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This was my first foray into the publishing world, and I have to say that thanks to John and the team at WCA it has been nothing but an incredibly positive experience. John’s constant guidance, expertise, connections within the industry, and his willingness to repeatedly go above and beyond, resulted in me getting an excellent book deal and I cannot recommend him or the agency highly enough.

Genevieve von PetzingerAuthor of The First Signs
I
relish working with writers, being 100% on their side and getting the best possible deals for them. My years as an editor help me interpret writers’ needs to publishers.  My years in publishing (latterly with Doubleday and Random House of Canada) help me navigate the publishing scene for them.

What I’m looking for:

Here’s my ideal mix: a distinctive voice, vivid story-telling, insightful characterization and scintillating prose. If the book has the potential to cause competitive bidding, win awards or attract film deals, all the better.
My non-fiction interests overlap with my personal ones. I love working with journalists; historians; biographers; I also like memoir, popular science, environmental books, travel and Big Ideas (I’d add books about classical music if only there was any money in them). If this all sounds a bit serious, let me stress that I really enjoy wit, humour and satire too. What I respond to most is the combination of the author’s passion for the subject and ability to write about it engagingly.
The  fiction I like most is literary but narrative-driven; a novel that propels you forward but is also imaginative,  empathetic, and challenging. I like  high-quality mysteries, thrillers/suspense and historical fiction too. No romance, SF or fantasy. No short-story collections. No children’s books unless by existing clients.
I have a rich list of clients so am currently closed to unsolicited submissions. However, I welcome submissions by referral and am always on the lookout for something wonderful.

Books I’m particularly proud to have edited or represented:

Indian Horse, Medicine Walk, and Starlight by Richard Wagamese; Intolerable and Brown by Kamal Al-Solaylee; Red China Blues by Jan Wong; The $12 Million Dollar Stuffed Shark by Don Thompson; The Wars and Famous Last Words by Timothy Findley; Karma by Cathy Ostlere; Marconi by Marc Raboy; The First Signs by Genevieve von Petzinger;  Empty Planet by Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson; The Company by Stephen Bown; Saga Boy by Antonio Michael Downing.

Books I wish I’d edited or represented:

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie; Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar by Simon Sebag Montefiore; The Scramble for Africa by Thomas Pakenham;  Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks; The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton; The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili.
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