About the agency

I, Jonathan, collaborate closely with writers to launch and advance their careers.  This includes paying careful attention to their respective priorities, communicating my strategies and any concerns straightforwardly, and negotiating fair terms from third parties with a resolve acquired through long experience of the business.

I have worked in the publishing industry since 1997.  I first became a fully-fledged agent in 2002, when I became responsible for an extensive and diverse list of clients at Curtis Brown Group Ltd.

Upon founding JPLA in 2008, I swiftly established a rounded portfolio and commensurately robust independent agency.

As I write this in May 2021, the agency has had two Sunday Times Top 10 bestsellers in the past six months.  (If that boast has become dated, it’s probably because I’ve been focused on the work I love to do behind the scenes…)

In the continued expansion of JPLA, I am seeking writers with long-term potential who may feel at home with a down-to-earth independent agency.

My enthusiasms and track record belong in joined-up pockets across literary and quality commercial fiction and non-fiction.

In fiction: literary and well-written novels including pacey thrillers.

In non-fiction: accessible estimable writing with commercial potential by journalists, experts, scholars, figures who stand for something in the public eye and anyone with a fascinating, well-written story. (Subject areas have been further outlined under ‘Representation’).

Translation rights are handled by an international network of respected co-agents, some of whom I’ve worked with forever.  All other rights management is bespoke, depending on the nature of each client’s output.  (Slightly more detail can be found under ‘Associates’).

My time is split 70/30 between an office in Winchester and a club in London’s West End.