Thérèse Coen

I was born and raised in Belgium, on a diet of books, frites and Tintin. I moved to England in my late teens with my family, then stayed in London to do a History degree and Masters at University College London. Having been brought up trilingual, translation rights seemed like the logical next step. I started off in the rights department at Bloomsbury Publishing, before hopping across the square to Ed Victor’s agency, and found experiencing both the publishing and agency side of publishing incredibly valuable.

I have been building my own list of authors alongside selling translation rights since early 2016, which I have hugely enjoyed; working with authors right from the book’s conception, while also experiencing the thrill of selling my own authors’ works in the UK and US as well as in translation to publishers across the globe. I think it’s the perfect job!

What I’m looking for:

A voracious reader since I excitedly ran into a bookcase and split open my forehead aged 6, I am happy to consider genres across the board and love nothing more than looking after a list with an exciting and wide-ranging mix of styles and readerships.

I would like to see an original concept or hook, polished and pacey writing, captivating worlds and always a strong protagonist, be they fictionalised or real. I want original, distinct and memorable voices, books that make you feel (tie you heart in a million knots or smash it into a million pieces), laugh until you have a stitch, or stay with you and make you ponder for weeks.

In terms of adult fiction, I have a huge soft spot for historical fiction, having read Early Modern History at university, but am also very much on the hunt for crime/thrillers, bookclub, high-concept love stories and literary fiction. I love strong female characters, in particular when they go through an evolution or journey as the story progresses and gradually find that inner strength.

On the children’s fiction front, I am all about finding fresh, new voice. I love all things funny, fantasy and adventure – across lands, time and space, and involving strong friendships and strong lead characters. I want to be transported straight away when I start reading a manuscript. I like very vivid, well-crafted and imaginative worlds, for example stories set in a toy factory or in an underwater world. I’d love some more adventures set in space. I want mysteries, quirky characters, explorers and imaginary friends.

And last, but not least, in non-fiction, history features heavily in my interests, but I would also love to see books about big ideas, culture, sociology, science, anthropology and memoir. Anything that helps expand the mind and questions or informs the way in which we view ourselves, the world and how we fit into it, all written in an engaging and accessible manner.

In short, send me anything that transports me into a world, era or mindset straight-away and gives me that buzz of excitement.

Please do not send us: poetry, picture books, short stories, high fantasy, or space operas.

Recent and favourite reads:

Middle Grade: Amelia Fang Series by Laura Ellen Anderson, The Arctic Railway Assassin by MG Leonard, The Nothing To See Here Hotel by Steven Butler, and Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tolá Okogwu.

Young Adult: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, The Sun is also a Star by Nicola Yoon, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, Gay Club! by Simon James Green, The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave and A Snowfall of Silver by Laura Wood.

Fiction: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary, Expectation by Anna Hope, 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak, I’m Sorry You Feel that Way by Rebecca Wait, Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson and Trust by Hernan Diaz.

International Fiction: Real Life by Adéline Dieudonné, The Savages by Sabri Louatah, The End of Loneliness by Benedict Wells, Nothing Holds Back the Night by Delphine de Vigan, The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa, Le Bal des Folles by Victoria Mas, Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata and The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai.

Non-Fiction: The Secret Lives of Colour by Kasia St Clair, This Mortal Coil by Andrew Doig, Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials by Marion Gibson, The Premonitions Bureau by Sam Knight, When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, Free by Lea Ypi and Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner.