Mina Hamedi is a New York-based literary agent at Janklow & Nesbit whose double identity—Istanbul-raised MFA nonfiction writer—drives a focused hunt for psychologically rich literary fiction with dark or uncanny edges and bold, voice-driven nonfiction from writers trying to change the world.
In brief
Her stated passion for Gothic atmosphere and intergenerational family secrets is fully backed by her client roster: Ruth Madievsky, Maria Kuznetsova, and Sarah-Jane Collins all write in that psychologically dense, literary-with-genre-undertones register.
She operates inside one of publishing's most prestigious agencies and directly supports Lynn Nesbit's legend-tier list (Aciman, Caro, Farrow, Greer), giving her strong relationships at major houses — a real infrastructure advantage for debut authors.
Her wishlist comps — from Mexican Gothic to Minor Feelings to Pachinko — reveal a consistent appetite for diaspora-inflected, non-Western-rooted stories, not just 'international' as a vague bonus; writers with a specific cultural anchor will resonate most.
She holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction and co-founded an art magazine herself, which means nonfiction clients get a rare agent who has genuinely sat on their side of the page — voice and structure in personal essays will be scrutinized at a craft level.
Her roster explicitly includes sex workers, activists, and HIV pharmacists as clients — this is a signal she is not squeamish about controversial subject matter or non-traditional author platforms; unconventional voices are a feature, not a risk.
Lately
Her agency page emphasizes that she is drawn to stories from around the world, particularly from Turkey and Iran, and is actively championing voices in translation alongside writers from underrepresented backgrounds — a consistent signal she has reinforced over several years.
What Mina is looking for
This is the center of her fiction taste. She wants novels with Gothic atmosphere, psychological tension, family secrets, and the kind of slow-building dread that doesn't require full-blown genre machinery — think unsettling domestic or cultural horror rather than supernatural spectacle. Stories that excavate obsession and relationships at depth. Genre elements (horror, mystery, speculative) are welcome as threads woven through literary fiction, not as the dominant scaffolding.
Intergenerational stories rooted in specific cultural worlds — particularly Turkish, Iranian, and broader Middle Eastern or Asian contexts, though she is explicit that non-Western origin is a plus rather than a requirement. She responds to fiction that uses mythology, folklore, and tradition as structural or thematic engines rather than decoration. Linked story collections that build a world across pieces are also squarely in her wheelhouse.
She wants nonfiction that marries an urgent private voice with large public stakes — writers who use their own experience as a lens onto systemic or cultural forces rather than as an end in itself. Essay collections, memoirs, and narrative nonfiction that interrogate identity, power, pop culture, or hidden histories all fit. The critical requirement is a distinct, irreplaceable voice; she is not drawn to reportage that keeps the author at arm's length.
She actively seeks writers working in languages other than English — she speaks Turkish and Farsi herself, which gives her a genuine editorial eye for work originating in those traditions. Broadly, she champions writers from backgrounds underrepresented in mainstream publishing. This is a lens that applies across both fiction and nonfiction rather than a separate category.
She is open to commercial fiction that carries genuine literary craft — work that has broad appeal and narrative momentum without sacrificing depth of character or language. High-concept premises with emotional and cultural stakes are the sweet spot. Think layered storytelling with something genuinely at risk for characters whose worlds feel specific and real.
Not the right fit
On Mina's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Mina
Send a query letter plus the first ten pages of your manuscript directly to her agency email address — this is the format she specifies, so do not send a synopsis or a full manuscript unless requested.
Lead your query with the specific cultural world or setting of your book; her own background is Turkish and Iranian, and her wishlist makes clear that a vivid, distinct sense of place — especially outside the US — is one of her strongest pulls.
If your nonfiction has both a personal dimension and a systemic or political argument, name both explicitly in your query; she is not looking for pure memoir or pure reportage but for the combustion of the two.
Gothic atmosphere, uncanny elements, or psychological darkness should be named and briefly illustrated — don't bury the genre undertone if your literary fiction has one; it is a draw for her, not a liability.
If your work draws on Eastern or Middle Eastern mythology, say so clearly and early; this is a specific stated interest that sets your submission apart from a generic 'mythology retelling' pitch.
Avoid pitching work as science fiction or traditional fantasy — even if your book has speculative elements, frame them in terms of the literary tradition (uncanny, horror, speculative realism) rather than genre taxonomy.
She is a writer herself with an MFA in creative nonfiction; query letters that show craft and self-awareness about the writing process tend to resonate with agents who have been on the other side of the desk.
Do not follow up immediately after querying — she states she will reach out if interested; respect that process.