Caro Clarke An agent with Portobello Literary About Caro Clarke is the founder and literary agent at Portobello Literary. They founded the agency in 2022 after twelve years working in publishing houses – Transworld (PRH) and Canongate Books as a Senior Rights Manager. They were named Rights Professional of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2021 and a Bookseller Rising Star in 2024.In 2019, they co-founded the Nan Shepherd Prize for underrepresented nature writers, which kickstarted a passion to demystify the publishing industry and help emerging writers to develop their craft and build their writing careers. Portobello Literary was established in 2022 to build on that work.Writers they have worked with have won or been nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, Wainwright Prize, Saltire National Book Awards, Fitzcarraldo Essay Prize, Edwin Morgan Poetry Award, Forward Prize, Morley Prize for Unpublished Writers of Colour, Mo Siewcharran Prize, Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award, Northern Writers Award, Nan Shepherd Prize, Laurel Prize, Nature Chronicles Prize, Wasafiri New Writing Prize, Eric Gregory Award, Women in Journalism Georgina Henry award, SI Leeds Literary Award and the Frank Allen Bullock Creative Writing Prize. This agent may not respond to all queries. After waiting 84 days, assume your submission will not be accepted. Country & Year Established United Kingdom Agent since 2022 AI Policy Human-created work only; no AI use allowed Collapse section Fiction Temp Closed I have very broad taste in fiction and I’m attracted to excellent writing, clever plots, unusual settings and complex characters. I love all types of stories from niche literary novels, to speculative fiction and fantasy, gripping crime and novels with wide appeal. I am partial to fiction that transports you, steals your heart and makes you think.Audience:Open to a broad Audience, including: Adults.Genres: Open to all/most Genres, including: General Fantasy Open to all/most Subgenres Mystery/Crime Open to all/most Subgenres Science Fiction Open to all/most SubgenresLengths: NovelStyles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.Topics: Open to all/most Topics.Submissions:Method: Email. Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Collapse section Nonfiction Temp Closed On the non-fiction side, I’m looking for narrative non-fiction, memoir, popular science, big ideas, travel, culture, essays, queer culture and intersectional feminism. I’m also interested in food writing and cookbooks. As the co-founder of the Nan Shepherd Prize for underrepresented nature writers, I have a particular soft spot for nature writing of any type. What I look for in non-fiction are fascinating topics, a unique perspective or one that disrupts the status quo and an engaging voice. Most of all, I’m looking for writers who are passionate about the topic of their book.Audience:Open to a broad Audience, including: Adults.Lengths: BookStyles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream, Personal.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Lifestyle: Cooking, Food and Drink. Science. Sexuality/Gender: LGBTQ issues, Women/Female issues. Society/Culture: General, Social issues. Travel.Submissions:Method: Email. Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary. Go to agent's webpage Report: Submission/Query Correction/Update New Cover ArtSocial:Bluesky @portyliterary.bsky.socialInstagram @portyliteraryThreads @portyliterary For the Agent: Request Interview Duosuma Submission Manager Link to Duotrope Agent Impersonation Scams are becoming commonplace.A legitimate agent will not contact you and request money to represent you. Never pay an agent an up-front fee. That is not how literary agent representation works. Agents earn a commission only after they've landed a publishing deal for you. Also, agents scarcely ever contact writers. If an agent that you haven't queried contacts you about representation, be suspicious. Look up the agent and check if the email address is correct for that agent/agency. Caro Clarke Submission Statistics The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the agency or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics. Filter: Category: All Categories Fiction Nonfiction Group by submission Include outliers Accuracy We have received 1 report within the past 12 months. The more responses reported, the more accurate the information. Other Information The agent will try to make a decision within 84 days. This agent may not respond to all queries. After waiting the time indicated above, assume your submission will not be accepted. Most recent response reported was received on 20 Nov 2025. Responses have been received for submissions sent as recently as 07 Sep 2025. Date compiled: 15 Sep 2026 09:45 UTC (less than a minute ago). Work submitted to this agent was also submitted to...This section is available to subscribers only. Sign up and start your free trial today!Members accepted by this agent also had work accepted by...This section is available to subscribers only. Become a member and start your free trial today! Your Submissions This section is available to subscribers only. Join today! Before SubmittingWe cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the agent or agency being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the agent/agency meets your standards.Always read the full guidelines provided by the agency/agent.Unless the agency's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.For agency submissions, it is standard to submit a query letter and sample instead of the full manuscript. Do this unless otherwise instructed.Be professional, patient, and persistent. DatesLast Updated: 04 Sep 2026We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year. 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