The Hill Nadell Literary Agency was founded in 1979 in San Francisco and has been based in Los Angeles since 2006. The agency represents award winning and bestselling literary and commercial fiction, narrative nonfiction, current affairs, memoirs, popular culture, cookbooks, graphic novels, and select children’s books. We do not represent screenplays.
We are a full service boutique agency and we pride ourselves on the personal attention we give to each client and project, including social media support. We work with a network of co-agents to represent translation rights in foreign territories, as well as film, television, and podcast rights.
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Bonnie Nadell, President
Bonnie Nadell is the President of the Hill Nadell Literary Agency. She represents writers of both fiction and narrative nonfiction. Her clients have been winners or finalists for the Pulitzer Prize, Carnegie Medal, National Book Critics Circle Award, Kirkus Prize, and numerous PEN Awards, among others.
Writing matters, books matter, and here’s why it matters to me. As an agent, I’ve opened a submission and found everything from an enthralling first novel to a heartbreaking account of struggling to come to America braving hardship and danger. These stories can inspire, can entertain, and can illuminate the major issues of our world whether it be immigration or climate change or injustice. Working with writers at every stage of their career from debut novelists to seasoned journalists, bringing singular voices and compelling stories into the world is what I love to do and have done for years.
I am always eager for new perspectives that inform or take me someplace I’ve never been. I represent and am always looking for narrative nonfiction covering the natural world, current events, memoir, food and culture, and stories focused on the American West. In fiction my taste runs to the literary, to voice-driven and genre-bending fiction and smart thrillers.
Ultimately literature is when someone else’s story speaks to you and broadens your world. That’s what I always want to find.
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Dara Hyde, Senior Agent
Dara Hyde is Senior Agent at the Hill Nadell Literary Agency and represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, including literary and genre fiction, graphic novels, narrative non-fiction, memoir, young adult, and children’s literature. Her clients have been winners or finalists for the Women’s Prize, NAACP Image Award, Carnegie Medal, Eisner Award, Anthony Award, YALSA Award, Harvey Award, International Latino Book Award, and the Reading the West Award, among others.
I’m drawn to stories that examine social issues in unique ways, and voices that have been historically under-represented in publishing; stories that explore the bonds and complexities of both blood and chosen families; stories with crossover appeal, whether that’s YA/adult or blending genres in surprising ways. I relish being hooked by a high concept and a clever premise, but that creative vision needs strong character development and an attention to every word. I find imperfect characters more interesting than those that start off with all the answers, and I want to walk away from every book having learned something new.
Before joining Hill Nadell, I spent over a decade as an editor and rights and permissions manager at independent publisher Grove Atlantic in New York. I enjoy every aspect of the publishing process and helping my clients from idea to finished book and beyond is always a thrill. When I’m not reading I’m probably watching a movie, hopefully on TCM or Criterion.
Dara Hyde is currently closed to queries, opening soon.
Browse Dara Hyde’s client portfolios:
Adult Fiction/Nonfiction: Children’s/YA/Graphic Novels (Use 2-Page View):
.Lauren Christiansen, Editorial Associate
Lauren Christiansen is an Editorial Associate at Hill Nadell Literary Agency. She started her career writing and editing longform marketing materials in the tech industry, and transitioned to publishing after receiving her MPhil in American Literature from the University of Cambridge. Lauren is interested in both fiction and nonfiction of all stripes, and is passionate about helping to bring works by Hill Nadell authors to readers around the world. Off the clock, you can probably find Lauren watching a sport, almost any will do.
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Elizabeth Wood, Editorial and Foreign Rights Assistant
Elizabeth Wood (she/him) is an Editorial and Foreign Rights Assistant at Hill Nadell Literary Agency. Elizabeth has always been an avid reader, but first learned how to craft a meaningful and engaging story working in public radio, interviewing over 100 local bands about how and why we listen to and make music. Elizabeth is faint of heart and cannot read or watch horror, but is interested in most other genres, especially queer poetry and narrative nonfiction. Elizabeth received his BA in English from the University of California, Irvine, and a certificate in Editing and Publishing from UCLA. In her free time, Elizabeth can be found listening to folk music and trying out new recipes in her kitchen.
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Charlotte Morrissey, Editorial and Social Media Assistant
Charlotte Morrissey (she/her) is an Editorial and Social Media Assistant at Hill Nadell Literary Agency. She reads widely but especially enjoys literary fiction, short stories, and the yearly Best American Food Writing compilation. She has worked previously as a manuscript reader for literary scouts, work that has helped her understand what makes a story both engaging and timeless. She received her BA in Biochemistry and Literature from Claremont McKenna College and in her free time loves doing improv, watching movies, and eating ramen.