Our friends in the north
Julie Fergusson
Julie has worked in the publishing industry for over a decade, first in Scottish publishing and then UK-wide as a freelance editor and now agent. She has a degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in creative writing, both from the University of Edinburgh.
She is looking for fiction across a range of genres, from commercial to literary.
Wish list: smart, witty romcoms that subvert tropes or have something fresh to say; voice-driven or issue-led book club novels that engage with topical themes and spark conversation; layered, suspenseful thrillers with simmering tension, dark subtext and explosive character dynamics.
In the literary space: sharply observed contemporary novels; vividly drawn characters grappling with the everyday; books that examine culture or class; writing that is intentional and elevated without pretension. Bonus points for a voice with a dark edge or a dry sense of humour.
Here are some of the novels that Julie has read and loved: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin; Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang, I’m Sorry You Feel That Way by Rebecca Wait; Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason; My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh; The Secret History by Donna Tartt, If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha; Normal People by Sally Rooney; The Pact We Made by Layla AlAmmar; The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett; Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld; Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey; Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid; The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley, The Dry by Jane Harper and the Neapolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante.
Julie is not currently looking for authors who live in the USA or Canada, since they are better served by agents based in those countries.
She is not looking for children’s, MG or YA at this time, and please do not submit historical, fantasy or hard science fiction.
Allan Guthrie
Allan has worked in the book trade since 1996 and has been a literary agent since 2005. He is also an award-winning novelist, freelance editor and former publisher.
His main area of interest is crime fiction.
Lina Langlee – closed to submissions
Lina is from Sweden but moved to Scotland to study for her undergraduate and Masters. After then working in publishing for a number of years, she realised that being a literary agent combined all her favourite bits of the book industry and made the switch. She was shortlisted for the RNA ‘Agent of the Year’ award in 2019 and 2020.
Lina is looking for books across genres: commercial/high concept fiction with a great hook (be that romance, crime, thriller or general fiction), accessible literary fiction, and intriguing speculative fiction, SFF & horror.
She is also looking for fun, fantastical, and moving Middle Grade, and “big emotion” Young Adult across genres.
Lina actively welcomes authors from all backgrounds and would like to see more diverse stories and voices.
She is less keen on political or gangland thrillers. As a general rule, she would not offer representation to US-based authors since they are better served by US-based agents, except in the very rare situation where their story ought to originate from the UK.
Lina is currently closed for submissions.
Kevin Pocklington
Kevin works primarily in non-fiction, and is in the process of developing a fiction list. His non-fiction clients include: Peter Ross (A Tomb with A View), Sylvia Patterson (shortlisted for the Costa non-fiction prize for I’m Not with the Band), John Lydon and Sex Pistols (Anger Is An Energy), John Quin (Dr Quin, Medicine Man), Simon Goddard (Ziggyology), Uli Hesse (Sports Book of the Year award winner for Building the Yellow Wall), Mike Scott (Adventures of a Waterboy), Sean Yates (It’s All About the Bike), Jo Wood (Stoned) and many more. He is looking to expand this list further and into other areas of non-fiction.
In fiction, he is looking to develop a commercial crime list, and is interested in accessible literary fiction (a new Iain Banks, Jonathan Coe, Muriel Spark, Sally Rooney or Olga Tokarczuk would be warmly received).