Clare Alexander

Clare Alexander became a literary agent in 1998 after more than 20 years as a publisher, having edited winners of the Booker, the Orange and Whitbread prizes. As an editor, amongst other debuts, Clare published first novels by Helen Dunmore, Alex Garland, Amitav Ghosh, Stephen Knight, Haruki Murakami and Donna Tartt. As an agent, in 2019 she represented half the short list of The Women’s Prize, of which she had been a founder member. She remains a Founding Patron. She was Literary Agent of the Year in 2007, was awarded the 2008 Kim Scott Walwyn Prize, and is a previous President of the Association of Authors’ Agents. She has served on the board of New Writing North and is currently on the board of the Charlotte Aitken Trust. Clare was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2021. She is chair of Aitken Alexander Associates. 

Clare has a large client list, so she only takes on two or three new writers a year.  She is always interested in fiction that surprises, delights or moves her to laughter or to tears – preferably both at once. She does not represent genre fiction but is interested in fiction that elevates genre into something new and original.  In non-fiction she prefers narrative-driven works, including biography, history and memoir.  She has no interest in Wellness, how-to or anything remotely ‘inspirational’.

2024 was a very successful year for Clare’s clients, including POLITICS ON THE EDGE by Rory Stewart remaining in the top 10 throughout the year and Rachel Clarke’s STORY OF A HEART being shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford prize and long listed for the Women’s Prize for non-fiction.   Highlights to be published in 2025 include Jung Chang’s sequel to WILD SWANS, FLY, WILD SWANS and Oyinkan Braithwaite’s second novel, CURSED DAUGHTERS.

Despite the size of her client list, Clare loves nothing more than discovering new talent as well as working with her many talented authors, not only to launch their first books but also in managing long term writing careers. 

Clare is especially interested to find ambitious new fiction that can be domestic or epic in spirit and scope, but which demonstrates maturity and a deep interest in the past, the present or imagined futures.

Clare is assisted by Matilda Southern-Wilkins: matilda@aitkenalexander.co.uk 

Please do not submit unsolicited work directly to Clare or Matilda. Our submissions guidelines can be found here.