When books become screen dreams: adaptations that make us reread

There is a particular moment that happens when a beloved book is announced for adaptation.

Excitement flickers. Then dread. Then the quiet, possessive thought: please do not ruin this.

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

Science fiction continues to evolve. From climate fiction and dystopian futures to space opera and near-future speculative thrillers, UK agents are actively seeking bold new voices in the genre.

If you’re writing adult science fiction, these UK literary agents are currently open to submissions and looking for speculative manuscripts.

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

Romance fiction remains one of the most commercially powerful genres in publishing.

From contemporary romantic comedies to historical love stories and emotionally layered relationship dramas, romance readers are loyal, vocal and constantly searching for their next obsession.

What’s on my radar: when a cover makes me preorder

There is a very particular thrill to a cover reveal. I know there is for me. It is such a delicious moment. 

It is not the algorithmic sort of thrill, not the flash-sale urgency of consumer culture, but that quieter jolt. The moment you see a cover and think, I don’t know what this is yet, but I want to live inside it. I admit I do sometimes (not always) judge a book by its cover. I do not feel guilty for doing so.

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

Romantasy is no longer a niche. It is one of the most commercially powerful genres in publishing right now.

Blending fantasy world-building with central romantic arcs, romantasy thrives on tension, chemistry, high stakes and emotional payoff. Think epic settings, dangerous alliances, morally grey love interests and slow-burn desire.

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

Fantasy fiction in the UK is thriving. From epic multi-book sagas to intimate myth-inspired standalones, agents are actively seeking bold new voices in the genre.

If you’re writing high fantasy, contemporary fantasy, myth retellings, dark fantasy or speculative crossover fiction, the agents below are currently open to submissions and actively looking for fantasy manuscripts.

20 UK literary agents you can submit your novel to right now

 Navigating the UK literary agent scene can feel opaque, but it helps to know who’s out there. 

This isn’t a definitive list, but these are twenty respected, active agents known for championing strong literary and commercial fiction.

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

Book club fiction sits in that rich middle ground between literary and commercial.

It is character-led but accessible. Emotional but plot-driven. The kind of novel readers press into a friend’s hands and say, “You have to read this.”

If you’re writing contemporary fiction with strong themes, layered relationships and discussion potential, you may be writing book club fiction.

After Lonesome Dove: why Cormac McCarthy’s Border Trilogy is the Western to read next

For many readers, Lonesome Dove is not simply a favourite novel but a defining one. It leaves such an indelible impression. 

It certainly did for me. It arrives with deceptive ease, settles in slowly, and leaves behind the feeling of having lived another life. Its greatness lies not only in its characters, vast landscape and epic scope, but also in its sense of finality. It says what it needs to say, fully and generously.

Which is precisely why it is best left alone.

Waiting for the winter that never comes: George R. R. Martin, the long delay, and the afterlife of Game of Thrones

It’s been nearly fifteen years since A Dance with Dragons was published. That was 2011, the same year Game of Thrones first aired on HBO, when Twitter was still young, and we had no inkling of the juggernaut the series would become. 

Back then, The Winds of Winter seemed just over the horizon. George R. R. Martin had already begun writing it. Some readers expected it within a few years. Many still believed that the books would finish before the show caught up.

That never happened. HBO's Game of Thrones finished almost six years ago, and Martin has now been working on The Winds of Winter for well over a decade. 

It’s hard to get a literary agent — here’s how to improve your odds

If you’re struggling to find a literary agent, you’re not alone, and you’re not doing it wrong. 

The truth is, the odds are tough. Fewer than 10% of all fiction writers ever secure representation. Yes. You read that correctly. That's how hard it is to find a literary agent. 

Julian Barnes: The six essential reads

A Sense of an Ending had been on my to-be-read pile for a long time, and I can’t believe I put it off for so long.

 It is such a wonderful book, and told in just 150 pages. It has the feel of a much longer novel because it packs so much in. Such a worthy Booker Prize winner.

How to tell if an agent is right for your book (not just your dreams)

So, you've got an offer from a literary agent. It is an amazing moment. After the champagne has settled (or the cautious optimism kicks in), the real work begins: deciding if this is the right person to guide your writing career.

It’s tempting to say yes immediately, and many do, but not every agent is the right fit.  I've been there a couple of times, and for whatever reason, it did not pan out. Here’s how to assess whether they’re not only excited about your book but also aligned with your long-term creative goals.

The call: what happens when a literary agent wants to sign you?

You’ve done the research, sent the query, and waited patiently, or obsessively, and now it’s happened. An agent wants to talk. This is what’s known as the call. 

For many writers, it’s thrilling and surreal. It can also be nerve-racking. You should enjoy the moment, and congratulate yourself on the hard work. You have achieved something very few writers do. I certainly did, as it is so hard to get a literary agent, and I think it is getting harder. 

How to write a query letter that doesn’t sound desperate

How to write a query letter that doesn’t sound desperate

Query letters walk a tightrope. Too humble and you undersell the work. Too bold and you risk sounding like you’ve written the next Ulysses. 

The trick is to find a voice that reflects your book’s tone while presenting yourself as a professional, not a hopeful. 

The literary middle: Loving books that don't go viral

In the age of algorithmic discovery, it often feels like the same ten books are everywhere. You open Instagram, you see Fourth Wing. You open TikTok, it's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Twitter/x? Something about Babel or The Secret History. 

There’s nothing wrong with loving a popular book. The best ones resonate for a reason. But in all the noise, it can be hard to hear the quieter voices. The books that didn’t land on a major award shortlist or trend on BookTok, but still left something behind in you.

How to find a literary agent: five honest steps for fiction writers

Finding a literary agent can feel like trying to catch the attention of a stranger in a crowded room, while whispering. There’s mystique, gatekeeping, and a mountain of mixed advice. But the process isn’t as impenetrable as it seems. Here’s a grounded guide to finding a literary agen t in five real steps.

Reading in the gaps: Why we return to books that broke us

There are books we finish and put down, and for a while, we are unable to speak. These are books that pull the air from our lungs. That leave us raw, like skin rubbed thin. And yet, somehow, we return to them.

Not immediately, of course. Often, we need time. Months. Years. Distance to recover from the ache they left behind. But they are on our minds, and the pull is there. Like gravity drawing us back to earth.

Novels I didn’t finish, and why that’s OK

There’s a quiet guilt attached to not finishing a book.  No longer on your TBR. Instead consigned to DNF. A sense that stopping is a kind of failure, or worse, a confession about the sort of reader you are. We talk easily about books we loved, books we devoured, books we raced through. We talk less about the ones we left behind, the bookmarks still sitting halfway through, the spines uncreased beyond a certain point.

For a long time, I treated unfinished books as a personal shortcoming. If I didn’t connect, I assumed the problem was attention, patience, or effort. That I hadn’t tried hard enough. But reading is not a moral exercise. It’s a relationship, and like most relationships, it’s shaped by timing, mood, expectation, and capacity.

Reading in the liminal: The books that hold us between seasons

There is a particular kind of reading that feels like standing in a doorway, neither fully in nor fully out.

Not every book asks for deep attention, but some arrive quietly and stay with you longer than expected. They don’t rush to a resolution or pull you along with pace. Instead, they hold space, for a mood, a shift, a moment that hasn't yet found its shape.