Chloe Seager

Chloe is a Children’s/YA agent at the Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency.

She began her career at Titan Books and it was working with V.E. Schwab that made her realise her true passion was in YA and children’s. She joined Northbank Talent in 2015 where she built a children’s and YA list from scratch, selling rights in the UK and internationally. In 2019 she joined the team at Madeleine Milburn. 

Actively looking for: Middle-grade; YA; Gothic; horror; sci-fi and fantasy with a strong hook; romance; thriller, magical; adventure; contemporary with a big heart; funny books across all ages; interesting/inspiring non-fiction across all ages; diverse authors.

Generally, I’m looking for books that capture the pure joy, pain and wonder of growing up. Being a child or a teenager is a unique time in life when you’re discovering the world around you and who you are for the first time, and I’m looking for stories that capture that spirit on the page and will stay with readers for a lifetime.

I would love a fantasy middle-grade like The Storm Keeper’s Island, packed with atmosphere, adventure and distinctive magic. I adore gothic, spooky middle-grade, and am drawn to contemporary middle-grade centred around family or friendship, or books like Wonder, that tackle an issue in an accessible, uplifting way. More broadly, I like middle-grade books that feel like modern classics.

I’m a fan of sci-fi, although it has to have a strong hook. Basically, I am here for any YA novel that feels like it could be an episode of Black Mirror. In fantasy, I tend to veer toward the more gothic and fairytale-esque. I also enjoy fantasy in a historical setting. I don’t believe dystopia is dead as it’s one of my favourite genres, although as it’s a crowded market it has to stand out. Across all SFF, I gravitate towards books set in our world with a twist, and as a rule I’m always interested when a concept is used as a vehicle to comment on the real world.

I am a huge horror fan. From ghost stories to gore, I love it all. I especially want a YA horror that deals with real world issues, like Get Out. Please send me all the spooky! I’m searching for a gripping YA thriller, too, with a voice, hook or twist that stands out from other popular books in this area.

I’m desperate for a YA romance with a strong hook (something that feels like it could be on Netflix) and characters that you keep thinking about long after you’ve stopped reading about them. In contemporary YA I’m also keen to find something that speaks out about an important topic, like The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas or Asking For It by Louise O’Neill.

I’m always on the hunt for funny fiction across all ages, as I believe the importance of humour in books is tragically underrated.

I represent all sorts of non-fiction for young people – from politics, to science, to history. I’d love to see anything inspirational or that takes a fresh angle on an interesting topic. Anything that is sure to get young people excited about a subject!

I’m keen to see work from diverse authors across the board.

It is hard to sum up one’s taste in one page so if, judging from what you’ve read, you’re unsure if I’ll like your book, please do send it along. Some of the books I’ve loved and taken on have been a surprise — you never know what might blow you away.

Submissions should be emailed to childrens@madeleinemilburn.com

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