Chloe Davis

Associate Agent

Chloe is the Agency’s Associate Agent, having joined as an assistant in 2019. Following a post-university stint as a bookseller at Waterstones and time spent working in the Rights team at Macmillan Children’s Books, Chloe decided she wanted a taste of life on the other side of Publishing and is now actively building her own list, alongside supporting Clare Wallace and her brilliant list of clients.

Drawing inspiration from her own childhood love of stories full of adventure and intrigue, Chloe has a particular soft spot for middle grade books. She especially loves anything that will spark a child’s imagination or curiosity, and she’s always looking for stories with plenty of heart and warmth. Chloe is also very keen to find more fantastic YA stories that will appeal to teens and young adults more widely. Bonus points if there’s a swoon-worthy romance and characters she can fall for!

Being of mixed heritage herself, Chloe is really keen to hear from authors from underrepresented backgrounds so please do include the hashtag #diversevoices in the subject line of your submission email, if you are happy to and identify as under-represented.

Please note that Chloe is currently on sabbatical and is closed to submissions. 

My Wishlist

I love books that make me feel something, whether that’s joy, sadness or anything in between! I do enjoy a good voice-led story but I’m also looking for great plot, memorable characters and a fresh angle or hook.

In middle grade, I’m mostly drawn to stories with an element of mystery or adventure – think the Murder Most Unladylike series, Amari and the Night Brothers or anything by Katherine Rundell. I’ve always loved ambitious fantasies in the vein of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, with lots of world-building to lose yourself in and high stakes, but I’m also here for the more heart-felt stories that speak to the reality of young people’s lives. This year, I’d really love to find a story featuring disabled or chronically ill characters with a really great adventure at its heart. I’m also keen to find stories that could be the next modern classics and I’m not averse to middle grade with a historical slant. Murder mysteries are also very much my bag and I’m actively on the lookout for a book in the style of The Swifts, full of quirky characters, wit and murderous intent!

I would really love to see stories that bring in elements from different cultures from across the world, whether that’s in a contemporary or more fantastical setting, drawing on writers’ lived experiences and backgrounds. I would absolutely love to someday find Latin American voices for the UK market (think Disney’s Coco or Encanto!)

In young fiction, I’m looking for fun, commercial texts that will really appeal to children in the 5-8 age range. I’d want to see a really clear hook and a distinctive voice, with stand-out characters and plot. Humour is definitely welcome but I don’t think I’d be the person for anything too wacky.
I’m particularly keen to find more amazing YA at the moment. Whether that’s a high stakes fantasy or a contemporary story, I want to see a really unique angle and a solid, fast-paced plot that will keep me engrossed from start to finish. Writing is key and I would want the voice to be really strong. I absolutely adore romance in YA, across a variety of genres, so if you’ve written anything with a swoony love story I’d love to see it! The more tropes the merrier – I’m a sucker for enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, etc. I want to see romance in all its messy, heart-breaking, teenage glory! Anything goes but I’m very keen to see love and teen relationships explored in new and exciting ways, and told from a variety of perspectives and experiences.
I’m a big fan of romantasy, having recently devoured Sarah J. Maas’ books, so I’m very keen to receive more of it. I’d want the world-building to be really well thought-through and to see a seamless blending of personal and wider stakes.

I’d love to find a thriller à la Holly Jackson, as well as stories reminiscent of Louise Rennison’s books.
Again, I’d love to find books that speak to non-Western cultures and that bring in fresh perspectives, informed by writers’ personal experiences and heritage.

I’m probably not the best fit for horror, sci-fi or anything too gritty.

In terms of picture books, I’d be happy to see stories of all types but I love to read texts that are child-friendly and place the child’s experiences at their core. I particularly love heart-warming picture books dealing with subjects that are close to children’s hearts but am also open to seeing funnier stories too.

Chloe's Authors