The return of the difficult woman in fiction

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me,” says Jane Eyre, and there is still something thrilling in the force of it. It is not merely a romantic declaration. It is a refusal to be made smaller, prettier or more convenient than the self demands. 

The difficult woman in fiction has many ancestors, and Jane is one of them. For a long time, women in fiction were allowed to be many things, provided they were legible.

10 UK literary agents currently open to literary fiction submissions (2026)

Literary fiction remains one of the most competitive categories in UK publishing. It is also one of the most subjective.

Agents looking for literary fiction are often seeking voice, depth, originality, and emotional intelligence. Plot still matters, but prose and perspective matter more.