Agents

Pieter Swinkels, Director of Operations and Literary Agent, represents literary fiction and nonfiction authors, as well as corporate publishing clients from around the world.

Biography

Pieter Swinkels started his literary publishing career at the premiere Dutch publishing houses De Bezige Bij and Meulenhoff Publishers in Amsterdam, where he published bestselling and critically-acclaimed authors such as Elizabeth Gilbert, Ann Patchett, Aravind Adiga, Damon Galgut, Sebastian Barry, Jhumpa Lahiri, Mohsin Hamid, Rachel Cusk, Paolo Giordano, Robert Harris and Karin Slaughter. Before joining Transatlantic Agency, Pieter worked as Chief Content Officer at Rakuten Kobo, leading Kobo’s global publisher relations, the self-publishing platform Kobo Writing Life, the Kobo Originals publishing program, and the launch of Audiobooks and Kobo Plus subscriptions. 

Pieter holds a Cum Laude MA degree in English Language & Literature from the University of Amsterdam, and a MPhil in Irish Literature from Trinity College Dublin. He lives and works in Toronto.

Submissions

Submit queries via email only to querypieter@transatlanticagency.com

Authors are encouraged to email a cover letter with a sample/excerpt of the book in question. Please submit a maximum of 20 pages. Embed the sample/excerpt into the body of the email after the cover letter.

Submit an author bio/publishing history and a synopsis. Please note if other agents are also considering the project and do not submit to Pieter if you have already submitted to another Transatlantic Agent.

Due to the volume of submissions received, replies will be sent for only those submissions being actively considered.

Jane Chun joined Transatlantic in 2023 after four years at Janklow & Nesbit Associates. Prior to her time at J&N, she worked on a freelance project for HG Literary and interned at Writers House and Maximum Films & Management.

Before entering the publishing world, Jane attended NYU where she majored in History and minored in Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology; Creative Writing; and Spanish. She returned to NYU shortly after graduation and a brief stint at Asian CineVision and the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) to receive her M.S. in Publishing with distinction. She is a native New Yorker.

Jane is particularly interested in stories that center marginalized communities and prose that is cinematic and atmospheric with good rhythm. In both fiction and nonfiction, she is drawn towards compelling, fresh voices that make her feel as though the writer is in the room with her, telling her their story with intimacy as if they were already acquainted. Regardless of how plot-driven a story is, characters with rich inner worlds and emotional depth are a must for her.

For fiction, she is seeking commercial, upmarket, and literary works in both adult and MG/YA about the search for and rebuilding of identity, diaspora, family and community, and examinations of power in relationships.

She is also looking for fantasy, sci-fi, and speculative fiction that delve into sharp social commentary and have meticulous world building and settings that don’t feel like Western Europe.

For historical fiction, she likes hidden histories and anything that is set in a time or place she’s not familiar with or focuses on a community that has been often overlooked if it’s a time/place she knows.

In terms of nonfiction, she is looking for memoirs and narrative nonfiction with a nuanced, intersectional approach and similar themes to her interests in fiction. She also is interested in books about food, travel, pop culture, and cultural criticism that dive deeply and thoughtfully into culture and traditions, particularly those written by authors of color.

In addition to traditional prose, she is very interested in graphic novels and nonfiction. She is looking for stylistically engaging, unique art that feels either nostalgic without being derivative or fresh and boundary-pushing. At the moment, she is only open to picture books by referral.

She is not the right person for prescriptive nonfiction, self-help, religion/spirituality books, romance, commercial thrillers, hard sci-fi, poetry, or short story collections.

For more details on what she’s looking for, please refer to her MSWL: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/jane-chun

Please send the following through Query Manager.

If you are having difficulty using Query Manager, you can query Jane by email [queryjane@transatlanticagency.com]

Please do NOT submit your query through both methods; the duplicate query will not be answered.

Fiction: a brief introduction, a synopsis, and the first ten pages. For email queries, please include all text in the body of the email

Nonfiction: a brief introduction, a full outline, and the first ten pages of the proposal. For email queries, please include all text in the body of the email

Graphic novels/nonfiction: a brief introduction, a synopsis/outline, and at least five illustrated pages with text. If you do not have five pages, you can send ten script pages and some sample art instead. For email queries, please attach the sample pages/art as a PDF

For email queries, include the book title, category/genre, word count (or estimated page count for graphic novels/nonfiction), and your author bio.

Ed Maxwell began his career in book publishing in 2011, as an assistant at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, Inc., working closely with Faith Hamlin for several years, before becoming a full agent in 2019. Ed is thrilled to have joined Transatlantic in the fall of 2022.

