{"id":2338,"name":"Helena Maybery","url":"helena-maybery","department":{"id":2,"name":"Books","url":"books"},"phone":"+44 (0)20 7393 4428","email":"helena.maybery@curtisbrown.co.uk","summary":"

Office of Sheila Crowley<\/p>","bio":"

*** Please note that Helena is currently closed to submissions. This page will update when she has reopened. Submissions sent before 20th July 2026 will be considered, but we're afraid that any submissions sent after this date will be automatically deleted.\u00a0<\/b><\/b><\/p>

I originally trained and worked as an actor, but when I began working in the world of publishing at a book subscription company in 2021, I soon learnt that working with stories is what I love. I assisted the MD of a boutique literary agency for two years before joining Curtis Brown to assist <\/span>Sheila Crowley<\/a> in April 2024. We work closely together and I read Sheila's submissions daily, and am constantly on the lookout for new talent. A clear, one-line pitch will always catch my attention when reading submission emails (as well as a killer hook or unforgettable characters).<\/span><\/p>

I am very keen to find some zesty debut female authors within the crime and thriller space. I'm looking for writing that is intentional, vivid and compelling. I love domestic suspense and complex characters - think The Family Upstairs<\/em> by Lisa Jewell and Apple Tree Yard<\/em> by Louise Doughty. I'm also a huge fan of authors who blend genres in a tactful way to create something a little different -\u00a0 think Death of a Bookseller\u00a0<\/em>by Alice Slater, Yellowface<\/em> by R.F Kuang, and How To Kill Your Family\u00a0<\/em>by Bella Mackie.<\/p>

I love reading female focused and upmarket book club fiction. Books that start conversations and draw out a reaction from me (laughter, tears, tearing hair out), or have a distinctive and unpretentious voice will speak to me. Narratives with high stakes, that take you on a surprising journey through relationships we all relate to - friendships, families, first loves, power dynamics. Novels that I can't get out of my head include The Rachel Incident<\/em> by Caroline O'Donoghue, My Dark Vanessa <\/em>by Kate Elizabeth Russell,\u00a0Animals\u00a0<\/em>by Emma Jane Unsworth, Hamnet\u00a0<\/em>by Maggie O'Farrell,\u00a0Romantic Comedy\u00a0<\/em>by Curtis Sittenfeld, and Amazing Grace Adams <\/em>by Fran Littlewood. <\/em>On the very commercial side of things, I would love to find a weepy and sweeping love story - think Jojo Moyes - as well as a witty rom-com - think David Nicholls and Emily Henry.\u00a0<\/p>

In terms of non-fiction, I love to read memoirs that teach me about a moment in history. A favourite is Free<\/em> by Lea Ypi where we learn about Communist rule in Albania through the eyes of a young girl who lived through it. I will always <\/em>want to read about food - Laurie Colwin (and her fiction too), Jay Rayner, Nigel Slater, and Michael Booth being some of my favourites.\u00a0<\/p>","profile_photo":93682,"show_clients":true,"links":{},"meta_tags":"","media_urls":{"93682":{"uuid":"ce204a42-d8f7-4f3c-9f9c-862e850c0f7f","protected":false,"urls":{"original":"\/media\/ce204a42-d8f7-4f3c-9f9c-862e850c0f7f\/show\/original","horizontal":"\/media\/ce204a42-d8f7-4f3c-9f9c-862e850c0f7f\/show\/horizontal","700x373":"\/media\/ce204a42-d8f7-4f3c-9f9c-862e850c0f7f\/show\/700x373","262x140":"\/media\/ce204a42-d8f7-4f3c-9f9c-862e850c0f7f\/show\/262x140","square":"\/media\/ce204a42-d8f7-4f3c-9f9c-862e850c0f7f\/show\/square","700x700":"\/media\/ce204a42-d8f7-4f3c-9f9c-862e850c0f7f\/show\/700x700","328x328":"\/media\/ce204a42-d8f7-4f3c-9f9c-862e850c0f7f\/show\/328x328","139x139":"\/media\/ce204a42-d8f7-4f3c-9f9c-862e850c0f7f\/show\/139x139","73x73":"\/media\/ce204a42-d8f7-4f3c-9f9c-862e850c0f7f\/show\/73x73","vertical":"\/media\/ce204a42-d8f7-4f3c-9f9c-862e850c0f7f\/show\/vertical","600x732":"\/media\/ce204a42-d8f7-4f3c-9f9c-862e850c0f7f\/show\/600x732","300x360":"\/media\/ce204a42-d8f7-4f3c-9f9c-862e850c0f7f\/show\/300x360","650x650":"\/media\/ce204a42-d8f7-4f3c-9f9c-862e850c0f7f\/show\/650x650"}}}}