Berthoud joins Jo Unwin's agency

Ella Berthoud is joining Jo Unwin as a literary agent at JULA, and will build a list focusing on literary, reading group and children’s fiction.

Berthoud published her co-authored books The Novel Cure (Canongate) in 2013 and The Story Cure (Canongate) in 2017 with Susan Elderkin. As well as being a successful artist, she is a bibliotherapist at The School of Life.

Unwin said: "I hugely admire Ella’s ability as a bibliotherapist to match the book to the reader; and matchmaking is so much of what we agents do. She’s also the most voracious reader I know. Ella knows so well the mechanics of a good book, and has a twinkly mix of gravitas and mischief that feels exactly right for JULA."

Berthoud said: "I am completely thrilled to be joining JULA, an agency I have long admired. The prospect of finding new authors and helping them bring their stories out into the world is my idea of heaven."

Since founding her agency five years ago in 2013, Unwin has enlisted clients including Cathy Rentzenbrink, Kit de Waal, Richard Ayoade, Jenny Colgan, Emma Flint and Nina Stibbe. Upcoming debuts on its books include Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce (Picador) and Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams (Orion).