 ABOUT THE AGENT:
Rachel brings a passion for sharp storytelling, vibrant voices, and fierce author advocacy. A lifelong book lover, Rachel’s path to publishing began with a pandemic-era BookTok and led to her role as a bookseller, event coordinator, and now agent. She lives on a small Ohio homestead with her husband, two kids, her parents, and an entire animal kingdom that includes dogs, cats, ducks, and a turkey. As a Jewish and Bisexual woman raised in the Midwest, and now a mom to a disabled and medically fragile child, Rachel is deeply committed to uplifting underrepresented voices and helping storytellers thrive. RACHEL IS SEEKING:  ABOUT THE AGENT:
Wadzanai Mhute is an author, journalist, and former books editor at Oprah Daily and Oprah's Book Club where she edited and wrote about authors and books, helping to shape literary conversations on diverse platforms. She was also fiction editor at The Sunday Long Read. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Brooklyn College, where she received the Himan Brown Creative Writing Award, and an MSc. in Journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Wadzanai is currently serving on the National Book Critic's Circle Board. A recipient of the MacDowell Fellowship in 2016, Wadzanai worked on her debut novel exploring three generations of women in Zimbabwe. Her deep understanding of both the creative process and the publishing industry makes her an invaluable advocate for the authors she represents. Born in Zimbabwe, Wadzanai now lives in New Jersey. She founded Antsu Literary Agency with a vision to champion diverse voices and ensure that stories from all corners of the world find their place in the literary landscape. WADZANAI IS SEEKING:  ABOUT THE AGENT:
Lee Melillo (they/she) joined Dunham Literary, Inc. in May 2024 as Jennie Dunham’s assistant, following an internship with Dystel, Goderich, & Bourret LLC. She was made an Associate Literary Agent in June 2025. Lee additionally manages the agency’s social media and website, is a second-reader for queries, handles royalty statements and permissions, and assists on preparing submissions. Lee graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University in 2022, with departmental honors in English and Theatre Directing. Through her majors, Lee discovered her passion for advocating for writers. She believes literature is one of the most effective ways to gain empathy for and understanding of life experiences outside our own. You can find Lee on Instagram and Bluesky at @leemelillobooks. LEE IS SEEKING:  ABOUT THE AGENT:
Tamara joined DeFiore and Company in 2022. She started her career with internships at Macmillan and Writers House, then worked at ICM for five years. Tamara represents writer and illustrator clients in both the children’s and adult markets, with a particular focus on talented LGBTQ+ and BIPOC storytellers. She holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Princeton University and an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from Columbia University. She is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents, and serves on the board of the nonprofit organization Literary Agents of Change, where she co-directs a mentorship program for early career agents from underrepresented backgrounds. TAMARA IS SEEKING:  ABOUT THE AGENT:
Renee joined the Spencerhill team in 2025. A South Florida native, she earned her B.A. in English from the University of Florida in 2021 before moving to Boston, where she completed both an M.A. in Children’s Literature and an M.F.A. in Writing for Children from Simmons University in 2024. During grad school, she interned at Red Fox Literary and served as Graduate Fellow for The Horn Book during its centennial year, then spent a year as an assistant at Spencerhill. Her academic research background uniquely equips her to advocate for books that not only resonate with readers but also contribute meaningfully to the broader conversation about the evolution of the children’s literature field. A lover of anthropomorphic characters, she dreams of repping the next blockbuster animal novel or series. Her favorite feeling is being moved to tears by a book’s last chapter. When not reading, Renee enjoys blasting music, playing with her pets, volunteering for her favorite causes, and collecting all kinds of ephemera. Find her on Twitter at @rrreadsbooks, BlueSky at @reneerunge.bsky.social and on Instagram at @reneerungelit. RENEE IS SEEKING:  ABOUT THE AGENT:
Paula Weiman (they/them) joined the ASH Literary team in 2023 as an Agent after a career in literary scouting and educational publishing. Based in New York and with a background in foreign rights, they bring an international approach to selling their clients’ work. Their goal is to help as many children as possible to see their experiences represented on the page for the first time. PAULA IS SEEKING:  ABOUT THE AGENT:
Krista Van Dolzer is the newest literary agent at The Unter Agency, though she’s worked in and around the publishing industry for more than a decade. Her middle grade fiction has been published by Penguin Random House, Sourcebooks, Capstone, and Bloomsbury USA, and she’s hosted many query contests and pitch events for aspiring authors over the years. She currently lives in central Iowa with her husband and four kids and holds degrees in Mathematics Education and Economics from Brigham Young University. KRISTA IS SEEKING:  ABOUT THE AGENT:
Aiden Siobhan (they/them) graduated from UNC School of the Arts in 2023 with a Filmmaking BFA specializing in Screenwriting and Animation. Before becoming an agent, they interned at LDLA and were an Author Mentor Match mentee in 2022. When they’re not binge reading an LGBTQ+ YA novel, they work as the Art Director for two alternative newspapers, attend film festivals for their documentary projects, and go on road trips with their fiancé and dog. AIDEN IS SEEKING:  ABOUT THE AGENT:
Joanna Rasheed is an assistant agent with Ultra Literary Agency. She joined Ultra after interning at Triada US Literary Agency and working as an assistant at Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency. Joanna graduated from Virginia Tech with a BA in English with a dual focus in Creative Writing and Professional Writing. She is obsessed with books, turning to them for inspiration and adventure. In her free time, you can find her at a coffee shop or in Central Park with her rescue mix. JOANNA IS SEEKING:  ABOUT THE AGENT:
Sara Shandler joined The Book Group in 2025 after twenty-six years in publishing, most recently as the Editor-in-Chief of Alloy Entertainment, where she collaborated with authors from the inception of their stories through publication. Sara’s introduction to publishing began around the dinner table with her can-do-anything hippie parents who encouraged her to write the bestselling book Ophelia Speaks, which gave voice to the experience of teenage girls and was published when she was just eighteen years old. Sara is proud to have worked on many New York Times best sellers, Book Club selections, and award winning novels, including two National Book Award finalists, a Printz Honor, Walter Dean Myers Award Honors, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the Carnegie Medal, the William C. Morris Award, the Stonewall Award for Teens, the Lambda Literary Award and the Coretta Scott King-Steptoe Award for New Talent. Many of the novels Sara developed and edited have been successfully adapted to TV and film. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband, three children and dog, and spends summers in Fire Island. SARA IS SEEKING: |