Imogen Morrell

I joined Greene & Heaton in 2018, having studied English and Gender Studies. As well as handling the agency’s contracts, I’m actively building a list of fiction and non-fiction authors.

In non-fiction, I’m looking for proposals about food, nature, the environment, politics, history, identity, usually with a strong narrative or personal element, from academics and journalists who are writing their specialist subject for trade publication.

In fiction, I’m looking for book club, accessible literary fiction, historical fiction, and crime and thriller. Most of all, I’m interested in a strong voice or a vivid main character that catches your attention from the very first page. I love books that spark conversations, are totally immersive, socially or politically engaged, or offer a fresh take on a genre. I’m always drawn to queer stories, set now and in the past, so please do send them my way.

Manuscript wishlist:

My current ‘most-wanted’ is a playful take on crime and thriller fiction of any kind, like LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND by Rumaan Alam, WOMAN, EATING by Claire Kohda or MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER by Oyinkan Braithwaite. I’m always looking for great writing paired with a twist, an element of suspense, or even a slightly speculative hook.

I love historical fiction that feels fresh, like MATRIX by Lauren Groff, THE CONFESSIONS OF FRANNIE LANGTON by Sara Collins, and BRIEFLY, A DELICIOUS LIFE by Nell Stevens. I want to read stories and perspectives that need to be represented in publishing, especially those that use the genre to centre queer and trans characters, and characters of colour. I’m mostly looking for a gripping voice that reaches through time and lets us in.

Some of my favourite novels are SUCH A FUN AGE by Kiley Reid, FINGERSMITH by Sarah Waters, THE CONFESSIONS OF FRANNIE LANGTON by Sara Collins, ROSEWATER by Liv Little, THE PAPER PALACE by Miranda Cowley Heller, BRIEFLY, A DELICIOUS LIFE by Nell Stevens, YELLOWFACE by RF Kuang, DETRANSITION, BABY by Torrey Peters, IN AT THE DEEP END by Kate Davies, MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER by Oyinkan Braithwaite, LAST NIGHT AT THE TELEGRAPH CLUB by Malinda Lo, FIRE RUSH by Jacqueline Crooks, DREAMLAND by Rosa Rankin-Gee, REALLY GOOD, ACTUALLY by Monica Heisey, PLAIN BAD HEROINES by Emily M Danforth and THE VANISHING HALF by Brit Bennett.

On the non-fiction side of things, I represent academics and journalists who are writing about food, nature, the environment, gender, politics, history, the future, identity, and the climate emergency. More broadly, I’m interested in books that bring people, culture and places to life in surprising, vivid ways. I definitely don’t shy away from memoir or narrative-led writing in this department!

I’m currently particularly looking for histories of all stripes (cultural histories, object histories, revisionist histories) that explode the way we think about a space or time. I’m drawn to subjects that feel quirky or unusual – I’ve seen books announced on the topics of shade, bogs, romantic crushes, eyeliner, nostalgia that I would have loved to represent. I also love non-fiction that uses real-life, seemingly smaller stories to welcome us into big topics, and books that have a beating political heart.

My favourites include FREE by Leah Ypi, AFRICA IS NOT A COUNTRY by Dipo Faloyin, SUPER-INFINITE by Katherine Rundell, TAKEAWAY by Angela Hui, SILK by Aarathi Prasad, SAVING TIME by Jenny Odell, ISLANDS OF ABANDONMENT by Cal Flyn, ENTANGLED LIFE by Merlin Sherdlake, UNCANNY VALLEY by Anna Wiener, and SEA STATE by Tabitha Lasley.

You can follow me on twitter: @imogen_morrell