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Deirdre Power

I started my career at Curtis Brown as an assistant, and since then I’ve worked in children’s editorial at Simon & Schuster and Usborne Publishing. I joined David Higham Associates in January 2023 to assist Caroline Walsh on her phenomenal list.

Prior to working in publishing, I attended Trinity College Dublin for my BA in English Studies and MPhil in Children’s Literature, and previously worked as a bookseller on Grafton Street in Dublin.

I’m drawn to contemporary stories of any age group, that captures some aspect of the experience of growing. In YA, I love a romcom with any blend of rom and com, thrillers and horror, and I’d love to see some elements of modern life like social media or technology drawn into something with a pacy plot.

In middle grade, I love fantasies that feel fresh and exciting, with adventure at their heart, but I’m also hoping to see more family stories or “quiet” fiction for this age group. I love laugh-out-loud books for younger readers, anything high-concept with a strong hook.

My taste in picture books are quite broad, ranging from the nonsensical to the extremely heartfelt, but I am often drawn to something with a strong storytelling flair and a heartfelt message at its core.