Paige Broadbent
The Purcell Agency
My Manuscript Wish List®
TLDR: YES to Horror, Thriller, Mystery/Suspense, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Western, Speculative Fiction, select Romance, Informative Non-Fiction. NO to Picture Books, Memoir, Fairies, Outer Space, Poetry, Religion.
I am an Associate Literary Agent with The Purcell Agency. Though the agency is based in the Chicago, area, I personally am based in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. As such, though I’m open to great works by all, Canadian-authored works will receive bonus points (sorry)!
My primary focus is Adult Commercial Genre Fiction, with an emphasis on Thriller, Horror, and Mystery/Suspense novels, however a clever Romance, Urban Fantasy, Western, or Speculative Fiction (no outer space, please) can also pique my interest.
I am similarly interested in YA for these genres, as well as Paranormal Romance (vampires, werewolves, ghosts, witches, etc.).
It is my belief that Middle Grade is a widely untapped audience, and I welcome all Middle Grade submissions with a special interest in Informative Non-Fiction for this age group.
I am NOT a fit for:
Picture Book manuscripts (see my colleague, Amy Nielsen)
Memoirs (see my colleague, Tina P. Schwartz)
High Fantasy (no fairies, please)
Space Operas (again, please no space, although aliens are okay)
Poetry
Religion/Faith-based manuscripts
Fun facts about me:
In June 2026, I will receive my Honours BA in Creative Writing & Publishing from Sheridan College.
I’ve raised parrots for most of my life. I currently have two cockatiels, Pepper and Mr. Nasty, and a Goffin’s cockatoo named Larry Bird.
Despite my Canadian roots, I prefer football to hockey, and I’m a huge Bears fan!
I’m a firm believer in the merit of both traditional and unconventional and/or experimental storytelling techniques, especially the narrative capabilities of environmental and non-linear storytelling in video games.
Vital Info
I’d like the next…
I would love a novel in the vein of Tom Stoppard’s play Arcadia, Capcom’s Resident Evil video game series, or Joseph Kahn’s chaotic Detention movie.
Additionally, I subscribe to National Geographic History. Really want to impress me? Send me the next The DaVinci Code/National Treasure/Uncharted!
Also, haunted amusement parks.
My favorites include…
Some of my favourite books include:
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Meet Me at the Boardwalk by Erin Haft
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero
She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
On Such a Full Sea by Chang-Rae Lee
The Kindness of Strangers by Katrina Kittle
Dog by Daniel Pennac
Never Going Back by Antonia Banyard
Arcadia by Tom Stoppard
Additionally, anything by James Rollins, Ally Carter, or Karen M. McManus is an insta-read.
Some of my favourite movies:
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (Spielberg, 1982)
Spirited Away (Miyazaki, 2001)
The Iron Giant (Bird, 1999)
ParaNorman (Butler & Fell, 2012)
Small Soldiers (Dante, 1998)
Detention (Kahn, 2011)
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Black, 2005)
We’re the Millers (Thurber, 2013)
The Way Way Back (Faxon & Rash, 2013)
Predestination (Spierig & Spierig, 2014)
Video Games:
Silent Hill 2 (Remake, Bloober/Konami)
Resident Evil 4 (Remake, Capcom)
We Happy Few (Compulsion Games/Gearbox)
The Long Dark (Hinterland Studios)
Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar)
The Roottrees are Dead (Jeremy Johnston)
Stray (BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna Interactive)
The Last of Us (Naughty Dog/Sony)
What Remains of Edith Finch (Giant Sparrow/Annapurna Interactive)
Endling: Extinction is Forever (Herobeat Studios/HandyGames)
