Armstrong and Lambert join directors in C&W revamp

A revamped structure at C&W sees Sue Armstrong and Sophie Lambert (below right) appointed as directors, joining Clare Conville and Jake Smith-Bosanquet, to future-proof the agency against “the thrilling challenges ahead".

Armstrong and Lambert became directors at the beginning of this month, following a successful year at the 18-year-old agency, with freelance rights professional Kate Burton joining as rights director on Monday (7th January) in a newly created role in the reshuffle, as well as a number of junior promotions.

Armstrong’s promotion comes 14 years after she joined C&W as an intern. She graduated to an assistant role and then became an agent, working with authors such as Joanna Cannon, Jess Kidd, and Ali Shaw. Lambert started her career as a bookseller before becoming a buyer and then an agent at Janklow & Nesbit Associates in New York and Tibor Jones. She joined C&W six years ago and her authors include Nathan Filer, Tim Spector and Christie Watson.

Burton started in the publishing industry at Penguin selling Jamie Oliver’s titles internationally, as well as a number of other authors, before establishing her own freelance rights business working with publishers such as Unbound and ITV publishing."I’m thrilled to be joining C&W at such an exciting time,” she said. "I’ve always had huge respect for their incredible list of authors and can’t wait to become part of this dynamic and talented team."

The revamped structure also sees Emma Finn, assistant to Armstrong and Lambert, become a full-time agent in March, continuing to build a list of accessible literary and upmarket book group fiction, alongside a range of non-fiction. Stepping into her shoes will be translation rights intern Meredith Ford while translation rights assistant Matilda Ayris has been promoted to rights executive, with the restructure boosting the company’s headcount by one, to 16.

Armstrong and Lambert revealed they are “delighted” with their new roles as directors, as well as being able to "welcome Kate and Meredith to the C&W team and to celebrate Emma and Matilda’s thoroughly deserved promotions in the new year”.

Meanwhile translation rights and book agent Alexander Cochran will continue developing his dual role, selling C&W rights across major markets while increasing his focus on his primary agenting work, covering new and up-and-coming literary voices, speculative fiction, commercial crime and thriller, and intelligent non-fiction. 

C&W m.d. Smith-Bosanquet said: "We are very excited with these appointments and promotions, and I’m savouring the January return to work with the largest and strongest team that C&W has had. As well as those mentioned here, we’re enormously privileged to work with a brilliant and dynamic roster of agents and assistants, the best in the business, within C&W and our parent company, Original Talent." 

"It has been an exciting year for us at C&W where we have seen the enormous benefits to our authors of working in alliance with Cuba Productions, Alex Fane Productions, the Curtis Brown Film and TV department, Curtis Brown Creative and ICM Partners in New York," said C&W chair Conville. "We are also greatly looking forward to strengthening ties with Tavistock Wood."

She added: "However, the core of what we do and what we can offer to our beloved authors lies with the extraordinarily talented and committed team in Haymarket House. I firmly believe the new appointments and promotions we have made can only strengthen the company still further and prepare us for the demanding but hopefully thrilling challenges ahead."

The agency was founded by Conville and Patrick Walsh in 2000 as Conville & Walsh. It teamed up with Curtis Brown in 2013, and is now based in Curtis Brown's central London offices. Walsh left in 2016 to form the PEW agency with Conville and Walsh relaunching as C+W the following year before becoming C&W.