You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Peters Fraser + Dunlop literary agency celebrates 100th birthday in October
The Peters Fraser + Dunlop literary agency (PFD), marks its centenary this October, celebrating the anniversary year with a major line-up of events, including a peek into the archives, commemorative cocktails and a mentorship scheme. David Gentleman, a client since 1976, will also produce an original illustration for the agency.
Caroline Michel, c.e.o., said: “Past and present – the power of delivering the very best of storytelling from the best of writers is our passion at PFD. From our youngest intern to our most experienced agent, we get up in the morning to work with our writers, finding and exploring territories, markets, formats and trends to enhance every aspect of what we deliver for our clients. I believe we are living in one of the most exciting times of possibility for our authors.”
Set up by A D Peters in 1924, PFD is one of the oldest independent literary agencies in London. Peters’ original aim with his literary agency was to support writers who felt unprotected in the world of publishing, and, a century later, the agency said it “remains true to its roots: focusing on writers, championing their stories, and representing their best interests”.
PFD’s classic authors include Evelyn Waugh, Rebecca West, Hilaire Belloc, J B Priestley and E M Forster while Jeanette Winterson, Rose Tremain, Richard Coles, Danielle Steel and Simon Schama are among its contemporary writers. PFD’s children’s list includes Michael Rosen’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt (Walker) and Onjali Q Raúf’s The Boy at the Back of the Class (Orion Children’s Books”.
The agency said it is “passionate about securing every opportunity available to writers and their work" and is “committed to innovation and creativity” citing deals that pioneer new trends, such as The GCHQ Puzzle Book (PMJ) with stage and screen adaptations such as “The Inheritance” based on Forster’s Howards End, “Greyhound” based on C S Forester’s The Good Shepherd and the recent Van der Valk series based on Nicolas Freeling’s detective series. PFD said it “prides itself on bringing stories to new readers around the world and finding homes for underrepresented voices” through programmes such as the Queer Fiction Prize.
The company added: “At PFD we go out of our way to find new talent, whether we are dreaming up ideas for writers, discovering someone’s extraordinary words in print or on social media, or reading through our very welcome submissions. We are curious and committed to discovering and working with the greatest writers across the world.
“With an energetic and collaborative team across Books, Children’s, Foreign Rights, Contemporary Classics, Film + TV, and Broadcast departments, PFD is perfectly poised to take on the next 100 years with enthusiasm, agility, and strength”.
