Darley Anderson Children's Book Agency reveals raft of promotions

The Darley Anderson Children’s Book Agency has announced a series of promotions, following the agency’s most successful year so far.

Clare Wallace, currently shortlisted for Literary Agent of the Year at The British Book Awards, has been promoted to managing director, heading the agency and managing the team as well as continuing agenting her own list of adult and children’s authors and illustrators. Lydia Silver has been promoted to director, and Kristina Egan has been made head of international rights.  

The news closely follows the promotion of Camilla Bolton to managing director of Darley Anderson & Associates. 

Wallace joined the Darley Anderson Agency in 2012, and has built a list of award-winning and bestselling clients including Claire Powell, Beth Reekles and A M Howell. Since moving to the Children’s Agency in 2014, she has grown the team from one person to six, and the Children’s Agency is now the largest entirely independent specialist children’s agency in the UK. In 2023 her clients were nominated or listed for almost all major awards, including the Carnegie, Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, Neros and Branford Boase prizes. 

Silver joined the company in 2018, and became an agent in 2019. Her list includes forthcoming debuts Sarah Bowie and Theo Parish, as well as established names Rachel Morrisroe and Rashmi Sirdeshpande. She was named a Bookseller Rising Star in 2022 and many of her clients have sold in highly competitive six-figure deals, including a soon-to-be announced middle-grade title. 

Egan has been with the Darley Anderson Agency since 2015, and joined the Children’s Agency in 2022 as rights manager. Since then, she has overseen a huge growth in international rights deals and income, running simultaneous auctions for A Language of Dragons and negotiating multiple six-figure deals across the last year. As head of international rights, she will be continuing to manage this expansion as a key focus and strategy for the agency. 

The agency team is completed by North American agent Becca Langton, associate agent Chloe Davis and newly appointed financial controller Helen Dudley. 

Last year was the Darley Anderson Children’s Book Agency’s most successful year to date, reporting a 56% growth in turnover compared with 2022. Across the agency, the team closed more than 100 deals in the UK and US and more than 40 international deals, including multiple auctions and pre-empts. The agency also started an internship scheme and has launched a new website to better spotlight its clients’ talents.  

Wallace said: “Every individual here is so dynamic and talented, so hard-working, so dedicated, and passionate about children’s books. Everyone is absolutely brilliant on their own but together we make a truly formidable team. I’m so proud of where we are and so excited about all there is still to come for us and our clients.” 

Anderson said: “I started the Children’s Agency with one author—Cathy Cassidy—who went on to write more than 30 books, many becoming international bestsellers. 

“My ambition for the agency from day one was huge—nothing less than to be recognised by children’s authors and publishers alike as the best of its kind. And today, there is no more talented and dedicated team in children’s publishing than those at the agency. Being the best in the business is no longer an ambition but a reality.”