- Author of THE SEA CAPTAIN’S WIFE and THE SISTER’S TALE Beth Powning’s THE BIRD HEALER’S DAUGHTER, continuing the story of the forenamed two novels, exploring the friendship that takes root when the seemingly disparate lives of a resourceful unwed mother who sews men’s shirts to pay the rent on her modest flat in Saint John, New Brunswick, and an idealistic young woman from nearby Pleasant Valley who works as a spinner in a cotton mill to finance her dream of becoming a lawyer, intersect, changing the course of their lives and the lives of future generations of women, to Bethany Gibson at Goose Lane Editions, for publication in April 2027, by Jackie Kaiser at Westwood Creative Artists (world).
It has come to our attention that professional scammers are impersonating WCA staff and reaching out to authors under false pretenses. These messages often contain flattering references to a writer’s work and can seem very convincing. Please note that legitimate emails come from the wcaltd.com email addresses, and that WCA does not charge reading fees, upfront representation fees, or marketing fees. If you are contacted by anyone claiming to represent WCA, we encourage you to verify the authenticity of the message prior to responding.
- Will Richter’s A TRICK OF KINDNESS, following in the style of his debut short fiction collection, JUST A HOWL, pitched as a take on the classic confessional narrative, in which an author is driven across the country and out of her mind as she seeks revenge for the plagiarist betrayal of her agent, to Nicholas Freer at Rare Machines, for publication in summer 2028, by Geffen Semach at Westwood Creative Artists (world English and French).
- Natalie Ku’s PEBBLE GIRL AND THE SECRETS OF MOUNT HUA, in which an overlooked girl ventures to a kung fu camp on China’s deadliest mountain to earn a spot in a place where she finally shines, while protecting a family secret and learning to wield the qi she’s born with, to Claire Caldwell at Annick Press, for publication in fall 2027, by Bridgette Kam at Westwood Creative Artists (world).
- Author John Larsen and astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s EARTHRISE, a first-person account of the iconic 2026 Artemis II mission, the groundbreaking human mission into deep space, and Hansen’s journey to preparing for lift-off, to Lauren McKeon at Harper Canada, at auction, for publication in October 2026, by Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists. Rights also to John Glynn at Hanover Square Press, with Mia Council editing (US); and to Michel Lafon (France); rights sales by Harper Canada.
- Author of WRONG SIDE OF THE COURT H.N. Khan’s ZEROS AND ONES, which follows a 17-year-old coding prodigy who runs a YouTube channel dedicated to exposing corporate greed; still grieving the death of his mother and trying to save his father’s struggling bookstore, his life is upended when he stops a cyberattack on Toronto’s City Hall, which puts him on the radar of a notorious dark-web hacker, to Barry Jowett at Cormorant Books, in a nice deal, by Geffen Semach at Westwood Creative Artists (world English).
- Author of I TALK LIKE A RIVER Jordan Scott’s HOT SPAGHETTI BRAIN!, a collection of radical poetry that channels Gertrude Stein, Minecraft, and HATCHET to form an immersion in the molten lava of a kid’s inner life, illustrated by Joana Avillez, to Taylor Norman at Neal Porter Books, for publication in May 2028, by Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists for the author, and by Kate Mack at Aevitas Creative Management for the illustrator (world).
- Author of THE FIX Declan Hill’s BIRDS OF PREY: THE REAL WORLD OF SPORTS GAMBLING, an investigation into how legalization, “frictionless” online betting, offshore finance, and organized crime combined to create a trillion-dollar global industry engineered to maximize addiction and profit, to David Moscrop at McClelland & Stewart, in a nice deal, for publication in 2028, by Chris Casuccio at Westwood Creative Artists (NA).
- Jeanette Liu’s THE LAST CALL, a memoir about returning to the author’s family’s Hakka Chinese restaurant, the last remaining pillar of Toronto’s original Chinatown, where saving the business becomes a fight to preserve community, memory, and a living immigrant legacy before it disappears, to Meredith Pal at Penguin Canada, in a nice deal, for publication in summer 2028, by Chris Casuccio at Westwood Creative Artists (world).
- Author of A POND, A POET, AND THREE PESTS Caroline Adderson’s THE CASTLE AND THE MOUSE, a ghost story about overcoming anxiety, illustrated by Pierre Pratt; and MADELEINES FOR MARCEL, an ode to community and memory, pitched as inspired by Marcel Proust’s REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST, illustrated by Josee Bisaillon, to Katie Scott at Kids Can Press, for publication in fall 2027 and fall 2028, by Jackie Kaiser at Westwood Creative Artists (world).
Foreign rights:
- Sima Samar’s OUTSPOKEN, to Eksmo (Russia), by Natalia Sanina at Synopsis Agency, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists, for Hilary McMahon.
- Roberta Rich’s THE MIDWIFE OF VENICE, to Saga Egmont (Germany), by Hannah Nuspliger-Fosh at The Liepman Agency; and to dotbooks (Germany), for audio rights; on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists, for Hilary McMahon.
