Greyhound Literary

Julia Silk

Julia worked as a bookseller and editor for 18 years - latterly as Publisher of a digital crime imprint at Orion - before becoming an agent in 2016, representing a wide range of fiction and non-fiction. She has an MA in Comparative Literature from UEA, and loves to read voice- and character-driven fiction across the spectrum from commercial to literary, particularly when it opens a door into a previously inaccessible world or experience (Crazy Rich Asians, Prep), exposes our flaws and hypocrisies in new ways (Such a Fun Age, My Year of Rest and Relaxation), or upends expectations with wit and energy (My Sister the Serial Killer). She is also drawn to the combination of the acutely personal and the universal that makes great memoir (Educated, Wild, House of Glass), as well as the blurring of the lines of form and genre in books such as true crime/memoir (The Fact of a Body) and the novel/short stories in A Visit to the Goon Squad and The Wonder Spot.

She is always looking for upmarket contemporary commercial/accessible literary fiction with equal attention paid to concept, voice, character and plot. She also loves to read upmarket thrillers (Gillian Flynn, Liz Nugent and Renee Knight are benchmarks), and literary crime and true crime. 
Please also send her your beautifully written, compelling historical fiction with a strong voice (think The Crimson Petal and the White, The Doll Factory).

Julia grew up in London in a noisy Middle Eastern Jewish family, and is particularly keen to represent more stories exploring identity and belonging in whatever form that takes, whether fiction or non-fiction. In narrative non-fiction she is also keen to hear from journalists and experts illuminating new stories and previously unexplored subjects, and on the practical side she represents a number of writers in health and wellbeing and is interested in original evidence-based proposals in this area from experts with a strong platform. She loves to work with writers and on books that shape and change readers’ view of the world.

As well as her core work as an agent, Julia is strongly committed to increasing representation and accessibility for writers across the industry, and regularly supports and contributes to the work of organisations and events such as Word Factory, Spread the Word, Byte the Book and the Working Class Writers Festival, through workshops, panel events, 1-2-1s and mentoring. She was the judge of the 2021 Bath Novel Award, and also judges the short story category of The Bournemouth Writing Prize, an annual international short story and poetry writing competition.

Note: Although Julia enjoys and represents speculative crossover fiction, she does not represent SFF or children's and YA (apart from by existing authors).

Julia's Clients

Charlotte Ord - Author
Charlotte Ord
Charlotte Ord
Claire Gleeson - Author
Claire Gleeson
Claire Gleeson
Dr Paddy Barrett - Author
Dr Paddy Barrett
Dr Paddy Barrett
 Gemma Tizzard  - Author
Gemma Tizzard
Gemma Tizzard
Kirsty Eyre - Author
Kirsty Eyre
Kirsty Eyre
Leona Nichole Black - Author
Leona Nichole Black
Leona Nichole Black
 Rebecca Rogers  - Author
Rebecca Rogers
Rebecca Rogers
 Penny Wincer  - Author
Penny Wincer
Penny Wincer
 Tobi Asare  - Author
Tobi Asare
Tobi Asare
 A P Firdaus  - Author
A P Firdaus
A P Firdaus
 Paul Morgan-Bentley  - Author
Paul Morgan-Bentley
Paul Morgan-Bentley
 Marchelle Farrell  - Author
Marchelle Farrell
Marchelle Farrell
 Sarah Graham  - Author
Sarah Graham
Sarah Graham
 Fiona Longmuir  - Author
Fiona Longmuir
Fiona Longmuir
 Carlie Lee  - Author
Carlie Lee
Carlie Lee
 Alcohol Change UK  - Author
Alcohol Change UK
Alcohol Change UK
Karen Gurney - Author
Karen Gurney
Karen Gurney
 Amy Ransom  - Author
Amy Ransom
Amy Ransom
 Owen Booth  - Author
Owen Booth
Owen Booth
 Clare Seal  - Author
Clare Seal
Clare Seal
 Rebecca Schiller  - Author
Rebecca Schiller
Rebecca Schiller
Amanda Mason - Author
Amanda Mason
Amanda Mason
Heidi James - Author
Heidi James
Heidi James
 Maisie Hill  - Author
Maisie Hill
Maisie Hill
 Luce Brett  - Author
Luce Brett
Luce Brett