Agent Manuscript Wishlist
Within Fiction, I'm Looking For:
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Speculative Stories that are fearlessly imaginative in their use of Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Magical Realism elements while laying bare real-world issues like Chain-Gang Allstars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah; Books that build on the Southern Gothic tradition while bringing something fresh + exciting to the table like Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (no slave narratives, please).
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Mythological or Historical retellings that are smart, original, grounded in thorough research, and brought to life with an electric voice such as Song of Achilles and Circe by Madeline Miller.
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Book Club Fiction with a deliciously entertaining core premise and flawed characters we can’t help but root for, but still maintains sharp, incisive prose on a line-level like Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid and Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez.
Within Nonfiction, I'm Looking For:
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Narrative Histories that are compelling, well-researched stories about forgotten / willfully overlooked historical figures or historical moments, and the ripple effects they have on our modern-day life like Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson and Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly.
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Deeply reported narrative nonfiction that gets to the root of today’s biggest issues in technology, finance, health, or culture in a compelling, accessible, and even funny, way while mapping a path forward. I especially love a high-brow approach to a low-brow topic (or vice-versa!) like Butts: A Backstory by Heather Radke and Tacky by Rax King.
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Platform-driven Memoirs with stunning prose that can take me inside a previously inaccessible community, a niche sub-culture, or a unique way of life like Uncanney Valley by Anna Weir.
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Practical Nonfiction that taps into gen-z’s changing attitudes around work, money, and mental health.
Within Graphic Novels, I'm Looking For:
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Hard to say! I’m typically drawn to Graphic Novels that align with my tastes listed above, but I love to be surprised and have to fall in love with the artwork first and foremost.
I love discovering diverse and fresh new perspectives across adult literary + upmarket fiction and adult nonfiction. I'm particularly a fan of authors with singular voices that masterfully straddle the line between story-telling and teaching readers something new (about themselves, their communities, or the world we live in).
If you are interested in querying me, please follow Ayesha Pande Literary's submission guidelines and use our query form. All submissions sent via the contact page will be promptly deleted.