Ed has always favoured representing visual storytellers and their captivating art-driven literature to publishers. Standout titles and authors include Feminist Baby by Loryn Brantz, Queer Love in Color by Jamal Jordan, The Fisherman and the Whale by Jessica Lanan, In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee, and the forthcoming picture book, Willow’s Winter Walk by Stevie Lewis.

Ed also represents adult non-fiction writers who are determined to break apart conventional wisdoms in favour of brighter futures. With extensive professional experience in politics, Ed aims to bring the best of a civic mentality to agenting – to make good, sustainable connections for his clients, holistically represent their interests, and help grow their work, one conversation at a time.

Ed holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from New York University, with a focus in the 20th century political history of the Navajo Nation. Ed lives in Brooklyn, and when he’s not negotiating on behalf of his clients, he’s either shopping at a farmers market or shepherding his daughter from school to a playground.

As an agent of Transatlantic, Ed is piling his desk with the work of award-winning and reader-beloved storytellers.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Please *only submit* – attached as a pdf to a brief email introducing yourself, including “Query” in the subject line – the first four pages of your graphic novel, self-illustrated or composed in equal partnership with an artist or text author, or your complete graphic novel proposal, again self-illustrated or composed in equal partnership with an artist or text author; or your self-illustrated picture book manuscript, comprising at least two pages of full-color illustrations. Ed is not considering unsolicited fiction or unsolicited nonfiction submissions at this time.

Lisa is currently closed to queries.

All voices are welcome! Especially those telling tales of triumph over adversity with a sense of humour and flair, and anything uplifting.

Adult Fiction: Upmarket commercial to literary women’s and book club fiction, BIPOC romance rom/com.

Non-fiction: Narrative non-fiction especially travel/lifestyle/culinary memoir.

Middle Grade Fiction: Upbeat, voicey capers of underrepresented kids and retellings of classic stories or mythologies. 

Middle Grade Non-fiction: History and politics for the younger reader.

Lisa Rambert-Valaskova has a law degree from the University of McGill and a degree in French Language and Literature from the University of Toronto, Trinity College. Prior to joining Transatlantic she worked with several agents and authors as an independent literary consultant and editor. After living in Ottawa, Rome, Toronto, Prague, New York and (almost) Paris (twice!) – she now lives in beautiful Montreal with her husband, three children, and a sweet-as-honey Small Munsterlander named Tessa. 

Noelle is looking for projects that uplight essential voices from the margins and teaches us how to better be human. She is eager to work with and prioritize authors of marginalized identities, and is particularly drawn to stories from Southeast Asian, Pacific Islander and Oceanic, and Indigenous perspectives. This said, she welcomes all stories with compelling writing that explores the mythic and the mundane, the sacred and profane, and the strange and fabulous beside the everyday. She likes to see characters evolve and change, teaching us further about ourselves and the resilience of the human condition.

For fiction, she’s looking for literary, upmarket, and (especially) speculative fiction, including magical realism, fantasy, and science fiction. Any genre bending and blending forms and experimentation is well received – she likes risk-taking. Of note, she is particularly keen on: reimagined folklore and mythology; dark, sad girl narratives; folks in the margins of their own communities; immigrant mothers and their daughters; coming-of-age stories and sisterhood; the softness of siblinghood; atmospheric, existential campus novels from bipoc perspectives; the unique intricacies and messiness of romance; monstrous women (why are they monsters?); and anything brimming with ancestral ghosts. She likes speculative work with surreal elements that flirt with the absurd. Last, any narrative in which the ocean holds weight will have an automatic layer of charm. 

Ongoing favorites include: Han Kang, Marlon James, Samantha Hunt, Carmen Maria Machado, Mona Awad, and Sayaka Murata

For nonfiction, she’s looking for projects that explore the intersections of the personal, the political, and the cultural. She is specifically looking for narratives from the margins or from emerging artists, cultural practitioners, and academics that know their niche deeply. She would love to see strong essay collections, narrative nonfiction, archival works, and experimental blendings exploring (or connecting) culture, the diaspora, decolonization, systemic inequalities, land relationships, climate change, and our striving toward wellness. 

Ongoing favorites include: Cathy Park Hong, Claudia Rankine, Mohsin Hamid, Alexander Chee, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, and Anthony Christian Ocampo

Noelle is currently closed to submissions except for by referral. 

To query Noelle, please send a query letter, author bio, and 25-page sample (for fiction) or proposal (nonfiction) to querynoelle@transatlanticagency.com. Please include “Query” in the subject line along with the title and genre of your project, paste your sample into the body of the email, and notify her if another offer of representation is received.

If you have not heard from her within eight weeks, please assume that your work is not suitable for her current list. Thank you for thinking of me and for considering Transatlantic Agency.

