If you’re looking to be traditionally published, having a literary agent in your corner can significantly improve your chances. Not only can they pitch your manuscript to the most suitable publishers and negotiate the best possible deal, but they can also work with you editorially, handle subsidiary rights (such as film, TV, and audiobook), make sure you’re paid correctly, and champion you throughout your writing career.

To kickstart your agent search, we’ve put together a list of 30 top literary agents for historical fiction writers, in no particular order (i.e. not ranked). The list is categorised by country and covers the UK, USA, and Canada. But before we get to it, here are our top tips for submitting to agents:

1. Check that the agent is open to submissions. Some agents periodically close their submissions and will delete any submissions unread during that time.

2. Do your research. While many agents have detailed manuscript wishlists on their agency website, others might be less specific. Looking at the agent’s client list can be a good way of gauging their interests, preferences, and any gaps in their list that you might just be the author to fill…

3. Follow the submission guidelines. Guidelines will vary from agency to agency. Agents receive a vast number of submissions each year, so follow the guidelines to give yourself the best chance of success. Don’t give an agent a reason to delete your submission without reading it first.

If you’re looking for more tips on how to query agents, make sure you download our guide on how to write a query below.

How to write a query letter: an exclusive guide from The History Quill

Literary agents based in the UK

1. Madeleine Milburn

Agency: Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency

Madeleine Milburn has appeared on The Bookseller’s list of 150 most influential people in the book trade every year since 2017. She founded her own agency in 2012 and is responsible for discovering various New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling authors. Open to submissions from the UK and internationally, Madeleine has strong ties in Canada and the US. She is passionate about both contemporary and historical fiction. Historical fiction authors she represents include Elizabeth Macneal and Lizzie Pook. Find out more about Madeleine Milburn and what she’s looking for on the agency website.

2. Jonny Geller

Agency: Curtis Brown

Jonny Geller joined Curtis Brown in 1993 and has been listed as one of The Bookseller‘s 150 most influential people in UK publishing every year since the list began. He represents various historical fiction heavyweights, including Tracy Chevalier (Girl With A Pearl Earring), Susanna Clarke (Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell), and S.J. Parris (Heresy). Find out more about Jonny Geller on the agency website.

3. Juliet Mushens

Agency: Mushens Entertainment

Juliet Mushens is the founder of Mushens Entertainment, a leading UK literary agency. She represents historical authors such as Jessie Burton (The Miniaturist), Stacey Halls (The Familiars), Laura Purcell (The Silent Companions), Anna Mazzola (The Clockwork Girl) and Jennifer Saint (Ariadne). Find out more about Juliet Mushens on her agency’s website.

4. Nelle Andrew

Agency: Rachel Mills Literary

Winner of the Bookseller’s Literary Agent of the Year award in 2021, Nelle Andrew represents various award-winning and internationally bestselling authors. Historical fiction authors on her list include Louise Hare (This Lovely City), Sara Collins (The Confessions of Frannie Langton), and Beth Underdown (The Witchfinder’s Sister). Find out more about Nelle Andrew on the agency website.

5. Judith Murray

Agency: Greene & Heaton

Judith Murray joined Greene & Heaton in 1995. She is passionate about beautifully written and well-researched historical fiction. Many of the authors she represents have been shortlisted for literary prizes, and her client list includes Sarah Waters (Fingersmith), Ian McGuire (The North Water), and Elizabeth Buchan (The Museum of Broken Promises). Find out more about Judith Murray on the agency website.

6. Charlotte Colwill

Agency: Colwill & Peddle

Charlotte Colwill is a literary agent who started her career as a bookseller and book buyer for shops including Daunt Books and Foyles. She has worked at Tibor Jones, with Wilbur Smith’s agent Kevin Conroy Scott, and also at Jo Unwin Literary Agency. She now has her own agency with a colleague, Colwill & Peddle, and represents a range of fiction and children’s authors. She is particularly passionate about genre and historical fiction, both as an agent and as a reader, and loves to see historical fiction written from new angles and perspectives. Her clients include Cecily Blench (The Long Journey Home) and Bill Swiggs (Blood in the Dust). Find out more on the Colwill & Peddle website.

7. Francesca Riccardi

Agency: Kate Nash Literary Agency

Francesca Riccardi has over fifteen years of experience in the publishing industry. Prior to becoming a literary agent, she worked in sales and marketing roles at publishers Canelo, Atlantic Books, Constable & Robinson, and HarperCollins. Historical fiction authors represented by Francesca include Katie Daysh (Leeward), Alis Hawkins (A Bitter Remedy), and June O’Sullivan (The Lighthouse Keeper’s Wife). Find out more about Francesca Riccardi on the agency website.

