EVERYONE YOU NEED TO KNOW www.thebrightagency.com Publishing
Illustration credits: example here: Richard
Liv
Jones,
Bargman, Benji Davies, Yasmeen Ismail, Hatem Aly, Nabi H. Ali, Alex Willmore, Chris Chatterton, Gareth Conway, Ben Mantle, Eric Wilkerson, Kim Barnes, David Litchfield, Aura Lewis, Olga Baumert, Rose Gerrard, Howard Grey, Hannah Li, George Ermos, Flavia Sorrentino, Lee Cosgrove, Alex Patrick, Monika Filipina, Camila Carrossine.
James Burns
GLOBAL MD
james@thebrightagency.com
+1 646 577 9704
Vicki Willden-Lebrecht
CEO AND FOUNDER
James Burns joined Bright in 2009 and boasts a wide range of experience across the children’s and adult publishing markets. In 2014, he moved from the UK to lead the US office, a display of his ambitious, tenacious and adaptable traits. Under his leadership, Bright has established itself as a key player in the US and beyond. As an excellent communicator and relationship builder, this working style perfectly complements CEO and Founder Vicki Willden-Lebrecht’s visionary leadership and industry awareness.
A proud advocate for traditionally marginalised voices and members of the LGBTQIA+ community and is naturally drawn to creative work that reflects ownership of style and has strong messaging behind it.
As Global MD, James oversees the overall working of the agency, all of Bright’s divisions and strives to drive new opportunities for all of our represented artists.
vickiwl@thebrightagency.com
+44(0) 7968 471 618
Vicki Willden-Lebrecht founded The Bright Agency in 2003, now one of the fastest-growing and established children’s literary and illustration agencies worldwide. Twice nominated for Literary Agent of the Year, Vicki has spent the last 20 years as principal author/illustrator agent for the company, leading the way for innovation and foresight in the curation and development of Bright’s artists’ work.
Listening to feedback and applying her instinctive understanding of the markets, Vicki adds value to every project she touches, helping her agents, authors, illustrators, and clients to find ways to succeed in the global market. Vicki works on the ‘why’ principle - why would someone want to buy this book, read this book, and what is its purpose? If you understand where the end is, you have only then to decide your route to get there. It is important to Vicki that the artist’s creativity is respected and their talent fully recognised.
Nicky Lander
HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL
nicky@thebrightagency.com
+44(0) 7557 996 833
Susan Penny
MANAGING AGENT
susan@thebrightagency.com
+44(0) 7393 126 755
Nicky joined Bright in 2014 with extensive knowledge of the publishing industry, having worked in both editorial and product development for 10 years. With an unparalleled passion for driving and fostering growth, Nicky Lander brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to her role. Her journey is a testament to her unwavering commitment and an unyielding belief in the power of collaboration, working on high-profile book deals with her efficient, hard-working and personable approach. Warm and sincere, she has a great understanding of the needs of the artist whilst delivering what is required for a publisher’s success.
Nicky has worked on large, complex, branded characters, and is not only well-versed in deal structure but with strategic thinking also encourages the growth of backlist titles.
Susan has a particular love of developing new talent in picture books. Her deep belief in those she represents drives her to develop aspiring artists and build successful careers. Susan is purpose-led and truly connects with artists and stories that will leave the world in a better place. Before joining Bright, Susan pursued various rigorous international law placements in Europe, Singapore and Hong Kong. This legal expertise serves Susan well as an agent as she is a fierce negotiator with a keen eye for contractual details.
Susan welcomes artwork and narratives of all types, so long as they evoke strong emotional reactions. Susan is always inspired by shared reading experiences with her son Björn, the dramatic landscapes of Scotland where she was raised, and the joy of discovering new art.
Amy Fitzgerald
MANAGING AGENT
As well as Robyn Newton’s Acting Manager (maternity)
amyf@thebrightagency.com
+44(0) 7788 271 544
With experience working across Children’s publishing, especially picture books, and now growing her own new and exciting list, Amy’s experience also speaks to Licensed properties and developing new partnerships with full licensing opportunities for book properties.
Before joining Bright’s Children’s division, Amy worked at both The Blair Partnership and WME, supporting a wide range of clients from bestselling and debut authors to global brands. Before this, she spent three years as a Development and Production Editor. Amy’s broad publishing experience alongside her passion for storytelling in all mediums makes her an incredibly supportive and enthusiastic agent.
Anne Moore Armstrong
MANAGING AGENT
anne@thebrightagency.com
+1 216 333 4511
Anne’s passion for visual storytelling shines through in the projects she’s agented and the artists she represents. Specializing in trade book publishing, her roster of artists includes bestselling and award-winning creatives. As a seasoned book designer and art director for over 20 years in publishing before joining Bright, Anne speaks the language of artists, editors and art directors.
Her authentic approach to developing artists and understanding of the bookmaking industry is a rare mix that brought countless beautiful titles to the world. She loves finding hidden talent and developing them into strong professionals who illustrate board books, picture books, nonfiction collections, and fiction and develop unique and successful authorillustrated stories.
Alex Gehringer
MANAGING AGENT
alex@thebrightagency.com
+1 646 577 0831
Alex joined Bright at the opening of the US office in 2015, and since then has applied her warm personability and keen eye for talent to successfully negotiate countless deals for critically acclaimed and bestselling children’s titles.
Her exclusive list of talent is as diverse as it is impressive, with creators hailing from around the world, representing a variety backgrounds, lifestyles, and experiences. What they have in common is a deep desire to collaborate with top publishing teams to make beautiful books.
Alex loves keeping an eye out for the next big thing—whether it’s a clever story idea from one of her authors, an exciting visual trend, or a promising new creative voice.