Noelle Falcis Math has garnered a breadth of experience as a writer and editor before transitioning into agenting. She holds a BA and MFA in English and Creative Writing, and has received fellowships or residencies from VONA (Voices of Our Nations), Tinhouse, The Seventh Wave, and Lemontree House. At VONA, she realized the lack of knowledge accessible to marginalized writers, which fueled her interest in publishing. In 2021, she completed the Los Angeles Review of Books’ Publishing Workshop and Transatlantic Agency’s BIPOC mentorship program. In 2022, Noelle began assisting Amanda Orozco and Chelene Knight, and became the Marketing Assistant for the Transatlantic Agency. In 2023, Noelle transitioned into an Associate Literary Agent where she is now building her list.

• Fareh Malik
• Sanni McCandless Honnold
• Tamiko Nimura
• m. mick powell
• Kimberly Ann Ramos
• Megha Viswanatha Rao
• Sekani Robinson
• Stephanie Niu
• Elda Mariá Roman
• Raksha Vasudevan
• Sandy Yang
• Lucy Zhang

Alexandra D’Amico has worked in publishing since 2019. Alex completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto with a specialist in English and a minor in History, after which she attended Humber College’s Creative Book Publishing program. Alex worked as Rights and Contracts Coordinator for Beverley Slopen before coming to the Transatlantic Agency as Literary Assistant for Carolyn Forde, and Marilyn Biderman. Alex has also been the Executive Assistant for PACLA, the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents, since 2022. In 2023, Alex became Associate Literary Agent for Transatlantic and is now beginning to build her list. She is based in Toronto.

Alex is currently open to submissions by referral only. Alex is on the lookout for commercial and genre fiction, including Horror, Fantasy, RomCom/Romance, Historical and Speculative fiction for both an adult and young adult audiences. In nonfiction, Alex is looking for pop culture and lifestyle projects, prescriptive and narrative non-fiction that leans into her personal interests in spirituality and the occult, and expert-led history. She will also love to see poetry in the vein of Lang Leav and SHE WHO DESTROYS THE LIGHT by Shahida Arabi. Alex is actively seeking titles with diverse and queer inclusive representation, especially by authors who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Submissions by email only, please, including a short biography, synopsis, and 20-page sample in Word or PDF. With regret, replies will be sent only for submissions being actively considered.

For inquires, please email alexandra@transatlanticagency.com

Amanda is looking for stories and projects that make her feel deeply and that surprise her, whether that be in form, voice, tone, concept, ambition, or all of the above. She is particularly drawn to stories from Asian and Latinx writers, though she is always looking for stories with compelling writing featuring protagonists with a distinct voice and personality; clever, quirky, gritty, and/or twisty stories that keep her reading through the night.

For fiction, she’s looking for literary and upmarket adult fiction that feature stories about love, complex relationships, messy family dynamics, folklore and mythology, ghosts, and/or magic, in whatever forms they may take. She is particularly interested in books that bend and mix genre elements, including but not limited to speculative, horror, romance, and fantasy, and books that present the full spectrum of joy and hope and explore both the lightness and darkness of the human condition. She has a soft spot for coming-of-age stories, unique settings, multi-generational family sagas, short story collections, and the occasional urban fantasy. Recent favorites include Weike Wang, Kiley Reid, Ling Ma, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Mary H.K. Choi, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Leigh Bardugo. Unless written by an author of color, she is not the right agent for thrillers, mysteries, procedurals, space operas, or historical fiction, and she is not currently looking for children’s picture books.

For nonfiction, she’s interested in stories that offer fresh cultural, political, and/or social critiques along with personal narratives on art, pop culture, tech, and forgotten, unexamined history. She is looking for perspectives from the margins or from emerging artists and academics with original ideas and sharp commentary. She is open to select poetry, memoirs, and illustrated gift/humor books. Recent favorites include Carmen Maria Machado, Cathy Park Hong, Alexander Chee, and Jenny Odell.

Before joining the Transatlantic Agency in the fall of 2020, Amanda Orozco gained a breadth of experience in academic publishing, publicity, subsidiary rights, and agenting. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in Physiological Science and an English minor and worked as a fine art instructor and freelance editor for several years before moving to New York to complete the NYU Masters of Science in Publishing: Digital and Print Media. While at NYU, she worked at the National Book Foundation, Shreve Williams Public Relations, and The Gernert Company; she was also selected to attend the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Beijing International Book Fair. Upon graduating from NYU in 2019, she worked in Subsidiary Rights at Little, Brown, where she helped sell rights for authors such as Michael Connelly, Elin Hilderbrand, and Sarah Knight, until discovering agenting was her true calling. She worked at Park & Fine Literary and Media before moving back to Los Angeles, where she is working with authors such as Vanessa Angélica Villarreal, Vickie Vertiz, Dr. Anthony Christian Ocampo, Nick Medina, Tania De Rozario, María Alejandra Barrios, and Vanessa Friedman.

