A character-first agent across kidlit and adult who hunts for grounded, high-concept stories — from layered contemporary middle grade to upmarket fiction and “grounded” fantasy you could pitch in one sentence.
In brief
Reps the full age range: picture book and middle grade through YA, plus adult upmarket fiction, fantasy, romance, and select narrative nonfiction.
What lights them up is the relationship engine of a story — slow-burn romance, thorny sibling bonds, mismatched-friend-group dynamics — not the genre label.
Their sharpest current appetites: adult upmarket fiction, contemporary middle grade, YA of any genre, and grounded (not epic) adult fantasy.
Open to queries via Query Manager as of early 2025; Whatnall is explicitly looking to grow the list and leans toward diverse voices and underrepresented experiences.
Lately
Looking for more layered, contemporary middle grade — especially stories that highlight an experience we don't often see on the page and come with a unique hook.
The number one thing I look for in a query is specificity. What makes this story different from others in its category?
If you feel we might be a match, please do try me — I'm eagerly seeking more middle grade right now!
This year, I would especially love to find a grounded fantasy that comps to Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.
I'd love to find more layered, contemporary middle grade — especially stories that highlight an experience we don't often see on the page, and that have a unique story hook.
My very favorite part of my job is having editorial conversations with my clients.
In the adult space, I'd love to find accessible fantasy that cares about its characters more than anything else.
I do all genres, but I have a real soft spot for contemporary — those layered, thematic, school-set stories.
What Michaela is looking for
One of their top build areas: a propulsive plot wrapped around a theme that lingers. Speculative, contemporary, and historical all welcome. Whatnall points to client Sophie Wan's Women of Good Fortune — a wedding-heist premise that's really about friendship and the pressures society puts on women — as the template: a hooky surface over an emotional core.
Layered, heartfelt MG — contemporary, or contemporary with a touch of magic — that centers backgrounds and experiences rarely on the page. Their most recent public note asked specifically for contemporary MG with a unique story hook and a perspective we don't see often.
The one category where they'll read anything. Whatnall has a particular weakness for hooky fantasy — a grounded setting with big magic, high stakes, and delicious character dynamics — and is equally drawn to speculative, genre-blending, and contemporary YA with a strong concept.
Fantasy set in our world or one close to it, with a worldbuilding hook you can state in a single sentence and characters in the driver's seat. Explicitly not epic or high fantasy.
High-concept romance that sidesteps or freshly twists familiar tropes — bonus points for an action/adventure thread or a touch of the magical or paranormal. For romantasy specifically, they want queer, BIPOC, or otherwise underrepresented leads.
Betting on a dystopian resurgence — both straight dystopian and romance-forward dystopian. Their shorthand: the book grown-up Hunger Games fans would devour.
Selective here. Picture books (text, or text and art) that open an unexplored topic, bring a fresh angle on a common childhood experience, or break the mold a la Triangle. Graphic novels: MG and YA proposals with both text and art — no adult GNs.
A narrow lane: pop culture and cultural criticism, plus sports books that center women or queer athletes.
Not the right fit
On Michaela's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Michaela
Submit through Query Manager — the link is on Dystel, Goderich & Bourret's "Meet Our Agents" page. Email queries to Whatnall are not reviewed.
Lead with your hook — Whatnall has repeatedly said a one-sentence concept is what hooks them, especially in fantasy.
Name the central relationship. Character dynamics are their favorite part of any story; a query that foregrounds them is speaking their language.
Bring comps. Whatnall thinks in comps (Emily Wilde, Women of Good Fortune, Triangle) — meeting them there signals fit fast.
Confirm their status before sending; query windows shift and this snapshot is from early 2025.