CHARLIE VINEY
I have been an agent since 2002 and The Viney Agency is now one of the UK’s most successful independent literary agencies, representing a very diverse range of clients writing across a broad range of subjects.
I first started in the book trade as a bookseller (gaining invaluable insights into book buying habits) and then enjoyed a twenty five year career in general trade publishing, mostly working in international sales and marketing, later becoming a board director at the major British publishing house of Little, Brown. I am the author of five published books - none of which won prizes - but writing was invaluable experience for my later career as an agent, giving me a much better understanding of the pressures that authors can be under.
Successful agenting is ultimately about selling and my agency prides itself on being a very sales lead business. Our response times are quick, our editorial work on manuscripts detailed, our submissions to book publishers and other media focused and clear. We enjoy an unusually high success rate obtaining contracts for our clients.
Though we are always looking for outstanding writing, we deliberately do not feature in directories for literary agencies, preferring to work pro-actively in the market with new and existing clients, often originating ideas for books. The Viney Agency is London based and operates directly in the UK, the US and Australia.
My ambition was to always run a literary agency representing clients writing across a broad range of genres. Being a literary agent is my dream job, combining my love of books and business while working very closely with our wonderful authors and managing their careers across all media.
KATE SHAW
I have been a literary agent since 2001, working first at Aitken Alexander Associates, before joining The Viney Agency in December 2009. I have helped to discover and nurture bestselling and award-winning writers like Mark Haddon and Julia Gregson (whose original agent I was) and my diverse list of clients comprises writers of children’s and adult novels and a growing number of non-fiction authors.
Ever since I hid behind the radiator at school to finish Alan Garner’s The Owl Service, books have been my passion. My first job was assistant to a literary agent and after that I moved into publishing, ultimately as publicity director at Penguin. During that time I ran publicity campaigns for authors such as Jonathan Coe, Jim Crace, Alex Garland, William Gibson, Patrick McGrath, Matt Ridley, Barbara Trapido and Claire Tomalin.
As an agent I am always looking for brilliant new voices in fiction for all ages - particularly commercial literary fiction - and I love non-fiction which gives us insight into another life, time or place, and which changes the way we see the world.
I work very closely editorially with my clients, helping them to shape proposals and manuscripts before submitting them to publishers.
PIPPA LE QUESNE
I have worked in publishing since 1996, starting my career as publicity assistant at Bloomsbury, before moving across to their children’s editorial department. I was lucky enough to be there for the publication of the first two Harry Potter books – the beginning of the phenomena which reshaped children’s fiction making it the high profile, exciting area of publishing it is today.
I read and wrote avidly as a child and having studied English Literature at university went on to do a Masters in Creative Writing at Bath before getting my first job in publishing. I still clearly remember what I looked for in a book as a child, what set my imagination on fire and what it was like to be utterly transported to another world. I try to find that in a manuscript and encourage our writers to strive to achieve that in their work.
After leaving Bloomsbury, I gained experience at the successful packagers Working Partners – editing existing series and helping to create new commercial series fiction, before moving to Puffin to become Commissioning Editor. At Puffin I enjoyed working across the age ranges and genres with many successful authors such as Livi Michael, Linda Chapman, Carol Ann Duffy, Brian Patten and Roger McGough.
As Editorial Director of Children’s at The Viney Agency I work closely with our authors, guiding them editorially and helping them to achieve the high standard of submission expected by publishers in today’s fierce market.
