Hardman and Swainson launch new agency

Literary agents Caroline Hardman and Joanna Swainson, former colleagues at Christopher Little, are launching a new agency, Hardman & Swainson, on 18th June.

The agency will begin with 18 authors, covering literary and commercial fiction, crime and thriller, YA, and quality non-fiction, including popular science, philosophy and memoir.

The authors already on their books include Rebecca Wait, Anne Putnam, Rosie Fiore, Liz Trenew and Vanessa Greene, Michele Gorman and Professor Dan Davis. The agency will be focused on developing authors, "both editorially and commercially", with an emphasis on "quality writing across the genres".

Hardman joined the Christopher Little Agency in 2010, having spent six years at The Marsh Agency where she specialised in translation rights. Meanwhile, Swainson ran literary consultancy, The Word Association, and worked as a freelance reader and in-house editor for literary agents including Little, Eddison Pearson and Darley Anderson.

Hardman said: "I've thoroughly enjoyed my time as an agent under Christopher's aegis, and I'm hugely grateful to Chris and my colleagues at the agency. I'm now looking forward to this new venture in partnership with Joanna."

Swainson said: "I'm thrilled to be setting up with Caroline, working with our existing authors and new finds and getting my hands on our very own slush pile."

Little said: "It is exciting to see a new agency starting up in these changing times. Caroline and Joanna have huge talent and boundless energy and I wish them every success with their new venture."

The agency will be based in Battersea, south London, and online at www.hardmanswainson.com.