Emma Paterson An agent with Aitken Alexander Associates (see other agents at this agency). About I joined Aitken Alexander Associates in 2018 after five years at Rogers, Coleridge & White. Before that, I worked at The Wylie Agency. I was made a Director of Aitken Alexander and became a member of the Booker Prize Foundation Advisory Committee in 2020. In 2021, I was included in British Vogue’s annual list of the 25 most influential women; in 2022, I was named one of Britain’s most influential people of African, African Caribbean and African American heritage by Powerlist, and featured in The Bookseller 150, an annual list of the most influential people in UK publishing.I represent literary fiction, non-fiction and poetry. My authors include Bernardine Evaristo, winner of the 2019 Booker Prize; Preti Taneja, winner of the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Gordon Burn Prize; Costa Poetry Prize winner Mary Jean Chan; Natasha Brown, shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize, the Folio Prize and the Orwell Prize for Fiction; Victoria Adukwei Bulley, shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot Prize and the Folio Prize; Susanna Moore, author of In the Cut; novelist and essayist Olivia Sudjic; Sunday Times bestselling authors Emma Dabiri and Shon Faye; Emmy-nominated data journalist Mona Chalabi, and New Yorker staff writer and Sunday Times bestselling author Sam Knight. Limited Demographic: Submissions are restricted to writers in the UK. This agent may not respond to all queries. After waiting 90 days, assume your submission will not be accepted. Country of Publication United Kingdom Professional Associations Member of AAA AI Policy Unknown AI policy Collapse section Fiction Open In fiction, I admire story-led and character-driven writing powered by ideas and wrestling with history; high-stakes novels that make us feel deeply, think critically, and contend with complex moral and social questions. I’m drawn to a compelling story arc, clever plotting, and rich, careful worldbuilding, whether realist or speculative, contemporary or historical. My favourite novels include The Heat of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen, Underworld by Don DeLillo, Under the Skin by Michel Faber, The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan, The Quiet American by Graham Greene, Imagine Me Gone by Adam Haslett, The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith, Writers & Lovers by Lily King, Passing by Nella Larsen, The Human Stain by Philip Roth, Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift, and The Night Watch by Sarah Waters. More recently I’ve loved Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst, All Fours by Miranda July, and Trespasses by Louise Kennedy.Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Genres: GeneralLengths: Fiction Collection NovelStyles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Society/Culture: See guidelines.Submissions:Method: Email. Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Collapse section Nonfiction Open In non-fiction, I represent academics, journalists and critics, and my taste is broad: I am interested in history, politics, philosophy, psychology, true crime, narrative sports writing, and literary biography, and I’m keen to discover experts and gifted storytellers writing in these areas. Books I admire include The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, Red Comet by Heather Clark, Question 7 by Richard Flanagan, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, The Return by Hisham Matar, Levels of the Game by John McPhee, Playing in the Dark by Toni Morrison, and Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivan.Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Lengths: Nonfiction Collection BookStyles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Business/Finance. History: See guidelines. Lifestyle. Literature/Books: Theory/Analysis/Criticism. Society/Culture: See guidelines. Style/Beauty: See guidelines.Submissions:Method: Email. Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed. Collapse section Poetry Open Currently, I am unable to offer representation to poets who have not yet published a first collection.Audience:Open to a broad Audience.Genres: GeneralLengths: Poetry CollectionPoetry Forms:Open to all/most Forms.Styles:Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream.Topics: Open to all/most Topics including... Society/Culture: See guidelines.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:Instagram @aitkenalexander 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. Emma Paterson 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 Poetry Group by submission Include outliers Include other agents at the same agency Accuracy We have received 2 reports from 2 different members within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information. Pending 1 response is pending (158 days waiting). This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days Other Information The agent will try to make a decision within 90 days. (100.0 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 90 days.) This agent may not respond to all queries. After waiting the time indicated above, assume your submission will not be accepted. Date compiled: 07 Sep 2026 13:51 UTC (5 hours, 29 minutes 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! Other Agents at this AgencyClare AlexanderLisa BakerMonica MacSwanHarriet MooreAmy St Johnston DNQChris Wellbelove 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: 16 Aug 2026We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year. 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