Ogden joins WME London office as co-head of book department

Hellie Ogden has joined WME as co-head of the London literary office with Matilda Forbes Watson.

Ogden comes from Janklow & Nesbit Literary Agency and represents writers in fiction, children’s books and non-fiction. Her clients include Kiran Millwood Hargrave, M J Arlidge, Sharna Jackson, Jessa Hastings, Fran Littlewood and Rowan Coleman.

Ogden also represents some of the biggest debut launches of the next two years including Samuel Burr’s The Fellow of Puzzlemakers launching in 14 countries next year, Jaded by Ela Lee, a 2024 lead debut for Harvill Secker and London Book Fair debut The Boy Who Built Lahore by Aisha Hassan, won in a major pre-empt by Orion Fiction.

“We are thrilled to welcome Hellie to WME. From a distance I have admired her energy, her brilliant authors and the business she has built, so I couldn’t be more excited to partner with her,” said Forbes Watson.

Ogden added: “I have had 10 happy years at J&N but this was a huge opportunity I couldn’t pass up. WME represents some of the most visionary writers in every genre and I know my clients will be extremely well looked after. Matilda and the London team are an impressive force and I feel very lucky to get to work with them.”

WME’s book department London office also hired Lucy Balfour who made the transition to agent from Louise Allen-Jones Associates where she worked for seven years as a literary scout on behalf of global publishers and film and TV companies.