Harriet Moore: A Distinguished Literary Agent Championing Contemporary Voices
In the ever-evolving world of publishing, a few agents stand out for their vision, discernment, and ability to recognise the voices that will shape the literary landscape. Harriet Moore is one such name. Known for her keen eye for talent, a commitment to literature that combines intellect with emotional depth, and a portfolio of some of the most acclaimed writers of recent years, Harriet Moore has become a respected and influential figure in the literary world.
Harriet Moore: The Path to Becoming a Literary Agent
Early Career and Experience
Harriet Moore’s professional journey spans more than a decade in the publishing industry. She spent over ten years at David Higham Associates, one of the UK’s most established literary agencies, before joining Aitken Alexander Associates in 2024. Her move marked the next chapter in a career already distinguished by a reputation for nurturing exceptional talent and championing important literary voices.
Establishing at Aitken Alexander
At Aitken Alexander, Harriet Moore represents an impressive roster of authors across literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, and poetry. Her approach is defined by her passion for stories with clarity, energy, and emotional candour—qualities she believes resonate most powerfully with readers.
Harriet Moore and Her Esteemed Authors
Celebrated Names in Fiction
Harriet Moore’s client list speaks volumes about her taste and influence. She represents:
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Sarah Bernstein, winner of the 2023 Giller Prize and shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
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Sophie Mackintosh, longlisted for both the Booker Prize and the Women’s Prize for Fiction.
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Jennifer Atkins, a debut novelist already turning heads in the literary scene.
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Kathryn Scanlan, recipient of the 2024 Windham-Campbell Prize and the Gordon Burn Prize.
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Naoise Dolan, a Sunday Times bestseller and Young Writer of the Year Award shortlistee.
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Lottie Hazell, a finalist for the B&N Discover Prize 2024.
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Jo Hamya, shortlisted for the Nero Book Awards 2024.
Beyond these names, Harriet Moore represents authors such as Eliza Barry Callahan, Marlowe Granados, and Hannah Regel, each contributing unique voices to contemporary fiction.
Poets Under Her Guidance
In addition to fiction, Harriet Moore curates a carefully selected list of poets. Her poets include Jason Allen-Paisant, winner of the 2023 T. S. Eliot Prize and the Forward Prize, as well as Rachael Allen, Nuar Alsadir, Sophie Collins, Eve Esfandiari-Denney, Oli Hazzard, Sandeep Parmar, and Jack Underwood. She particularly seeks poets who produce book-length narrative projects, often combining their poetic craft with prose.
Harriet Moore’s Vision of Literature
Fiction: The Imaginative Truth
Harriet Moore gravitates towards novels that embody what Edna O’Brien once described as “the imaginative truth.” She values tactile, idiosyncratic sentences and works that explore the minutiae of daily life. For her, novels centred around family gatherings, love stories, small-town lives, mothers and daughters, and campus plots provide fertile ground for the exploration of human complexity.
Her taste resonates with the works of authors such as Elizabeth Strout, Elena Ferrante, Marilynne Robinson, and Claire Keegan—writers who blend everyday experiences with profound emotional insight.
Non-Fiction: Revisionist Histories and Memoir
In non-fiction, Harriet Moore is drawn to literary biography, cultural and social history, and memoirs that bring new perspectives to familiar narratives. She values revisionist approaches, archival explorations, and texts that fuse scholarly depth with accessibility.
Her representation of Harriet Baker, whose Rural Hours re-examines the country lives of Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Townsend Warner and Rosamond Lehmann, illustrates her interest in projects that rethink traditional literary history. She also supports innovative works by writers such as Erin Maglaque and Rebecca May Johnson, both of whom challenge boundaries within their genres.
Poetry: Intonation and Innovation
With poetry, Harriet Moore looks for surprising intonation and projects that extend beyond conventional collections. Her interest lies in poets who bring narrative or philosophical weight to their work, and often in those whose writing bridges the gap between poetry and prose.
What Makes Harriet Moore Stand Out
A Humanistic Approach
Harriet Moore’s ethos combines intellect, politics, and feeling. She seeks books that not only tell stories but also provide a vocabulary and philosophy for living. Her focus on domestic spaces, relationships, and the everyday reflects a belief that the personal can reveal universal truths.
Championing Diverse Platforms
Her authors’ works appear in leading publications such as The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Harper’s, Granta, and The White Review. This international presence highlights her ability to connect voices with audiences across the globe.
The Future with Harriet Moore
As publishing continues to adapt to shifting cultural conversations, Harriet Moore remains committed to discovering and nurturing writers who can offer fresh perspectives, imaginative truths, and emotionally resonant stories. Her balanced list of novelists, poets, and non-fiction authors ensures that she contributes to the richness of contemporary literature in multiple forms.
Conclusion
Harriet Moore is more than a literary agent; she is a dedicated advocate for writers whose work combines intellect with heart. By supporting authors across fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, she has solidified her reputation as one of the most discerning and influential agents in the UK. With a roster of prize-winning authors and an unwavering commitment to literature that matters, Harriet Moore stands as a defining figure in today’s publishing world.
