Margaret Sutherland Brown
Vice President, Literary Agent
I'm a Vice President and literary agent at Folio representing literary and upmarket commercial fiction and narrative non-fiction.
Previously I was an agent at Emma Sweeney Agency, LLC, and transitioned to represent many of ESA's clients at Folio in January 2020. Before becoming an agent, I spent the first seven years of my career in editorial, primarily at Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press, where I worked on a wide range of fiction and non-fiction. As an agent, I use my insider knowledge of how a publishing house operates to my clients' advantage, and my editorial background informs how unusually closely and thoroughly I work with clients to develop a project before we ever submit to publishers. I'm proud to work with immensely talented authors, including NEW YORK TIMES bestsellers; winners of the Asian/ Pacific American Award in Literature, the National Jewish Book Award, the Ploughshares Emerging Writer Award; finalists for the National Book Award, the PEN/ Hemingway Award, the California Book Award, and the Women's Prize; Indie Next Pick and NYT Editor's Choice authors; and authors chosen for national book clubs such as Reese's Book Club, Book of the Month Club, Barnes & Noble Discovery, and Target.
I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, graduated from Wake Forest University as an English major with a double minor in journalism and Spanish, and now live in Brooklyn with my husband and two sons. When I'm not reading I love to take advantage of New York City's art, dance, theater, and restaurant scene. I also love to travel.
I'm grateful every day to have the privilege of supporting writers in their work of bringing into the world literature that describes, enriches and transforms our lives.
Voice-driven, idiosyncratic and searing novels in the vein of the books of Melissa Broder, Rachel Cusk, Julia May Jonas (VLADIMIR), Katie Kitamura, Raven Leilani (LUSTER), Jenny Offill, Helen Phillips, Dana Spiotta, and Rachel Yoder (NIGHTBITCH)
Multi-generational, sweeping, and emotionally-engaging novels like Brit Bennett's THE MOTHERS, Miranda Cowley Heller's THE PAPER PALACE, Xochitl Gonzalez's OLGA DIES DREAMING, Tayari Jones' AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE, Rebecca Makkai's THE GREAT BELIEVERS, Torrey Peters' DETRANSITION, BABY, and Audrey Niffenegger's THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE
Intelligent, witty, and fully-realized page-turners like the books of Rumaan Alam, Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan, Laura Dave, Patricia Lockwood's NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THIS, Kiley Reid's SUCH A FUN AGE, and Colson Whitehead's SAG HARBOR
Dark, spiky, psychologically-rich thrillers like the novels of Megan Abbott, Gillian Flynn, Katie Gutierrez, Jessica Knoll, and Gin Phillips (FIERCE KINGDOM)
Literary historical fiction that immerses its reader completely in another fascinating era: think the novels of Jo Baker, Esi Edugyan, Kaitlyn Greenidge, Lauren Groff, Janice Y.K. Lee, Hilary Mantel, Maggie O'Farrell, Maggie Shipstead, and Amor Towles
Fresh re-imaginings of mythology and fairy tales for adult readers, from Silvia Moreno-Garcia's MEXICAN GOTHIC to Madeleine Miller's CIRCE to Robin McKinley and Naomi Novik's novels
Paradigm-shifting non-fiction with a sociological bent like Matthew Desmond's EVICTED, Jill Leovy's GHETTOSIDE, and the books of Peggy Orenstein and Bee Wilson
Narrative non-fiction with an inimitable take on contemporary life from a female perspective, as found in the books of Sloane Crosley and Nora Ephron as well as in Lauren Collins' WHEN IN FRENCH and Lisa Taddeo's THREE WOMEN
Illuminating books about parenting and family life, both narrative and prescriptive, like Angela Garbes LIKE A MOTHER, Julie Lythcott-Haims's HOW TO RAISE AN ADULT, Becky Kennedy's GOOD INSIDE, Eve Rodsky's FAIR PLAY, and Jennifer Senior's ALL JOY AND NO FUN