8. Ian Drury

Agency: Sheil Land Associates

Ian Drury joined Sheil Land Associates as a literary agent in 2007. He is best known for representing science fiction/fantasy and historical fiction authors. Historical fiction authors on his list include Angus Donald (Outlaw) and Robert Fabbri (Tribune of Rome). Find out more about Ian Drury on the agency website.

9. Victoria Hobbs

Agency: AM Heath

Representing the likes of Maggie O’Farrell and Conn Iggulden, Victoria Hobbs has worked with Sunday Times bestselling and prize-winning authors, some of whom she has represented for over twenty years. Her list is eclectic, covering a range of genres, and she enjoys hearing from new writers. Find out more about Victoria Hobbs on the agency website.

10. Sam Copeland

Agency: Rogers, Coleridge & White (RCW)

Shortlisted for Literary Agent of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2020 and 2021, Sam Copeland is a director of the RCW agency and represents a diverse list of authors. His historical fiction clients include Abir Mukherjee (A Rising Man) and Andrew Hughes (The Coroner’s Daughter). Find out more about Sam Copeland on the agency website.

11. Antony Topping

Agency: Greene & Heaton

Antony Topping has been with Greene & Heaton since 1995, having previously worked as a fiction buyer. His client list includes historical fiction heavyweights such as Andrew Taylor (The Ashes of London), C. J. Sansom (Tombland), Laura Shepherd-Robinson (Blood & Sugar), and Suzannah Dunn (The Testimony of Alys Twist). Find out more about Antony Topping on the agency website.

12. Caroline Hardman

Agency: Hardman & Swainson

Co-founder of the Hardman & Swainson literary agency, Caroline Hardman has a diverse list and accepts submissions at both the literary and commercial ends of the spectrum. Her client list includes historical fiction authors such as Dinah Jeffries (The Tea Planter’s Wife), Liz Trenow (The Poppy Factory), Louise Fein (People Like Us), and Nikola Scott (The Orchard Girls). Find out more about Caroline Hardman on the agency website.

13. Rebecca Ritchie

Agency: AM Heath

Rebecca Ritchie’s list tends towards the commercial end of the spectrum, including commercial women’s fiction and saga. She is always on the lookout for new voices and has represented a number of debut and bestselling authors. Historical fiction clients include Iona Grey (The Glittering Hour), Kate Riordan (The Stranger), and Jenny Ashcroft (Under the Golden Sun). Find out more about Rebecca Ritchie on the agency website.

14. Hattie Grünewald

Agency: The Blair Partnership

Hattie Grünewald was a Bookseller Rising Star in 2020. In the same year, she was crowned the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Agent of the Year. Historical novelists on her list include Suzanne Fortin (The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger) and Roxane Dhand (The Pearler’s Wife). Find out more about Hattie Grünewald on the agency website.

15. Kate Burke

Agency: Blake Friedmann

Prior to becoming a literary agent in 2012, Kate Burke worked as editor at Penguin, HarperCollins, and Random House. This editorial background has given her a hands-on approach to working with authors. Kate is looking for historical fiction set from 1800 onwards (particularly WW2 and beyond) that will appeal to the book club market, along with historical women’s fiction. Her clients include Jean Fullerton (A Ration Book Christmas), Fiona Ford (Christmas at Liberty’s), and Kate Thompson (Secrets of the Homefront Girls). Find out more about Kate Burke on the agency website.

How to write a query letter: an exclusive guide from The History Quill

Literary agents based in the US

1. Elaine Spencer

Agency: The Knight Agency 

Elaine Spencer is Vice President of Operations and a literary agent at The Knight Agency. She represents USA Today bestselling historical fiction author Sara Ackerman (Radar Girls) and is interested in fiction within a wide range of genres, including women’s fiction and romance. Find out more about Elaine Spencer on the agency website.

2. Stefanie Lieberman

Agency: Janklow & Nesbit

Stefanie Lieberman is interested in upmarket fiction with commercial appeal. She particularly enjoys novels with a distinct sense of time and place, as well as plot-driven stories that feature a distinctive voice. Clients include New York Times bestselling authors Fiona Davis (The Lions of Fifth Avenue) and Sarah Penner (The Lost Apothecary). Find out more about Stefanie Lieberman on the agency website.

3. Laura Bradford

Agency: Bradford Literary Agency

Laura Bradford founded the Bradford Literary Agency in 2001. She takes an editorially hands-on approach with her authors, who range from debuts to award-winners and bestsellers. At the time of writing, Laura is currently closed to queries, but you can keep an eye on the agency website to see when this changes – or to submit to one of her colleagues, such as Hannah Andrade, who also represents historical fiction. Laura Bradford’s clients include Ellen Lindseth (The Long Path Home) and Madeline Martin (The Last Bookshop in London). Find out more about Laura Bradford on the agency website.

