email, a synopsis as an attachment, and a PDF or Word document containing either the first three chapters, the first 10,000 to 15,000 words, or the first 50 pages. Address the email to Juliet. Note: Juliet is currently closed to submissions.
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Agents with overlapping taste

Laura Williams

Greene & Heaton

Open
RepresentsLiterary fiction, upmarket commercial fiction, historical fiction, romantic comedy, gothic, horror, crime, psychological thriller, speculative fiction, YA, middle grade, memoir, narrative non-fiction, true crime
Looking forLiterary and upmarket commercial fiction of all kinds, especially meditative or moving novels about modern life with warmth and heart alongside sharpness. Historical and period fiction that sheds light on untold stories, ambitious cross-centuries narratives, and historical mysteries. High-concept love stories and romantic comedies with depth. Gothic, horror, murder mysteries, ghost stories, psychological thrillers, speculative and magical realist fiction, and novels with a true-crime feel. A small list of YA and middle grade that feels current and contemporary with a real conversation at its core — not currently seeking fantasy or anything younger than middle grade. On the non-fiction side: memoirs of extraordinary people, narrative non-fiction on subjects the author is passionate about, books on mental health, untold stories across popular science, history and popular culture, and a brilliant true crime book. Particularly keen on LGBTQI+ stories and diverse voices from across the globe. Not currently looking for cookery, wellness, or lifestyle.
How to submitEmail submissions@greeneheaton.co.uk with your covering letter in the body of the email. Include the agent's name in the subject line. Fiction: attach the first three chapters or around fifty pages plus a one-to-two page synopsis that reveals the ending, as Word documents. Non-fiction: attach three sample chapters or around fifty pages plus a chapter summary or synopsis, and explain why you are best placed to write the book and who the intended readership is. AI-generated or AI-edited content is not accepted. No postal submissions.
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Ian Drury

Sheil Land Associates

Open
RepresentsLiterary 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
Looking forSF/fantasy, sweeping historical fiction, character-driven sci-fi, action/adventure, crime. Non-fiction: history, biography, music
How to submitEmail 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.
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James Mustelier

The Bent Agency

Closed
RepresentsLiterary fiction, horror, mysteries, thrillers, suspense, fantasy, romantasy, speculative fiction
Looking forJames represents high concept literary and genre fiction for adults and young adults, co-repping with his colleague Jenny Bent. Together they are specifically interested in compact horror and mysteries with unique hooks and intricate plotting, atmospheric thrillers and suspense novels with a strong sense of place, and unique fantasy/romantasy. They are particularly interested in authors who have successfully been working in the indie space and are now looking to transition into traditional or hybrid publishing. On his own, James is looking for voice-driven literary fiction (including books with genre elements but literary execution) and grounded speculative fiction with high stakes that touches on contemporary issues. Across all genres, he prizes direct, economical prose, complex characters, building tension, narrative gravity, and a distinct sense of humor.
How to submitEmail your query to James Mustelier at the address listed on his agent page, or use his QueryManager link if indicated there. Include the title of your project in the subject line. Paste the first ten pages of your manuscript in the body of the email — no attachments. For picture books, include the complete text, for illustrated work, include a link to your website or two to three PDFs or JPEGs. Do not query multiple Bent Agency agents simultaneously, if James passes, you may then query another agent at the agency.
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Rachel Neely

Mushens Entertainment

Open
RepresentsCrime, thrillers, literary thriller, commercial thriller, fantasy, dystopian, literary speculative fiction, dark academia, horror, high-concept book club fiction
Looking forCharacters with dark pasts, tragic futures or buried trauma. Crime and thrillers across the literary and commercial spectrum, fantasy, dystopian fiction, literary speculative fiction, dark academia, horror, and high-concept book club fiction.
How to submitEmail submissions@mushens-entertainment.com with the subject line 'Fiction Submission: TITLE OF YOUR WORK', addressed to Rachel Neely. Include a cover letter in the body of the email, a synopsis as an attachment, and a PDF or Word document of your first three chapters, first 10–15,000 words, or first 50 pages. Manuscript must be complete at time of submission.
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Clara Foster

Aevitas Creative Management

Open
RepresentsLiterary fiction, contemporary fiction, upmarket fiction, book club fiction, fantasy, horror, young adult, crossover
Looking forClara Foster wants intelligent, original fiction with deep emotion, strong line-level writing, and voice-led characters. She is looking for adult literary contemporary fiction with a strong female focus, upmarket and book club novels that are cleverly conceived, beautifully written, and accessible, fantasy and horror that explore the real world or the self, historical romantasy, urban fantasy, academic settings, body horror, lightly speculative fiction, and YA/crossover stories that are political while providing a strong story. She is not a likely fit for commercial women's fiction, science fiction, World War II or Holocaust stories, or narratives driven primarily by sexual assault, eating disorders, a great lie, or death of a child. She is not accepting nonfiction except by referral.
How to submitSubmit via Clara Foster's official QueryTracker link from her submissions page. Send a query letter, synopsis, and first three chapters. All queries will receive a response.
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Julie Gourinchas

Bell Lomax Moreton

Closed
RepresentsFiction
Looking forUpmarket and literary adult/new adult fiction (genre-agnostic within upmarket/literary, sweet spot literary-speculative). Interested in high-concept/hooky work, uncommon voices, strong aesthetic, gothic/grounded fantasy, "weird girl lit", dark academia, select romantasy etc
How to submitQueryManager - https://querymanager.com or juliegourinchas
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This profile was last verified on 22 May 2026. PairPi tracks UK literary agents' submission guidelines against their own websites. If you spot something wrong, please email hello@pairpi.com.