About The Cooke Agency Vancouver

The Cooke Agency Vancouver represents commercial fiction (including science fiction, fantasy and romance), literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, and children’s books (though not picture books). We do not represent short fiction, poetry, or screenplays.

Personal Attention

Our team is energetic and client-focussed, giving personal attention to each client we represent. We work closely and collaboratively with our authors as we fine-tune their manuscripts, submit their material to publishers, negotiate contracts on their behalf, and build their careers. We respond promptly and personally to resolve any difficulties or concerns our clients may have.

International Representation

We maintain an international perspective representing clients from Canada, the United States, Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia. Our authors’ works have been sold to independent and large international publishers and film companies, and we regularly travel to major publishing centres and book fairs to foster these relationships and promote our authors’ interests. Our clients are further represented through our extensive network of skilled specialist sub-agents.

History

The Vancouver office of The Cooke Agency was born out of a merger between The Cooke Agency, Toronto, and The Harding Agency, Vancouver, in June 2007. Sharing ownership of The Cooke Agency are Vancouver-based agent Sally Harding, and The Cooke Agency’s founding owner, Dean Cooke, and Director of Subsidiary Rights, Suzanne Brandreth.

The Cooke Agency represents more than one hundred writers, including award-winning and best-selling authors.

Sally Harding, Literary Agent

Sally Harding left the book world Down Under after eight years in editing, bookselling and publishing in New Zealand and Australia. In 2001 she moved to Vancouver and joined the agency Contemporary Management (which later changed its name to Seventh Avenue Literary Agency) to develop its fiction list. In 2004, the owner sold the agency and presented Sally with the opportunity to start her own business, something she’d always wanted to do. In 2005 she opened The Harding Agency, which recently merged with The Cooke Agency, Toronto.

New Zealand-born Harding works with clients and publishers from around the world, so while Vancouver is her home, it doesn't define her business. She surfs multiple time zones to make the most of international opportunities.

Carol Bidwill, Submissions Assistant

Carol is our very well read and indefatigable reader of submissions. Because she has the difficult job of saying no, Carol prefers to remain unrecognized.