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Ask the Agent — Lisa Highton
Simon Whaley chats to Lisa Highton of Edinburgh-based Jenny Brown Associates Literary Agency
(This piece appeared in the October 2023 print issue of Writing Magazine.)
Lisa Highton’s publishing experience spans the world. She’s been a publishing director at Doubleday, HarperCollins, and Hodder in Australia. She returned to the UK in 2005 to work for Hachette, establishing their Two Roads imprint, where she worked with authors like Kirsty Wark, Sally Magnusson, Janet Ellis, and Susan Calman.
Having gained so much publishing experience, what drew you to becoming an agent?
I’d worked for many of the major publishers all my life, and while I was very proud of having started my Two Roads imprint at Hachette, it was time for a change and a fresh challenge. I left on a high in its tenth anniversary and best year ever, but after a break, I wanted to experience a different aspect of the book world!
You joined the Jenny Brown Associates agency in 2022. What do you enjoy most about being an agent?
Having worked with Jenny Brown for years from the other side of the desk, it was a natural fit. We share the same values of great storytelling, author care, and a love of the business. It’s great being back to hands-on and…
