Agent details

I am a founding agent and director of United Agents. Previously, I trained as a psychologist, worked as a social worker with homeless men and families ran market stalls in Portobello and Camden and assisted the Aga Khan before ending up, some 20 years ago, as an assistant to the literary agent Giles Gordon.  His clients included Sue Townsend, Peter Ackroyd, Fay Weldon, Barry Unsworth and Vikram Seth. I set up on my own as a literary agent with the Peters Fraser & Dunlop Group (PFD) in 1994 and since then have built up a list of good quality commercial fiction and non-fiction writers which reflects my broad range of interests. I joined United Agents in the autumn of 2007.


I have spent several years studying non-dual therapy with Peter Fenner and am a qualified trainer and coach.

In May 2011 I was awarded the Bookseller Industry Award for Literary Agent of the Year.

In June 2012 I was promoted to Head of the Literary Department at United Agents.

On 30 November 2012 United Agents acquired A P Watt Ltd and from 3 December 2012 I became joint head of the literary department with Natasha Fairweather.

For submissions please send via email to hthompson@unitedagents.co.uk, with a synopsis and first three chapters. Please do not send submissions via the post, postal submissions will not be considered or returned.