Hannah Ferguson

An agent with Hardman & Swainson (see other agents at this agency).

About

I grew up living above my family run bookshop in the Midlands. Books have always been a huge part of my life and, unsurprisingly, one of my first jobs was working in said bookshop.
I moved to London for a time to study Creative Writing at Goldsmiths and later started as an intern at The Marsh Agency, where I stayed for seven years, working my way up to become a literary agent after taking on and selling my first author, Ali McNamara. Since then I have continued to build up a list of writers that is constantly growing and evolving and includes both fiction and non-fiction Sunday Times bestsellers.
I joined the team at Hardman & Swainson in 2014. I still love that feeling of excitement I get when I find a great new writer or book – be it a published one or an unpublished one. I have a special bookshelf at home for those books that have stayed with me well beyond the last page and that I regularly like to push into the hands of people that I think will love them too.

This agent may not respond to all queries. After waiting 56 days, assume your submission will not be accepted.

Country & Year Established

United Kingdom

Agent since 2010

Professional Associations

Member of AAA

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

8 members set this agent as a Favorite.

Collapse section Fiction Open

I never really know what I’m looking for until I find it – which is part of the fun of the job – and makes it really hard for authors out there…I know! But I love fiction, stories that will whisk me away to another place, be it in time, geographically, or just into another life that’s different from my own. I tend to represent women’s fiction, from the more literary to the very commercial. I love those wonderful book club reads that really capture a reader’s attention or heart, and I’m always on the lookout for great crime and thrillers.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General Open to all/most Subgenres
Mystery/Crime Open to all/most Subgenres
Suspense/Thriller Open to all/most Subgenres

Lengths:

Novel

Styles:

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 Open

I have a select list of non-fiction which I’m always looking to add to. I like thoughtful narrative non-fiction that tells a story and helps us to understand who we are and the world that we live in. In general I’m curious about most things, so if in doubt, do send it my way. I’m always eager to hear from new authors.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Lengths:

Book

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary, Mainstream, Personal.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Submissions:

Method: Email.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.

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Hannah Ferguson Submission Statistics

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Accuracy:

We have not received any complete reports within the past 12 months.

Pending

2 responses are pending (27 min | 65.5 mean avg | 65.5 median | 104 max days waiting | 806.8 std dev) from 2 different members

Other Information

The agent will try to make a decision within 56 days.
This agent may not respond to all queries. After waiting the time indicated above, assume your submission will not be accepted.

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Your Submissions

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Caroline Hardman

Joanna Swainson

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Dates

Last Updated: 21 Aug 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.