Delamere retires from The Agency as Hare steps up

Literary agent Hilary Delamere, of The Agency, has announced she is retiring at the end of March.

Delamere joined The Agency when it was Lemon Unna & Durbridge in the early 1990s to look after Michael Bond’s Paddington Bear titles and has built a robust list of children’s book authors and illustrators since then. Among them are Malorie Blackman and Lydia Monks.

Before joining The Agency, Delamere worked for several different publishing houses, including Penguin Children’s Books, where she was rights director.

The Agency was recently appointed to represent the publishing and media rights for the Raymond Briggs Estate. Although no longer an agent, Delamere will act as a consultant on all aspects of this appointment. 

Jessica Hare is stepping up to take over the children’s books department from Delamere.

Delamere said of the news: “I have worked with some of the most talented and creative authors and illustrators in the children’s publishing industry along with some of the finest publishers which has been a pretty good way to spend the last 31 years as an agent. And now I feel secure in the knowledge that I am passing on the baton to Jessica who is a proving herself as a real rising star in the industry.”

Hare added: “Hilary has been a one in a million boss, colleague and mentor over the last six years and I will miss working with her enormously.”