IN DEPTH
GEMMA COOPER WORKED AS AN ESTATE AGENT IN NEW YORK BEFORE FINDING HER CALLING AS A LITERARY AGENT
Agent Spotlight Gemma Cooper
Cooper’s homecoming proves a sweet deal
After stints working in recruitment and as an estate agent, Gemma Cooper wrote an ill-fated ‘terrible Twilight-y’ novel—which circuitously led to her building one of the finest rosters of children’s writers in the business
Tom Tivnan @tomtivnan
TheBookseller.com
G
emma Cooper breezes into our Friday morning meeting at a coffee shop looking fresh and lively, but she says she does not particularly feel it. The
previous night was the Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year Awards, and the agent had two authors shortlisted: Sophie Anderson and P G Bell. Alas, neither Anderson or Bell took home the prize but Usborne—which publishes both authors in the UK—was justly proud and took the shortlistees and Cooper out for a celebratory night out on the town, which ended in the wee hours at a bar serving cocktails in conches. She says: “You’re not going to do a celebrit interview thing, like that Johnny Depp one a few years ago. So you’ll begin with: ‘Cooper arrives at the café hungover and dishevelled…’” “No,” I answer. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” The Bent Agency (TBA) agent has plent of reasons to celebrate. Eight years on from leaping into the industry she is hiting her stride, and is one of the hotest children’s agents on both sides of the Atlantic. Her roster of 36 clients has an enviable blend of prize-winners and bestsellers, Continues overleaf
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