Leonicka Valcius is a Toronto-based Assistant Agent at Transatlantic Literary Agency who co-represents clients alongside senior agents, actively building a list centered on writers of color across commercial adult fiction, YA, and middle grade.
In brief
Valcius operates as an Assistant Agent, meaning new clients benefit from both Valcius's personal enthusiasm and a senior agent's established publisher relationships — a genuinely distinctive setup worth understanding before you query.
The wishlist is explicitly equity-focused: Valcius calls out trans people of color, disabled people of color, religious minorities of color, and queer people of color by name — this is a stated priority, not just a checkbox.
Stated genre range is wide (commercial adult fiction, romance, fantasy, historical, YA, MG), but the most specific heat signal is epic historical fiction centering characters of color — Valcius named this as a top want.
Hard limits are narrow and firm: no mysteries, no thrillers, no picture books — outside those, the list is genuinely broad.
Valcius's involvement with the Festival of Literary Diversity signals deep roots in the Canadian and multicultural literary community, which may benefit clients seeking those connections.
Lately
Valcius has publicly identified their most-wanted project as an epic historical fiction saga centering people of color, pointing to authors like Philippa Gregory and Hilary Mantel as models for the scope and ambition they are looking for — while being explicit that the centering of characters of color is non-negotiable.
What Leonicka is looking for
This is Valcius's most explicitly stated priority. They want sweeping, large-scale historical narratives that center people of color — think the scope and craft of Philippa Gregory or Hilary Mantel, but with protagonists and communities of color at the heart of the story. The bigger and more ambitious, the better.
Valcius wants romance across a wide tonal spectrum, from sweet to steamy. Contemporary romance is a named favorite sub-genre. Authors like Alisha Rai are cited as taste benchmarks, suggesting a preference for romance featuring diverse characters and modern sensibilities.
Valcius describes fantasy as 'otherworldly' — signaling a preference for fully realized secondary-world or speculative settings rather than light paranormal. Epic fantasy and historical fantasy are both named as favorite sub-genres. N.K. Jemisin is a cited favorite, pointing toward ambitious, literary-leaning, and culturally rich world-building.
Valcius gravitates toward fun, readable commercial fiction — books suited to a beach read but with emotional weight. For YA, contemporary stories with strong voice and multicultural perspective are a named interest. Kevin Kwan, Nicola Yoon, and Marie Lu are cited favorites, pointing toward witty, propulsive narratives with cultural specificity.
Valcius loves humor, adventure, and imaginative 'make believe' for the MG age group. Stories about kids navigating shifting family and friendship dynamics are also welcomed. Importantly, Valcius strongly prefers books with at least one human character — this is a meaningful gate for animal-only or object-centric stories. Dan Santat and Dav Pilkey are cited as personal favorites, signaling a taste for funny, visually energetic, kid-first storytelling.
LGBTQ+ fiction is a named category and Valcius specifically highlights queer people of color as a priority community. Rather than a standalone category, queerness appears most welcome as an identity lens woven through the commercial and speculative genres above.
Family sagas appear on the genre list, consistent with Valcius's stated love of sweeping historical and multigenerational narratives centering people of color. Works like Kevin Kwan's suggest an appreciation for stories where family dynamics and cultural heritage are intertwined.
Not the right fit
Taste fingerprint
How to query Leonicka
Submit via the designated online query form — Valcius explicitly directs all submissions there; email queries are not the requested route.
Include all four components Valcius specifies: a query letter, a bio, a synopsis, and a 20-page sample. Missing any one of these is likely to disqualify a submission.
If your work centers people of color — especially trans, disabled, queer, or religiously minority characters of color — say so clearly in your query letter. This is a stated priority, not just a box to tick.
For historical fiction, lead with the scope and the protagonist's identity. Valcius is drawn to sweeping, ambitious narratives, so make the epic scale legible from the first paragraph.
For middle grade, flag whether your story includes at least one human character. Valcius states a strong preference for this — if your cast is all animals or objects, reconsider whether this is the right agent.
Match your comp titles to authors Valcius has cited as personal favorites where genuinely applicable (N.K. Jemisin for epic/literary fantasy, Nicola Yoon or Marie Lu for YA, Alisha Rai for romance) — but only if the comparison is honest and specific.
Do NOT query mysteries or thrillers under any framing — this is a firm exclusion, not a soft preference.
As an Assistant Agent, Valcius co-represents clients with a senior agent at Transatlantic — it may be worth briefly acknowledging this collaborative model if you have questions about representation structure, but do not treat it as a lesser option; it is the explicit value proposition Valcius describes.