Christopher Little Literary Agency

Christopher Little Literary Agency was a literary agency based in London. It closed in 2021 following the death of its founder, Christopher Little. Its clients included Darren Shan, A. J. Quinnell, Cathy Hopkins, and Wladyslaw Szpilman.^[1] The agency also managed J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, from 1995 until 2011.^[2]

History

Christopher Little

Main article: Christopher Little

In 1941, Christopher John Little was born in York, England.^[3] His father served in the Royal Air Force during World War II, later becoming a coroner. His mother was a secretary.

After returning to the United Kingdom following negotiation work abroad, Little opened a recruiting firm.^[1] In 1979, he sold his first novel, Man on Fire, written by his childhood friend Phillip Nicholson under the pseudonym A. J. Quinnell. The same year he established the Christopher Little Literary Agency. By 1992, the literary agency represented 20 authors. He then shut down his recruiting business.

Little died from cancer on 7 January 2021.^[3][4] The Christopher Little Literary Agency permanently closed after his death.^[5]

J. K. Rowling

In 1995, Little received the first three chapters of J. K. Rowling's manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.^[6] According to reports, J. K. Rowling chose Christopher Little's agency due to the perceived suitability of his name for a children's book.^[5] Although Christopher Little initially dismissed the submission, his office manager reportedly encouraged him to reconsider it.^[3] He soon persuaded Bloomsbury Publishing, which had recently opened a children's department, to publish it.

In 1996, Bloomsbury Publishing bought the UK Commonwealth publication rights for one book for £2,500. The U.S. rights were sold at auction for a six-figure sum. Foreign language publication rights were subsequently sold in over 80 languages.^[1] By July 2007, Christopher Little was reported to have earned at least £50m from the Harry Potter franchise.

In 2011, J. K. Rowling parted ways with Little and signed with his former business partner Neil Blair. Little considered legal action against Rowling, but the dispute was settled out of court.^[7]

Other authors

The Christopher Little Literary Agency primarily represented authors in commercial fiction. Some of these authors include Anne Zouroudi, Erin Kinsley, and Janet Gleeson.^[7] The company also represented General Sir Mike Jackson for the autobiography Soldier and Kate McCann for Madeleine: Our Daughter's Disappearance and the Continuing Search for Her about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.^[8] Little also secured film deals for his clients, including Man on Fire (A. J. Quinnell), The Lazarus Child (Robert Mawson), The Pianist (Wladyslaw Szpilman), The Vampire’s Assistant (Darren Shan), and the Harry Potter films (J. K. Rowling).^[1]

References

1. "About The agency - Christopher Little". Christopher Little. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
2. Risen, Clay (27 January 2021). "Christopher Little, Who Built an Empire Around a Boy Wizard, Dies at 79". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
3. Christopher Little, Who Built an Empire Around a Boy Wizard, Dies at 79. New York Times, 27 January 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
4. Chandler, Mark. "Agent Christopher Little dies, aged 79". The Bookseller. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
5. "About the Agency". Christopher Little Literary Agency LLP. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
6. Hastings, Chris; Bisset, Susan (15 June 2003). "Literary agent made £15m because JK Rowling liked his name". The Telegraph. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
7. "Christopher Little obituary". www.thetimes.com. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
8. "Christopher Little". Agent Hunter. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2018.

External links

• Corporate website