Francesca Riccardi is a commercial and upmarket fiction agent at Kate Nash Literary Agency with a publishing-industry background spanning accessibility, sales, and marketing — and a particular passion for crime, thrillers, and stories steeped in secrets, unusual family dynamics, and working-class voices.
In brief
Francesca brings over fifteen years of publishing experience — including roles at HarperCollins, Atlantic Books, and Canelo — giving her unusually strong relationships across both commercial and more literary imprints.
Her stated priority genres are crime/thrillers and commercial-to-upmarket fiction, with a consistent thematic pull toward secrets, toxic relationships, and unconventional family structures.
She has publicly identified herself as a working-class agent and actively prioritises hearing from working-class writers — a meaningful differentiator that shapes what voices she champions.
Her submissions form was directly observed as closed in April 2026; writers should check the live form before querying, as status may have changed.
Her taste in television — gritty dramas and reality shows alike — signals an appetite for books with high narrative tension and propulsive readability, not just literary prestige.
Lately
Francesca posted publicly that she is actively seeking commercial and upmarket fiction across genres, and highlighted a particular interest in amplifying working-class voices. She also noted thematic draws including secrets, unusual family dynamics, and toxic friendships.
What Francesca is looking for
This is Francesca's clear first love. She's drawn to stories with a dogged detective or an unusual, unexpected sleuth at the centre. Atmosphere, secrets, and propulsive plotting matter to her here. Think gritty and character-driven rather than cosy or purely puzzle-based.
She reads widely across popular commercial genres and is actively building a list here. Stories about toxic friendships, hidden secrets, and complicated family dynamics are a recurring draw. She wants work that is genuinely readable and plot-driven.
Fiction that sits between the commercial and the literary — strong prose with broad appeal. The same thematic interests apply: secrets, unusual relationships, people behaving badly in quietly devastating ways.
As a working-class agent, Francesca has explicitly stated she is particularly keen to hear from working-class writers. This is not a genre but a priority lens she applies across her list — writers from working-class backgrounds should name that context in their query.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Francesca
Confirm the form is open before submitting — it was closed as of April 2026 and may have a defined re-opening window.
If you are a working-class writer, say so directly and early in your query letter. Francesca has publicly stated this is a specific priority, and naming your background is an asset, not an overshare.
Lead with the secrets, stakes, or relationship dynamics at the heart of your story — her thematic interests (toxic friendships, hidden agendas, unusual family structures) are as important to her as plot mechanics.
For crime and thriller submissions, foreground what makes your detective or sleuth distinctive. 'Unusual sleuth' is her phrase — if your protagonist defies the genre template, make that clear immediately.
Frame your work on the commercial-to-upmarket spectrum with precision. If it has strong genre hooks AND literary ambition, say both — but do not obscure one to flatter the other.
Her background in accessibility and sales means she understands how books reach readers. A brief, honest pitch about your book's commercial positioning will land well with her.
Avoid pitching work that reads as purely experimental, plotless, or niche-literary — her stated tastes run consistently toward narrative drive and readability.