Director & Literary Agent

Madeleine Milburn

@agentmilburn

Information

Since founding the agency in 2012, Madeleine was awarded Literary Agent of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2018 and was shortlisted again in 2020.

Biography

Madeleine Milburn has been on the committee of the Association of Authors’ Agents (AAA) and has appeared on The Bookseller’s list of the 150 most influential people in the book trade every year since 2017. Since founding the agency in 2012, Madeleine was awarded Literary Agent of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2018 and was shortlisted again in 2020.

She has been responsible for discovering some of the highest-selling and award-wining contemporary authors who consistently hit the bestseller lists in the New York Times, The Sunday Times and The Globe and Mail. These authors include the No.1 and No.2 New York Times bestselling authors Nita Prose (The Maid) and Charmaine Wilkerson (Black Cake),Costa Book Award winner and multi-million copy bestseller Gail Honeyman (Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine), international bestsellers Ashley Audrain (The Push), Elizabeth Macneal (The Doll Factory), Emma Stonex (The Lamplighters) and Holly Bourne (So Thrilled for You). She represents multiple bestselling crime and thriller brands too including C.L. Taylor, C.J Tudor, Mark Edwards and Jack Jordan.

Madeleine reads across all areas of fiction but is immediately drawn to powerful, voice-led book club fiction with irresistible protagonists and themes that spark up conversations. She loves a literary voice that lingers on long after reading, an exciting concept that can be pitched in one sentence, and themes that resonate with readers on a universal level.

Prospective authors are encouraged to listen to Madeleine Milburn’s interview on the London Writers’ Salon podcast, where she offers insightful guidance on preparing a successful submission.

What I'm Looking For

Looking for submissions from writers based in the UK, US, Canada and Europe in the commercial and book club space with a strong hook, compelling characters and propulsive storytelling.

Submissions

As an established literary agent, I’m drawn to smart, compelling storytelling and an irresistible protagonist, irrespective of genre. My taste spans literary and commercial, usually landing somewhere in the middle, the ‘sweet spot’ that appeals to a huge readership. A prime example of this is Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, a story that transcends a typical genre and continues to be devoured by readers all over the world. I read across the spectrum and am struck by a distinctive voice or character, a story that explores universal themes with clever plotting, one that provokes a strong emotional reaction, and one that everyone wants to continue talking about long after reading.

First off, I want to see an original, enticing hook that gets me excited, a character who draws me in immediately, and a distinctive narrative voice that feels effortless to read. I’m currently on the hunt for a sophisticated thriller or suspense for fans of Alex Michaelides’ The Silent Patient, Jane Harper’s The Dry and Chris Whitaker All the Colours of the Dark. I’d like to represent some more high concept thrillers for fans of Adrian McKinty and Gillian Flynn, and I love purely escapist suspense such as Frieda McFadden’s The Housemaid.

I’m also keen to find more book club fiction in the vein of Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry. Florence Knapp’s The Names and Miranda Cowley Heller’s The Paper Palace. I’m eager to find a big, powerful love story with a mystery at its heart or an epic family saga that spans generations, the kind of story that you would want to push into the hands of your mother, daughter, sister and grandmother. I like stories that explore human connection and how people cope in difficult times – my favourites in this space include Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge, Mary Beth Keane’s Ask Again, Yes and Meg Mason’s Sorrow and Bliss.

I really do surprise myself by what I fall in love with, so do query me even if your book falls outside of these guidelines. I love championing new writers – I represent authors based all over the world and I work directly with publishers in every market rather than through co-agents. I love helping writers shape their manuscripts, finding the perfect publishing partners to launch their work, and managing every stage of a writing career.