Julia Churchill is the head of the children's books department at A.M. Heath & Co. Ltd, hunting for bold, resonant storytelling across every age range from picture books to YA — with a particular hunger for middle grade and young adult fiction.
In brief
Julia Churchill runs the children's list at one of London's most established literary agencies and represents the full spectrum of children's publishing, from picture book texts to young adult novels.
Their stated priorities are middle grade and YA, but the client roster signals genuine breadth: literary children's fiction, contemporary and classic-feeling novels, and work that captures the intensity of reading as a child.
Churchill is explicitly cautious about North American writers — unless there is a compelling UK-market reason for a UK agent, they actively encourage US and Canadian writers to seek representation at home.
The roster includes established names such as Joan Aiken and Lloyd Alexander alongside contemporary writers like Zillah Bethell and Helen Douglas, suggesting Churchill values both literary legacy and fresh voices.
Churchill is open to an unusually wide tonal range — slick thrillers, goofy contemporary romance, quiet junior novels, verse novels, and non-fiction concepts — making a genre-flexible pitch less useful than a voice-forward one.
Lately
Churchill describes their submission mindset as deliberately non-prescriptive: the next project they fall for could be a slick YA thriller, a goofy teen romance, a quiet junior novel about friendship and family, a verse novel, or an unexpected non-fiction concept. They recently acquired a picture book that made colleagues laugh out loud when they described it — a signal that comedy and surprise are genuine draws.
What Julia is looking for
Churchill names middle grade as one of their two top priorities. They are drawn to stories that recreate the sensation of total immersion that young readers experience with a great novel — think the wonder and growing confidence of discovering a big story for the first time. Voice, emotional truth, and originality of concept matter more than any particular genre or setting.
YA is the other pillar of Churchill's list. They express appetite for a wide tonal range within the category: a sleek thriller is as welcome as a warm, awkward contemporary romance. The emphasis is on voice and on work that feels true to the adolescent experience rather than on any single sub-genre.
Churchill holds picture book writers in high regard, describing the form as a 'little masterpiece' that requires an original, purposeful concept with a complete narrative arc told in just a few hundred words. They represent picture book texts and have recently taken on a project that provoked genuine delight (and laughter) from colleagues — so unexpected or comedic concepts are very much in play.
Churchill is open to non-fiction pitched at younger readers, particularly concept-driven work that feels genuinely new — the kind of book where the response is 'how does this not exist already?' Strong concept and clear market positioning appear to be the bar.
Churchill specifically flags fiction written in verse as something they are open to across children's and YA categories. This is a welcomed format rather than a primary target, and the same quality threshold — originality, emotional resonance, strong storytelling — applies.
Not the right fit
On Julia's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Julia
Submit through the dedicated online form linked from Churchill's agency page — do not query by cold email.
Churchill reads across a wide tonal range, so rather than positioning your work by genre label alone, lead with voice and the emotional experience you want the reader to have.
Ground your pitch in the child or teen reader's perspective: Churchill's own language is about the intensity and wonder of reading as a young person, so your query letter should show you understand that experience.
If your concept is genuinely unexpected or funny, lean into it — Churchill has flagged that surprising, laugh-inducing ideas are exactly what they're looking for in picture books, not just safe or conventional ones.
For verse novels or non-fiction concepts, name the format clearly upfront; Churchill has specifically welcomed both, so there is no need to hedge.
North American writers should query only if there is a concrete UK-market reason (e.g. a British setting, a UK co-author, or a rights situation that specifically benefits from UK representation) — Churchill is explicit that otherwise your time is better spent with agents in your home market.
Churchill mentions being active on Instagram at @jkfchurchill — following their public posts is a legitimate way to get a feel for current taste before querying, but query only through the official submission route.