All People

Hannah Ferguson

I grew up living above my family run bookshop in the Midlands. Books have always been a huge part of my life and, unsurprisingly, one of my first jobs was working in said bookshop.

I moved to London for a time to study Creative Writing at Goldsmiths and later started as an intern at The Marsh Agency, where I stayed for seven years, working my way up to become a literary agent after taking on and selling my first author, Ali McNamara. Since then I have continued to build up a list of writers that is constantly growing and evolving and includes both fiction and non-fiction Sunday Times bestsellers.

I joined the team at Hardman & Swainson in 2014. I still love that feeling of excitement I get when I find a great new writer or book – be it a published one or an unpublished one. I have a special bookshelf at home for those books that have stayed with me well beyond the last page and that I regularly like to push into the hands of people that I think will love them too.

What I’m looking for:

I never really know what I’m looking for until I find it – which is part of the fun of the job – and makes it really hard for authors out there…I know! But I love fiction, stories that will whisk me away to another place, be it in time, geographically, or just into another life that’s different from my own. I tend to represent women’s fiction, from the more literary to the very commercial. I love those wonderful book club reads that really capture a reader’s attention or heart, and I’m always on the lookout for great crime and thrillers and interesting non-fiction.

I have a select list of non-fiction which I’m always looking to add to. I like thoughtful narrative non-fiction that tells a story and helps us to understand who we are and the world that we live in. In general I’m curious about most things, so if in doubt, do send it my way. I’m always eager to hear from new authors.