Andrea Cascardi is a Toronto-based agent at Transatlantic Literary Agency who specializes in children's and young adult literature while also championing upmarket commercial fiction for adults, with a particular appetite for work at the intersection of genre and literary sensibility.
In brief
Andrea Cascardi's stated priorities cluster tightly around children's and YA — both fiction and nonfiction — with adult commercial and upmarket women's fiction as a secondary lane.
Their sub-genre preferences signal a taste for work that blends literary craft with genre momentum: historical fantasy, magical realism, and literary middle grade all point to a reader who wants plot AND prose.
Diversity is explicitly named as a focus, suggesting a strong interest in underrepresented voices and perspectives across all age categories.
Contemporary romance and contemporary YA both appear in the favorites list, indicating openness to commercial, trend-aware projects alongside the more literary fare.
Query status was observed as open in April 2026 — verify directly before submitting, as this can change.
Lately
Andrea Cascardi's current wishlist highlights a clear dual focus: children's and YA literature on one side, and upmarket adult commercial fiction on the other — with diversity named as an active priority threading through all of it.
What Andrea is looking for
This is the core of Andrea Cascardi's practice. They want both fiction and nonfiction aimed at younger readers, with a clear emphasis on literary middle grade — stories that take children seriously and deliver real craft alongside genuine storytelling momentum. Diversity is a named priority across this category.
YA is equally central to Andrea Cascardi's list. Contemporary YA is explicitly a favorite, and the broader genre appetite (fantasy, historical, magical realism) suggests openness to YA work that plays with or blends those modes. Nonfiction YA is also welcome.
Named as a favorite sub-genre, pointing to a strong appetite for work that combines a rigorously researched or richly evoked historical world with fantastical elements. This likely applies across age categories — MG, YA, and possibly adult.
Explicitly listed as a favorite, suggesting interest in stories where the extraordinary is woven naturally into an otherwise grounded, character-driven world. Writers working in this mode across any of Andrea Cascardi's core age categories should feel encouraged.
Andrea Cascardi names upmarket and women's fiction as a secondary adult lane — books with commercial appeal and a sophisticated literary voice. Think emotionally resonant, character-led stories that transcend pure genre while still being propulsive and readable.
Contemporary romance appears in the favorites list, suggesting genuine interest in the genre — not just romance as a subplot or element, but as the primary narrative engine. The 'upmarket' sensibility that shapes the rest of the list likely applies here too.
Broader commercial fiction for adults rounds out the adult lane. This likely overlaps with women's fiction and romance, and may extend to other accessible, story-forward genres not otherwise specified.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Andrea
Send your query directly to the email address Andrea Cascardi uses for submissions — it is listed on the agency's website and their wishlist profile.
Because Andrea Cascardi works across a wide age range and several sub-genres, make it unmistakably clear in your opening lines: what age category is this, what genre or sub-genre does it occupy, and what is the emotional core?
Diversity is a named priority — if your work centers underrepresented voices, perspectives, or experiences, say so directly and early. Don't bury it.
The pairing of 'literary' and commercial descriptors (literary middle grade, upmarket women's fiction) is a consistent signal. Your query letter should demonstrate both craft and readability — don't pitch as pure genre or pure literary; show the seam where the two meet.
Historical fantasy and magical realism are explicit favorites. If your work fits either mode, name the sub-genre confidently and illustrate it in your pitch rather than letting the agent infer it.
Transatlantic Literary Agency is a Canadian agency. While they sell internationally, awareness of the Canadian market context can be an asset — don't hide a Canadian setting or Canadian author identity.
Verify current query status and any specific submission guidelines (page count, synopsis requirements) on the live agency website before sending, as details change and a cached status is not a guarantee.