Amy Capelin
AGENT
amy@thebrightagency.com
+44 (0)7436 546 665
Before joining Bright’s children’s division, Amy worked in foreign rights for a variety of publishers and literary agencies. This experience gave her a passion for children’s books and illustration, as well as an in-depth knowledge of licensing, co-edition and international publishing markets which sets her apart as the unique, knowledgeable agent she is. Amy’s favourite part of the job is building relationships with clients and artists, and she can always be relied upon for excellent, fluid delivery with her signature friendly, unflappable and organised approach.
She particularly loves expressive and character-driven artwork across the commercial spectrum that positions storytelling as the most important factor.
Freddie Dawson
MANAGING AGENT
freddie@thebrightagency.com
+44(0) 7384 463 327
Freddie’s list focuses on detailed narrative art and rich picture book illustrations. She combines her empathetic attitude with her sense of practicality, ensuring the highest quality work from her artists while supporting their needs. With a strong background in publishing and children’s brands, Freddie’s insight, knowledge, and skill bring a sharp focus to rights negotiation whilst strategically supporting the long-term aims of the artists she represents.
Freddie is a proud advocate for an artist’s creative rights and acts ceaselessly to ensure her artist list is empowered and supported throughout any project.
Robyn Newton
MANAGING AGENT | FICTION
robyn@thebrightagency.com
+44 (0)7384 463 325
From her background as an editor, Robyn joined Bright in 2017, bringing her experience of non-fiction and middle-grade fiction to the agency, her two core passions in publishing. As a managing agent, Robyn is particularly drawn to sophisticated, realistic and communicative art that helps tell impactful stories. Her signature efficiency and professional approach are tempered by her ability to thoughtfully deliver creative direction, successfully developing her artist’s craft in line with their career aspirations.
Robyn’s love for non-fiction and narrative artwork stems from her wanderlust. She has travelled widely and is always seeking out vibrant landscapes and exciting locations, and she delights in finding similar details in an artist’s work.
Commercial Team |UK Commerical Team | US
robyn@thebrightagency.com
+1 216 333 4511
An award-winning design director, Robing brings her vast experience of the publishing world and successfully pairs great artists with great clients, ensuring the highest-quality results. Since joining Bright in 2017, she has led the growth of Bright’s Education and Religion division in the US and has developed a glowing reputation for providing genuine and insightful advice. Promoting compassionate artist care means Robbin is permanently poised to facilitate the management of countless wondrous projects and has been the agent behind several major titles in the children’s publishing world.
saraht@thebrightagency.com
+1 646 894 5942
Sarah, a graduate in Linguistics and French Language from the University of Arizona, has lifelong experience as an artist herself. This unique position means she can bring a new perspective to the world of agenting. Always dedicated to helping clients and artists connect, Sarah adores artwork that’s stylistically strong and also has something powerful to say.
By valuing storytelling as she does, Sarah is positioned to support the wider Education and Religion team to continue delivering titles in the children’s publishing world that make a significant and powerful impact.
anthony@thebrightagency.com
+44(0) 7901 361 063
Before joining Bright in 2023, Ant had worked as a creative director, art director, product developer and commissioner of illustrators within the children’s publishing industry for over 20 years. This unique perspective places Ant as the perfect agent for his represented artists, knowing the nuances of projects big and small, and always knowing how to get the best results for everyone.
Inspired by a strong sense of style and creative visual storytelling, Ant is known for providing insightful development advice to help artists and clients achieve the perfect results.
annaz@thebrightagency.com
+44(0) 7436 551 736
After interning at Bright in 2014, Anna returned as an Agent in 2021, joining the Bright Children’s Illustration team where she works with a wide range of artists and projects. Her tenacious problem-solving skills means that she is excellent at brokering commercially successful work. Anna adores artwork with strong characters, a sense of humour and vibrant colours. She loves to create opportunities for artists to develop their unique styles and guide them to create their best work. Being reliable and passionate about her work makes her a great contact for artists and clients alike.
Anna Zieger
Sarah Thomas AGENT
ASSOCIATE AGENT, EDUCATION & RELIGION AGENT
SENIOR AGENT
EDUCATION & RELIGION
Anthony Hannant
Robbin Brosterman
Katie Blagden
LITERARY AGENT
katie@thebrightagency.com
+44(0) 7387 374 681
Specialising in representing authors across a range of areas in Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children’s, YA and Graphic Novels, Katie brings her passion for excellent storytelling and marries it with her advocacy for under-represented creatives. Katie loves working with authors to find the perfect audience for their stories and proudly builds lasting and fruitful relationships with editors and publishing houses.
Katie also boasts a dedication to working with authors to realise their writing ambitions, including evolving them into new genres and ageranges. When she isn’t agenting (or reading), Katie is also a contributor to the Graham Norton Book Club Podcast on Audible.
TV & Film
Richard Scrivener
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
richard@thebrightagency.com
+44(0) 7966 209 717
Sandra Tharumalingam Willmer HEAD OF CONTRACTS & ROYALTIES
sandra@thebrightagency.com
+44(0) 7436 546 655
Richard Scrivener joined the board of The Bright Agency with a special responsibility to develop the company’s portfolio of film, TV and merchandising rights.
As an industry-leading expert in the publishing media sector, and with over 20 years of experience working in the Children’s publishing world, Richard has a passion for bringing artistic and writing talent to the big screen and has been the lead on several major option deals in Hollywood and beyond.
Sandra oversees Bright’s contract and royalties department. With a career trajectory that includes working at some of the biggest publishing houses in the world, Sandra prides herself on efficiency, attention to detail and, above all, her drive and determination to always get the best for Bright’s represented artists.
Sandra is an expert deal and contract analyst and negotiator and also works very closely on all Film & TV opportunities.
