Emily Talbot

Please note I will be on maternity leave from 11th November 2024 until Autumn 2025. 

I am a literary agent representing children's illustrators and authors of picture books, middle grade, YA and non-fiction.

I started working at United Agents in 2013 in the foreign rights department, representing the overseas rights for UA's children's authors and illustrators, before moving over to primary agenting in 2015. Before this I worked in a primary school reading books with children every single day and discovering exactly what they like to read.

I love books that touch on the gritty realisms of life such as the writing of Louise O'Neill and Holly Bourne. I'm also on the lookout for middle grade of any kind; everything from authentic and emotive to humorous adventure. Above all I have a passion for great characterisation and am on the hunt for a distinctive, new and underrepresented voice in children’s literature, whatever age group that may find itself in. 

I am also looking for picture book authors and illustrators. My favourite picture books are those with an off the wall, irreverent humour. Not Now Bernard frames many a childhood memory for me for example. On the illustration side, If you’re looking for representation the most important thing you can do is find your own voice and adapt a style that is unique to you.

Submissions

Please send a covering email, a synopsis and the first three chapters as attachments. For picture books I'll need three stories and a covering email and for illustrators it’s a covering email and a selection of jpegs. If you are an author/illustrator then it’s fine to send a selection of both stories and jpegs.