Everyone at Greyhound gets picked out for praise: Ateo’s “deep knowledge of the market” helped secure former cricketer Michael Holding’s powerful look at systemic racism in sport, Why We Kneel and How We Rise (S&S); former DHH Literary staffer Galustian is held in high esteem for using her previous experience as an antiquarian book dealer to help bring Rickman’s diaries together (“he leſt a million words of handwriten diaries”); long-time Orion editor Silk is lauded for her “extraordinary taste”; and newest recruit Maria Brannan, a former literary scout who will work on translation rights and as an agent, is expected to open new inroads into the YA market. A special mention goes to chairman Patrick Janson-Smith, the former Transworld publisher, “our spirit animal” and someone the team calls on to consult.
Of Campbell and Edenborough, they are great foils for one other. When one quips or rails against (usually Campbell) Brexit, Boris or Berlusconi, the other (almost always Edenborough) steers it tactfully back to Greyhound. Neither one is a wallflower. Edenborough is a keen cyclist and gamer, saxophonist of the revived book trade band The Editörial Standards, and dreams of more multilingual publishers. Campbell is a sports enthusiast who leads the Authors XI cricket team, a former Literary Review editor who ran the Bad Sex in Fiction Award, and now wishes for fewer celebrit children’s authors. It’s no surprise, given their varied tastes, that they rep a diverse list: from crime writer S J Bennet, and Polari- and Wainwright-shortlisted author Luke Turner, to children’s author and illustrator Beach. Asked about key submissions, Campbell draws atention to A P Firdaus’ novel about the Indian Partition, Remember, Mr Sharma (Sceptre), and Ian Moore’s cosy crime series that begins with Death & Croissants (Farrago). Particular enthusiasm goes into discussing Victoria Belim’s The Rooster House (Virago), following the Ukraine-born, Brussels-based journalist and translator who—aſter Russia’s annexation of Crimea nine years ago—returned to her homeland to investigate her great-uncle’s disappearance in the 1930s. Having worked together previously, the pair were confi- dent they would make a successful match. Edenborough provided translation rights at Intercontinental Literary Agency (ILA)—where he was a director—to Campbell’s former agency Kingsford Campbell, which he ran with Julia Kingsford. “I could easily see myself staying with ILA
Greyhound Literary Agent Hotlist
for another 20 years and finishing my career there, but I thought, ‘Do I want to do this forever?’” says Edenborough. He was also lured by the possibilit to expand his skill-set: “Going into business with Charlie was an opportunit to take on authors myself, which I have started to do.” Campbell, well known for working at Ed Victor for 10
years, took advantage of Edenborough’s arrival to rebrand the agency and retire his name from the business. It’s a relief, he admits, having “felt uncomfortable, because it’s not all about me”. Instead, Campbell is happy for Greyhound to be a collective of agents, a place where “the client list is more prominent, rather than just being about an agent everyone has heard of but no-one knows who exactly they represent”.
The Witch’s Survival Gude Jennifer Lane A guide to taking back control of your life by exploring spells and rituals that tap into the deep “magick” resid- ing in the plants, trees and ancient places of this world.
Agent Charlotte Atyeo Rights World English (September)
Greenteeth Molly O’Neill Set in a fantastical England in the 1600s, and narrated by Jenny Greenteeth.
Agent Sam Edenborough Rights World English (Orbit)
Ill Behaviour Steve Sparshott This funny, moving memoir explores “how sometimes life can completely crush you, and you just have to make the best of it”.
Agent Charlotte Atyeo
Grace of Steel Gemma Tizzard Début 1930 New York-set novel in which unemployed dancer Grace makes a desper- ate plan with her injured twin brother.
Agent Julia Silk
Peace Good Reader. Do Not Weep Nicholas Waywell “Wildly original and propulsive début, a literary ‘Grand Theft Auto’” featur- ing a neurodiverse protagonist.
Agent Charlie Campbell
In the rights direction Naturally, because of Edenborough’s long period at ILA, Greyhound is carving out a strong reputation for translation rights. “An important part of what we did last year was to bring on board the clients for whom we are selling translation rights,” he confirms. This includes Nicci French, the crime-writing duo Edenborough has worked with for 20 years; New York agencies Regal Hoffmann and The Cheney Agency; Duckworth; and Storm Publishing, Bookouture founder Oliver Rhodes’ new digital-first company. “This is very important for our revenue stream and not all agencies offer this—the majorit don’t. We have the capacit and it is part of our future,” he continues. Looking ahead, what would they like to add to their list?
More “cosy true crime” or stories on cannibalism (“not non-fiction or cookbooks”, they joke—I think). What I’m not entirely convinced is a laugh is Campbell’s call-out for an author willing to pen a story of “Wagatha Christie” set in Ancient Rome—I would read it, wouldn’t you? What is certain is that Greyhound is set to pay more atention to the non-fiction market and is in talks with “a distinguished academic” to add weight to its list. Additionally, the duo mention an exciting fantasy novel that has just sold and Nicholas Waywell, “an incredible literary talent” that may fill up most of their LBF airtime. “We’re pitching it as a literary ‘Grand Theſt Auto’ with a neurodiverse narrator who has the entire canon of English verse churning through his head—as he steals cars,” Campbell says. “It’s completely unlike anything else.” As a journalist, I’m somewhat contractually obliged to ask them what trends they think are coming. Edenborough smiles. Yet graciously he goes into detail about from where they believe the next big publishing phenomenon, like E L James or J K Rowling, will emerge. “These authors come out of spaces that are under-celebrated,” he says. “It’s the readers who drive these trends, not agents. Publishing spots the things that are happening and helps to scale it.”
How Greyhound capitalises on these ideas goes back to that start-up spirit. It goes hand in hand with Campbell’s doing away with any formal business plan. Publishing is “just impossible to predict”, he justifies. True to form, Edenborough nips in to clarify that Greyhound isn’t entirely winging it, adding: “The business plan is if we stopped tomorrow, what money could we rely on coming in? The rest is ambition.”
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