Katrina Lemaire is a Canadian literary agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency with a strong gravitational pull toward horror in all its forms, gothic fiction, dark fantasy, and queer/BIPOC-centered speculative work across middle grade, YA, and adult.
In brief
Horror is the true north of Katrina Lemaire's list — body horror, folk horror, eco-horror, gothic horror, monster horror, and deep-sea horror all appear explicitly and repeatedly across every age category they represent. Writers with a horror project should prioritize this agent.
Queer and BIPOC representation is not a preference but a stated prerequisite in Katrina's adult/crossover work: LGBTQ+ and BIPOC characters are named at the forefront across horror, gothic, supernatural/paranormal, and fantasy — projects that center these voices will resonate most strongly.
Katrina's wishlist skews heavily toward genre-blended, atmospheric work — pure commercial genre fiction with no literary texture is less likely to connect; the sweet spot is the intersection of, say, gothic romance and speculative horror, or cozy fantasy with creepy undertones.
Picture books are open ONLY to author-illustrators, with an environmental/nature-science focus; picture book writers without illustration credentials should not query.
Katrina is CURRENTLY CLOSED to queries, and states that email submissions will not be accepted — writers must use the agency's online submission form and must verify the live status before submitting.
Lately
Katrina's current agency page declares they are closed to queries and explicitly states that email submissions will not be accepted — writers should monitor the agency's online form for when the window reopens.
What Katrina is looking for
This is Katrina's most emphatic priority. They want horror that pushes into body horror, femgore, monster horror drawing on classic literary archetypes (think Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man — reimagined with fresh narrative purpose), folk horror, environmental and ecological horror, Eldritch and deep-sea horror, horror romance, and art horror. LGBTQ+ and BIPOC characters must be at the forefront, not the margins.
Katrina is specifically hunting gothic genre blends that layer romance, speculative fiction, supernatural lore, and richly drawn historical settings — haunted castles, brooding atmosphere, watchful animal familiars. The focus is exclusively on LGBTQ+ and BIPOC characters. Touchstones include works in the vein of T. Kingfisher, and titles like Carmilla, Mexican Gothic, Starling House, The Bayou, and The Spirit Bares Its Teeth.
Katrina is self-described as picky here, so pitch with precision. They want fantasy that intersects with gothic, dark academia, speculative, romance, mystery, or horror — not standalone epic fantasy. Essentials: high stakes, ensemble casts with distinct dynamics, intricate non-western magic systems, complex villains who function beyond the role of love interest, fresh takes on dragons and non-western mythology, and immersive political world-building. Characters who are willing to 'burn the world down' are a recurring motif.
Katrina wants cozy fantasies that carry genuine creepy or uncanny undercurrents — not purely gentle or comforting. Studio Ghibli tonal vibes are a named reference. Soft mystique, slow-burn royal/court romance, potions, apothecary settings, and fantastical non-western monsters are all welcome. The creepy/crawly energy of The Butterfly Garden is a named contrast touchstone.
Katrina wants supernatural and paranormal work that centers LGBTQ+ and BIPOC characters. Witches, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, devils/demons, occult, and dark magic are all on the table — but the pitch must lead with a propulsive hook, fully human emotional nuance, and a genuinely fresh angle on familiar mythology.
Katrina is drawn to magical realism that features lyrical prose, experimentally constructed narratives, and unexpected speculative twists. This is not a category for straightforward realistic fiction with a single magical element; the speculative dimension should be genuinely surprising.
Katrina explicitly advocates for Indigenous and First Nations voices across all categories: magical realism, horror, romance, upmarket literary, urban fantasy, contemporary, supernatural, science, and climate fiction. This is one of the broadest and most actively signaled areas of interest on the wishlist.
Rom-coms and contemporary romance are welcomed, with a particular enthusiasm for eco-centric premises featuring diverse voices — women in STEAM fields (marine biologists, conservationists, archaeologists, park rangers) are a specific callout. Paranormal romance also sits on the list. High tension or cozy registers both work if the premise is fresh.
Also on the list: soft science fiction, thrillers, dark academia, occult fiction, upmarket/commercial literary fiction, cozy mysteries and whodunnits, historical fiction with gothic/romance/speculative blends, and paranormal. Each of these is welcomed but not individually emphasized — query with one of these only if it intersects meaningfully with Katrina's horror/gothic/queer lens.
