At the AGM of the Association of Authors’ Agents at the end of January, Vice President Catherine Clarke of Felicity Bryan Associates stepped up to President, praising outgoing President Isobel Dixon of Blake Friedmann Literary Agency for rising brilliantly to the challenge of leading the Association with ‘poise, warmth, immense hard work and resolve, in probably the most challenging two years of any of our lives.’
‘Being Vice President for the last two years and working closely with Isobel has given me a lot of insight into what our members are interested in. I’ve seen first-hand how cooperation with other trade bodies in the book industry is vital for campaigning on all the urgent issues of our times, including copyright protection for the authors we represent, and sustainability. We’re also here to help build a truly representative and diverse workforce throughout this industry. With such an engaged and energetic committee, I am honoured to help drive that as President.’
Isobel Dixon says: ‘I am entirely confident that the AAA will continue to flourish with Catherine’s leadership and an ace committee team at her side. She will be a superb President, bringing to bear on this task all her insight, tact, firmness, sense of fairness and purpose.’
Claire Wilson, of Rogers Coleridge & White, joins as Vice President, and Madeleine Milburn of Madeleine Milburn Literary, Film and TV Agency joins as Ordinary Member, following Molly Ker Hawn, of the Bent Agency, stepping down. Other current members of the committee are: Ella Kahn of DKW Literary Agency (Treasurer), Camille Burns of David Higham Associates (Secretary), Sheila Crowley of Curtis Brown and Jemma McDonagh of The Marsh Agency.
Catherine Clarke was Publishing Director of the Trade Books Department at Oxford University Press for several years before she joined Felicity Bryan as an agent in 2001. She represents a range of bestselling and prizewinning writers of serious non-fiction and writers for children and young adults. She became Managing Director of Felicity Bryan Associates in 2010. In 2017 she was named Literary Agent of the Year at the British Book Awards.
Claire Wilson began her career working in publishing sales and rights, and joined Rogers, Coleridge & White in 2007, becoming a director in 2015. She represents authors of both children’s and adult fiction.