4. Elisabeth Weed

Agency: The Book Group

Elisabeth Weed has worked with clients whose novels have graced the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists, but she also loves discovering new voices. She enjoys plot-driven novels that feature a strong sense of place and atmosphere. Historical fiction authors on her list include Joy Jordan-Lake (A Tangled Mercy), Ariel Lawhon (Code Name Hélène), and Greer Macallister (The Arctic Fury). Find out more about Elisabeth Weed on the agency website.

5. Kristin Nelson

Agency: Nelson Literary Agency

Kristin Nelson has represented over forty-five New York Times bestselling titles and a host of USA Today bestsellers. She is on the lookout for historical fiction that features narrative voices and stories that are underrepresented in history. Historical novelists on her list include Gail Carriger (The Parasol Protectorate series), Courtney Milan (The Duchess War), Stacey Lee (The Downstairs Girl), and Sherry Thomas (Lady Sherlock Historical Mysteries). Find out more about Kristin Nelson on the agency website.

6. Ellen Levine

Agency: Trident Media Group

Ellen Levine is the Executive Vice President of TMG and has represented many award-winning and internationally bestselling authors, such as Michael Ondaatje (The English Patient), Stephen P. Kiernan (The Baker’s Secret), and Esi Edugyan (Washington Black). Find out more about Ellen Levine on the agency website.

7. Amanda Jain

Agency: Bookends Literary 

Amanda Jain represents historical fiction in the romance, mystery, and fantasy subgenres – and more besides. Historical fiction clients include Marlowe Benn (Passing Fancies) and Emily Sullivan (A Rogue to Remember). Find out more about Amanda Jain on the agency website.

8. Rayhané Sanders

Agency: Massie & McQuilkin

Rayhané Sanders joined Massie & McQuilkin in 2014. Her list includes bestselling and award-winning historical fiction authors such as Janet Beard (The Atomic City Girls) and Devin Murphy (The Boat Runner). Find out more about Rayhané Sanders on the agency website.

9. Kevan Lyon

Agency: Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

Kevan Lyon is a founding partner of Marsal Lyon. She’s been a literary agent for more than ten years, and prior to that she worked in the retail and buying side of publishing for over seventeen years. She represents various internationally bestselling authors of historical women’s fiction, such as Kate Quinn (The Alice Network), Stephanie Dray (The Women of Chateau Lafayette), and Jennifer Robson (The Gown). Find out more Kevan Lyon on the agency website.

10. Mitchell Waters

Agency: Brandt & Hochman

Mitchell Waters has been a literary agent for over twenty-five years and has a particular interest in historical fiction. He represents both literary and commercial fiction and particularly likes historical mysteries and suspense. Historical fiction authors represented by Mitchell include Natalie Jenner (The Jane Austen Society), Allison Montclair (Sparks & Bainbridge mysteries), and Kim Van Alkemade (Bachelor Girl). Find out more about Mitchell Waters on the agency website.

How to write a query letter: an exclusive guide from The History Quill

Literary agents based in Canada

1. Rachel Letofsky

Agency: Transatlantic Agency

Rachel Letofsky has been with Cooke McDermid since 2010 and is on the lookout for historical fiction for adults, along with middle-grade and young adult titles in all genres. Clients include Natalie Morrill and Ellen Keith. Rachel’s submissions are currently closed, but keep an eye on the agency website to find out when they’ll re-open. Find out more about Rachel Letofsky on the agency website.

2. Helen Heller

Agency: The Helen Heller Agency

Prior to establishing the Helen Heller Agency in 1988, Helen Heller worked as an editor and publisher. Authors represented by the Helen Heller Agency include Khaled Hosseini, Bruce Holsinger, and Nadia Hashimi. Find out more about Helen Heller on the agency website.

3. Marilyn Biderman

Agency: Transatlantic Agency

Before joining Transatlantic, Marilyn had her own literary agency and consultancy practice for seven years, during which she helped launch the careers of debut and prize-winning authors. Prior to that, she worked at McClelland & Stewart for twelve years. She is currently only accepting submissions by referral. Find out more about Marilyn Biderman on the agency’s website.

4. Meg Wheeler

Agency: Westwood Creative Artists

Meg Wheeler is a literary agent and international rights director at WCA. Historical novels she admires include The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, The Toss of a Lemon by Padma Viswanathan, and Washington Black by Esi Edugyan. She is particularly interested in hearing from authors from backgrounds that have been traditionally underrepresented in the book industry. Find out more about Meg Wheeler on the agency website.

5. Carly Watters

Agency: PS Literary

Carly Watters is a senior literary agent at PS Literary. She began her publishing career at the Darley Anderson agency in London and has been with PS Literary since 2010. She represents both debuts and bestsellers. Authors she has worked with include Taylor Jenkins Reid (The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo) and Susie Orman Schnall (The Subway Girls). Find out more about Carly Watters on the agency website.

How to write a query letter: an exclusive guide from The History Quill