Rhian Parry is a Welsh-speaking associate literary agent at The Blair Partnership who specialises in commercial fiction — particularly romance, romantasy, and LGBTQ+ work — with a distinct pull toward humour, tropes, and speculative edges over gritty realism.
In brief
Rhian's wishlist is narrower than it first appears: within contemporary romance, they want only romcoms — not emotional drama, not upmarket women's fiction, not Nicholas Sparks-style sweeping stories.
LGBTQ+ submissions are an explicit priority across every genre Rhian covers; marginalized authors are always welcomed.
Their fantasy taste skews grounded and tone-aware — whimsy and wit matter as much as world-building; they've named Godkiller by Hannah Kaner as roughly the upper limit of grimdark they'll entertain.
Rhian's public engagement with Welsh folklore and autistic own-voices stories signals active, personal investment in those sub-niches — pitches touching either have a real advantage.
Non-fiction is largely off the table, with a narrow exception for work exploring LGBTQ+ and/or neurodivergent experience.
Lately
Rhian publicly noted enthusiasm for a query project pitched as an academic rivals-to-lovers romantasy featuring own-voices autistic representation, gothic undertones, and Welsh folklore — describing it as having attracted strong early manuscript-request numbers. This signals that Rhian is personally engaged with Welsh folklore as source material and that own-voices neurodivergent rep is a genuine draw, not just a box-tick.
What Rhian is looking for
Rhian's single-genre focus within contemporary romance is the romcom. They want banter-heavy narratives loaded with recognisable tropes, male love interests who actively reject toxic masculinity, and — ideally — a light speculative thread woven through an otherwise contemporary setup. Purely realistic, emotionally weighty romance (in the Jojo Moyes or Nicholas Sparks register) is explicitly not what they're after.
This is arguably Rhian's richest seam. They want fantasy worlds where romance is a meaningful strand but not necessarily the spine — a gripping fantasy plot with romantic momentum is the sweet spot. Tone is crucial: wit and a light touch are prized; the worldbuilding should feel lived-in rather than maximalist. Welsh folklore and academic or rivals-to-lovers dynamics appear to be personal enthusiasms based on Rhian's own public commentary.
Rhian is open to horror only when it's fused with romance and leans into gothic atmosphere rather than graphic violence or body horror. An immersive, richly built setting is non-negotiable. Dark academia — both as a literal academic setting and as an aesthetic — is particularly appealing within this lane.
Rhian will consider YA, but the gate is strict: fantasy, paranormal, or dystopian elements must be present. YA contemporary, YA romance without speculative elements, and YA of any kind that isn't genre-inflected are not of interest.
Rhian flags LGBTQ+ submissions as a priority across the full range of genres they represent — romcom, fantasy romance, hororomance, YA. This isn't a separate category so much as a standing invitation: if a project fits any of Rhian's genre interests and centres queer characters or stories, it should be flagged prominently in the query.
Rhian is broadly closed to non-fiction, but carves out a specific exception for books exploring the LGBTQ+ experience and/or neurodivergence. Anything outside that narrow lane — memoir, history, self-help, pop culture, etc. — is not being sought.
Not the right fit
On Rhian's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Rhian
Submissions are closed as of April 2026 — check the live submission form before preparing your query, as windows can reopen without announcement.
When the form is open, send your query directly to Rhian's dedicated submissions email address (rhiansubmissions@theblairpartnership.com), following the detailed guidelines posted on The Blair Partnership website.
Flag LGBTQ+ rep and/or own-voices neurodivergent rep explicitly near the top of your query letter — Rhian calls these out as priorities, so don't bury them.
Match your tone in the query to the tone of your book. Rhian prizes wit and banter; a query letter that reads like a thriller blurb will feel misaligned even for a humorous fantasy.
If your fantasy has Welsh folklore, academic settings, or rivals-to-lovers dynamics, name those specifically — Rhian's public posts show personal enthusiasm for all three.
Use the Godkiller / Emily Wilde axis to calibrate your pitch: if your fantasy is darker and more epic than Godkiller, Rhian is probably not the right fit; if it sits in the whimsical-but-grounded space of the Emily Wilde series, say so directly.
Do not pitch upmarket or emotionally-weighty romance — even if it has a love story at its centre. Rhian is explicit that this category goes to a colleague, not to them.
Spice level is not a disqualifier in either direction, but clarify whether your book contains explicit erotica — that is the one content line Rhian draws.