I came into publishing via teaching English in Korea, where I taught literature to children between 6 and 11 years of age. I loved seeing how my students interacted with the stories we read and discussed together, and wanted to be a part of finding the perfect books to get into their hands. I believe children’s books should be accessible, inclusive and unpatronising – as well as impactful and, of course, a pleasure to read.

I represent authors and illustrators across the spectrum of writing and illustrating for children and young adults, spanning fiction to non-fiction, picture books to graphic novels. I love all genres, and what draws me in is a confident storytelling voice, strong world-building, and an immediate sense that we are seeing the world from a real child’s perspective. Favourite books from my childhood include The Worst Witch, Carbonel, The Princess Diaries and Across the Nightingale Floor.

In sci-fi and fantasy novels for adults, I am won over immediately by immaculate and imaginative world-building, thoughtful examinations of society and/or humanity and, above all, a story that makes me believe in that world. I have a soft spot for historical and ahistorical, both cosy and dark varieties, and will always perk up if I hear a witch, magician, werewolf or teashop make an appearance. Recent favourites include the Daevabad and Scholomance trilogies, and I will devour anything by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Children’s and YA submissions should be sent to childrenssubmissions@davidhigham.co.uk. Please note that I am not currently taking on writers who focus solely on picture book texts.

Adult fantasy & sci-fi submissions should be sent to christabelsubmissions@davidhigham.co.uk.

If you have not heard back within three months of submission, please feel free to resubmit or try one of my colleagues.