A London-based literary agent with fifteen years of experience, Laetitia Rutherford is now tightening their list around literary and upmarket fiction and non-fiction, pivoting away from a decade-long crime fiction stronghold to champion voices that are original, emotionally resonant, and culturally expansive.
In brief
Laetitia built one of the UK's most commercially successful crime fiction lists — Jenny Blackhurst, Alex Marwood, and Ajay Chowdhury are all bestselling, award-winning, and in TV development — but their current agency page explicitly states they are NO LONGER seeking crime fiction. Do not pitch crime.
Their stated literary fiction favourites (Evaristo, Groff, Kingsolver, Slimani, Max Porter) signal a clear preference for formally ambitious, socially conscious, and emotionally deep prose — not genre-adjacent literary thrillers.
The non-fiction side leans toward 'how-to-live' concepts with crossover appeal and international licensing potential; their own examples (a book about a cat companion, a book about the Japanese philosophy of chowa) show they value a strong animating idea over conventional self-help packaging.
They champion writers who use English as a second or acquired language, stating explicitly that originality of thought outweighs grammatical polish — a meaningful and rare signal worth noting if that describes you.
Their pivot from a large crime list to a curated literary list is a deliberate strategic move, meaning they are selective and have limited capacity; a query must earn its place on a small, carefully chosen roster.
Lately
Laetitia contributed a practical, craft-focused piece to a writers' magazine offering guidance on how to query a literary agent — a signal that they take the querying process seriously and expect writers to approach it with care and professionalism.
What Laetitia is looking for
This is Laetitia's forward focus. They want novels driven by a strong central idea, emotional depth, and fresh perspectives — not commercially formulaic fiction. Historical fiction is welcome, but only if it speaks meaningfully to contemporary concerns. Charm and humour are assets. Their touchstone titles (see comps) suggest a preference for structurally inventive, voice-led work that engages with identity, society, and place in layered ways. They actively welcome diverse and underrepresented perspectives.
Laetitia is open to fiction that sits between literary and commercial — novels with strong narrative momentum and broad readership appeal that nonetheless bring originality, emotional intelligence, and a distinctive voice. Think book-club fiction with genuine literary ambition.
Particularly drawn to non-fiction that carries a strong, animating concept — the kind of book that teaches you how to live, see, or think differently, anchored by an expert, activist, or compelling cultural voice. Personal narrative with a universal philosophical dimension (akin to their sold title on the chowa philosophy) is especially welcome. They have also named lyrical, place-inflected memoirs as touchstones.
Laetitia explicitly mentions lifestyle and wellbeing as part of their non-fiction interest, with a particular fondness for books about food and cooking, the natural world, and 'how-to-live' philosophies. The concept must be fresh and the author must have genuine authority or a distinctive cultural vantage point — this is not a space for generic wellness titles.
Laetitia signals genuine enthusiasm for the contemporary poetry scene and names specific poets (Mary-Jean Chan, Nina Mingya Powles, Ella Frears) as excitements. However, they do not explicitly list poetry as an open submission category, and their roster does not prominently feature poetry clients. Treat this as a selective, relationship-driven interest rather than an open call; query only with exceptional work and confirm current appetite.
Not the right fit
On Laetitia's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Laetitia
Do not pitch crime fiction under any circumstances — Laetitia's agency page explicitly rules it out, regardless of how literary or acclaimed the work might be.
Lead with your central idea and what makes your voice or perspective singular. Laetitia values originality and emotional depth over genre convention or marketability alone.
For literary fiction, make your thematic and emotional ambition clear in the query letter — reference to the kinds of novels they admire (bold, voice-led, socially engaged) will signal that you understand their taste.
For non-fiction, articulate the governing concept of your book in a single sharp sentence. Laetitia responds to 'how-to-live' ideas and thinking that can travel across cultures and languages — show that your idea has that universality.
If you write in English as a second or acquired language, you may say so — Laetitia has explicitly stated this is not a barrier and has a track record of championing such authors.
Be precise about whether your work is literary, upmarket, or lifestyle non-fiction. Laetitia is building a deliberately small list; a query that is mis-categorised or too vague will not get traction.
Given Laetitia's recent public piece on querying in a writers' magazine, they are evidently thoughtful about the process — submit a polished, professional query that demonstrates you have done your homework on their taste.
Verify the submission form is still open before submitting; the last confirmed observation was January 2024, and status may have changed.