Amanda is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA); her aim is to elevate and amplify marginalized voices always.

You can find a list of Amanda’s recent deals as announced in Publishers Marketplace here.

Laura represents books across all genres and ages, with a focus on adult and YA fiction and nonfiction with a specialization in book-to-tv/film representation. She seeks out issue-driven books that surprise and provoke the reader, and literary writing that blends and subverts genre. Laura has a particular interest in contemporary stories that invite readers into lesser-known worlds, reimagined folklore, elevated horror, literary/upmarket suspense, research-based narrative nonfiction, and true crime. Above all, she seeks out unique narrative voices, characters she doesn’t recognize, and writing she can’t turn away from.

Laura is closed to queries. Due to the volume of submissions received, Laura only responds to queries she is actively considering.

Laura Cameron joined the Transatlantic Agency after six years at Penguin Random House Canada, where she worked in editorial, sales and publicity. Before her career in publishing, Laura did a Master’s in Journalism at Columbia University, interned with the Economist Group, and worked for Canadian Business magazine.

• Karen Benning
• Kim Bolan
• Francesca Boretsky
• Kay Chronister
• K.S. Covert
• Pauline Dakin
• Alisha Emrich
• Tara Sidhoo Fraser
• Kawika Guillermo
• Ruchira Gupta
• Teya Hollier
• Tariq Hussain
• Kim Izzo
• Brandi Morin
• Oubah Osman
• Lue Palmer
• Karisma Price
• Cristina Quintero
• Zandra Renwick
• Cherry Lou Sy
• Ewan Whyte

For inquires, please email lcameron@transatlanticagency.com

Léonicka is eager to work with people of color, including (but not limited to) trans people, disabled people, religious minorities, and queer folks.

Léonicka represents commercial fiction she can read on a beach vacation, and genre fiction that will keep her reading way past bedtime.

Currently she closed to queries but be sure to check back again in 2025!

After completing the publishing program at Centennial College, Léonicka Valcius interned in the sales department at HarperCollins Canada. The skills she learned landed her a job at Scholastic Book Fairs Canada as a book buyer and marketer. Her career growth then led her to the Online and Digital Sales team at Penguin Random House Canada where she sold ebooks and audiobooks.

As the founder of #DiverseCanLit and the first Chair of the Board of the Festival of Literary Diversity, serving readers and writers of colour is the core of Léonicka’s career.

She is committed to her clients’ careers for the long-haul and continuously expands her skill set to support their needs. To that end, Léonicka Valcius is a JD 2024 Candidate at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law.

For inquires, please email leonicka@transatlanticagency.com

You can follow him on Twitter @DevilWrsBowTies and on Instagram @thedevilwearsbowties

Tim is a Senior Agent at Transatlantic Agency. He represents fiction and nonfiction for adults, as well as for young readers of all ages. Tim loves a book that makes him laugh out loud. He loves a book that makes him cry. He loves a book that makes him fall in love, and he loves a book that breaks his heart.

He is interested in biographies or memoirs of people or groups that inspire: overcoming adversity, perseverance, hard work, compassion, empathy, giving back to the world. He is interested in nonfiction about topics that are amazing: but is also particularly interested in aviation, architecture, caves/tunnels/mines, cemeteries/memento mori, environmental concerns, island settings, outer space, politics, reading/writing/storytelling, all things Scandinavian/Nordic, socialism or anything the less-informed may label as socialism, and travel.

Tim has a fondness for science fiction and fantasy (SFF) in all forms, graphic novels and comics, bibliomysteries, literary horror, romantic comedies, literary romance, middle grade boy books, goofy energetic picture books, swashbuckling adventure, ghost stories, well-loved stories reimagined in new ways, exotic settings, parodies, anything over-the-top or weird or macabre, innovative books that break new ground, and anything to do with roller derby.

Tim is currently closed to submissions unless by referral or from attendees of his appearances at conferences or conventions.

Since 1994, Timothy Travaglini has worked in trade marketing for Scholastic, Inc.; been a bookseller for Books of Wonder, an all-children’s bookstore in New York City; and has edited for Henry Holt and Company, Walker & Company, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, and Open Road Integrated Media where he was the director of children’s acquisitions.

Books he has acquired and edited have been, among other things, #1 New York Times bestsellers, a Washington Post Best Children’s Book of the Year, Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner, Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction winner, have been made into an award-winning musical, made into an award-winning animated television show (currently on Netflix), and traveled on board the International Space Station. He has edited, published, and now represents artists and authors who either previously won, or have gone on to win, nearly every award and honor under the sun. He has edited an American Library Association’s 10 Most Frequently Challenged book as well as a Christianity Today Book Award for Fiction winner.