New agents are great opportunities for writers,
as they are likely building their client list.
See all our new literary agent spotlights here.
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ABOUT THE AGENT:
Alison MacKeen is a Partner and Literary Agent with Calligraph, representing idea-driven books that cast new light on fundamental features of human experience—from well-being to work, relationships to inequality, cognition to communication—often by approaching them from unexpected angles. Alison is privileged to represent a range of talented thinkers and writers. She takes huge pleasure in working with them to hone compelling proposals and connecting them with the editors who have the vision and commitment to help them realize their books’ full potential. Recent deals have included Avery, Crown, FSG, Little Brown, Penguin Press, Scribner, Simon & Schuster, and W.W. Norton.
Before joining Calligraph, she was an agent at Sterling Lord Literistic and Park & Fine Literary and Media. Prior to that, she held editorial positions at Yale University Press, Princeton University Press, and Basic Books, among others. Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Alison studied literature at McGill University and the University of Oxford before migrating to New York City, where she lives with her partner, kids, and cat.
ALISON IS SEEKING:
“She is actively looking for literary non-fiction, including memoir, which introduces readers to under-covered and unfamiliar people, places, and issues; voice-driven cultural criticism, including essays; and offbeat “wisdom literature.””
HOW TO SUBMIT:
Please send a query letter to submissions@calligraphlit.com with a brief synopsis of your work and a short bio, along with 25 pages of sample material in the body of the email (no attachments will be opened). Include the name of the agent you are querying in the subject line of the email, along with the title of your project and its genre.
Address your query to the agent you believe is the best fit for your work (consult their profiles on the website for information about each agent). Please do not query the agent directly.
All submissions must be sent to the email address above to be considered.
“Due to the volume of queries we receive, we regret that we cannot respond to each one. If we are interested in reading more, we will be in touch with you. We do not represent screenplays. We do not accept queries by postal mail or by phone.”
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