Katrina wants YA mysteries with ensemble casts of unreliable characters, locked-room whodunnits, and messy, complex crimes. Thematic hooks around culinary worlds, fashion, art, or academic rivalry with undercurrents of yearning are specifically called out. The narrative drive matters enormously — Katrina wants to feel compelled to turn pages, always slightly behind the answer.
Katrina's YA fantasy wishlist is detailed and demanding: lush, fully developed worlds; intricate magic systems drawn from non-western traditions; characters who are feral and driven by specific, clear motives; villains with genuine lore and independent purpose (not just love-interest foils); fierce romance; monsters with unique, well-developed origins; environmental fantasy blending horror and speculative; soft fantasy centered on friendships and family; dark fantasy that engages meaningfully with underrepresented themes; politically complex world-building; and fresh fairy-tale retellings.
Katrina is actively building a YA horror list. Ensemble casts investigating haunted buildings/manors, with discoveries that mirror the characters' inner growth, are particularly appealing. Also wanted: bubblegum horror, gothic horror, woodland/burial-ground hauntings, Lovecraftian horror, monster horror, man-made body horror tied to environmentalism, occult, quiet horror, and fresh paranormal takes that subvert familiar mythology.
Katrina wants YA rom-coms and contemporary romances with eco-centric or nature-focused premises and diverse voices. The same women-in-STEAM angle from adult applies here: marine biologists, conservationists, archaeologists, park rangers as protagonists are a named want.
Katrina is actively seeking MG horror with propulsive pacing, and stories centered on growth, friendship, and compassion alongside the scares. The weird and twisty is welcome. Titles should aim for the tonal register of the named comps.
Studio Ghibli tonal energy is the anchor reference. Katrina wants warm, wonder-filled MG fantasy with gentle magic and a sense of discovery. Named comps set the bar.
These categories sit on the list alongside MG horror and cozy fantasy, but without the same depth of description — query here if the project has a strong hook and aligns with the broader horror/speculative/wonder-filled sensibility evident across Katrina's full wishlist.
Katrina represents picture books only from author-illustrators — writers without illustration credentials should not submit. The focus is nature and environmental science: stories that explore ecosystems from bayous to arctic tundra to jungle and desert, featuring characters who are genuinely curious about the natural world. Katrina wants sensory richness (texture, sound, taste), educational value for current and future generations, and art that reflects the natural environments explored. At the time of the most recent wishlist note, Katrina was not seeking lyrical or rhyming picture books — confirm this gate on the current submission guidelines before querying.
Not the right fit
On Katrina's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Katrina
Katrina is currently CLOSED to queries — check the agency's online submission form for the current status before doing anything else. Email queries are explicitly rejected.
Lead your query with the horror angle if your book has one: horror is Katrina's most elaborated and repeated priority across every age category. Even in gothic, fantasy, and paranormal pitches, foregrounding the horror elements will resonate.
State upfront if your protagonist is LGBTQ+ and/or BIPOC — this is a named prerequisite for adult/crossover horror, gothic, supernatural, and paranormal work, not a bonus. Burying this detail is a missed opportunity.
For YA fantasy, be specific about the magic system's non-western origins and the villain's independent role in the story's world — Katrina has explicitly flagged both as requirements, and a query that skips them will read as a mismatch.
For picture books, confirm in your query that you are the illustrator as well as the author — Katrina does not consider picture book manuscripts from writers without illustration credentials.
For MG cozy fantasy, anchor your comp titles to the named touchstones (The Girl Who Drank the Moon, The Lost Library) and use the Studio Ghibli tonal shorthand if it fits — Katrina named it directly, so it signals alignment.
If your project sits at a genre intersection (e.g., gothic romance × speculative horror, or eco-thriller × paranormal), name that intersection explicitly in the first paragraph — Katrina's entire wishlist is built around genre blends, and a single-genre pitch may undersell a hybrid manuscript.
Avoid querying with a rhyming or purely lyrical picture book — Katrina's wishlist note indicated this is not currently sought, though you should verify on the live submission guidelines.
If you write Indigenous or First Nations fiction, note this clearly: Katrina has made advocacy for this community a visible, cross-category commitment.