- Yann Martel’s SON OF NOBODY, to Penerbit Baca (Indonesia), by Santo Manurung at Maxima Creative Agency, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists, for Jackie Kaiser.
- Debi Goodwin’s RAINS, AT TIMES HEAVY, to Sindbad (Russia), by Natalia Sanina at Synopsis Agency, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists, for Chris Casuccio.
- Author of WOLF, MOON, DOG Thomas Wharton’s THE BIRDS THEY SING AT BREAK OF DAY, a literary epistolary novel in which a chance encounter between a young Canadian ecologist and an aspiring American journalist in Iceland in 1974 sparks a decades-long correspondence that sustains them through love, loss, ambition, and heartbreak, their letters becoming a lifeline across years and continents until a devastating tragedy forces them to confront whether words from a distance are enough, to Catherine Abes at Random House Canada, in a nice deal, for publication in fall 2027, by Chris Casuccio at Westwood Creative Artists.
- Dr. Jamaica Cass’s RETURN IS A RESPONSIBILITY: A MOHAWK PHYSICIAN ON REFUSAL, LEADERSHIP, AND BUILDING WHAT COMES NEXT, in which the first Indigenous woman in Canada to earn both an MD and PhD journeys from a childhood the system believed it could predict to a career spent transforming the institutions that shaped her life; drawing on Haudenosaunee teachings to challenge conventional ideas of success, leadership, and reconciliation, arguing that systems produce what they are designed to produce, and the real work lies not in overcoming them, to Stephanie Sinclair at McClelland & Stewart, in a nice deal, for publication in spring 2028, by Chris Casuccio at Westwood Creative Artists (Canada).
- Author of THE VERY, VERY FAR NORTH Dan Bar-el’s AN EVEN FARTHER VERY, VERY FAR NORTH, about change, as a polar bear and his arctic friends learn to navigate shifting friendships and evolving identities, illustrated by Kelly Pousette, to Reka Simonsen at Atheneum, in an exclusive submission, for publication in spring 2027, by Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists for the author (world).
- Author of SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD & THE APOCALYPTIC YEAR 1885 Patrice Dutil’s THE WHITE PLUME: THE AUDACIOUS LIFE OF WILFRID LAURIER, an accounting of the life and times of Canada’s seventh—and first Francophone—prime minister, to Doug Pepper and David Moscrop at Signal Books, in a nice deal, for publication in fall 2029, by John Pearce at Westwood Creative Artists (world, excl. French).
- Elliott Gish’s RUBY AND JUDE, a historical speculative novel set largely in an underground 1960s lesbian bar, to Jen Sookfong Lee at ECW Press, in a nice deal, for publication in May 2028, by Geffen Semach at Westwood Creative Artists (world).
Foreign rights:
- Annabel Lyon’s THE GOLDEN MEAN, to Julia Eisele at Eisele (Germany), in a pre-empt, by Hannah Nuspliger-Fosh and Marc Koralnik at The Liepman Agency; to Lydia Salerno at Rizzoli (Italy), by Elisa Beretta at The Italian Agency; on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists, for Jackie Kaiser.
Foreign rights:
- Tomson Highway’s KISS OF THE FUR QUEEN, to Kistikan Pictures, by Jake Babad at Westwood Creative Artists, on behalf of Jackie Kaiser (world).
- Linda Bailey’s THE EASTER WOLF, about a (vegetarian!) wolf who desperately wants to be an Easter Bunny, illustrated by Brandon James Scott, to Tara Walker at Tundra Books, for publication in spring 2027, by Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists for the author, and by Emily van Beek at Folio Jr. for the illustrator (world).
Westwood Creative Artists, one of Canada’s largest literary agencies representing more than 400 writers, is looking for a candidate to fill a full-time hybrid or remote 7-week internship position, beginning August 10th. At this time, we can only consider applicants based in Canada.
A considerable amount of time during this internship will be spent working with WCA’s international rights director and rights manager preparing our seasonal rights catalogue ahead of the Frankfurt Book Fair which takes place in October. There will be some other administrative tasks also.
We offer a lively and congenial team culture and an excellent opportunity to gain an overview of the publishing industry in Canada and abroad through the lens of a literary agency and the writers we represent.
The ideal candidate will be eager to learn, highly organized, energetic, and have a positive outlook. Strong proofreading and computer skills required; previous office experience and knowledge of the publishing industry an asset; passionate attention to detail and accuracy a must. Please send your cover letter, resume, and references to the attention of Meg Wheeler at meg@wcaltd.com at your earliest convenience, but not later than July 3rd. We appreciate all applications but will only reply to candidates selected for an interview. Westwood Creative Artists is an equal opportunity employer, and values a diverse workforce.
Film rights:
- Susan Juby’s HOME TO WOEFIELD, to Sarah Wayne Callies, by Jake Babad at Westwood Creative Artists, on behalf of Hilary McMahon (world).
Foreign rights:
- Patricia Finn’s THE GOLDEN BOY, to Family Leisure Club (Ukraine), by Tatjana Zoldnere at Eastern European and Asian Rights Agency, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists, for Hilary McMahon.