Michael V. Carlisle

Michael V. Carlisle began his career as a secretary in the literary department at William Morris Agency. Eighteen years later he left as a vice-president to start Carlisle & Company. Born in Paris, of Russian heritage, he graduated with honors from Yale College and holds a J.D. from Columbia Law School. The son of two writers, he brings a background of international law to his career. His best-selling authors have won the Nobel Prize for Literature,  Pulitzer Prizes, The Man Booker Prize, the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award (fiction and non-fiction), the British Book Award, LA Times Book Awards, the PEN Award for first non-fiction, the NAACP Image Award for Literary Fiction, and the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award; one even has an asteroid named for her. A former director of the AAR, a not-for-profit organization of independent literary and dramatic agents, and a member of PEN, and the Council on Foreign Relations, Michael heads the non-fiction program at the Community of Writers and serves on its Board of Directors.

Photo Credit: Miriam Berkley

Richard Pine

Richard Pine is a co-founder of InkWell Management. He works with leaders and writers who inspire, extend horizons, coin new terms, invent new worlds, and reach millions of people. Many of his clients do all of these things at once, including Adam Grant, Susan Cain, Johann Hari, Tim Urban, Sal Khan, Angela Duckworth, Arianna Huffington, Martin Seligman, and Reshma Saujani.

He represents authors, creators, and memoirists of particularly high originality, such as Bryan Cranston, Susan Orlean, Andre Agassi, Erin Morgenstern, Jeff Benedict, Maggie Stiefvater, Katherine Dunn, Michael Koryta, Suleika Jaouad, Robinne Lee, Lee Child and Andrew Child, and Dean Koontz.

His commitment to books that evolve our popular understanding of health and wellness has led him to work with bestselling and groundbreaking practitioners such as Mark Hyman, Michael Greger, Andrew Weil, and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. In 2014, Richard was inducted into the Books for a Better Life Hall of Fame.

His interest is in his clients’ long-term success, and he is dedicated to helping them create relationships with the very best partners in publishing and beyond. As a result, he has helped them sell millions of books, inspire and entertain millions of readers, and establish careers that last lifetimes.

Kimberly Witherspoon

Kimberly Witherspoon, at age 26, founded her own literary agency, which quickly became one of the most prestigious and successful agencies in Manhattan, with clients who are frequently published around the world. Over the past 15 years, she has represented critically acclaimed and bestselling authors of both fiction and nonfiction, including: José Andrés, Kate Atkinson, Anthony Bourdain, David Chang, Cindy Crawford,  Janine di Giovanni, Lena Dunham, Amity Gaige, Gabrielle Hamilton, Martin Hagglund, Eloisa James, Neil Jordan, Sophie Kinsella, Dean Koontz, Yotam Ottolenghi, Peter Meehan, Julie Orringer, Ivy Pochoda, Jason Rezaian, Arundhati Roy, Kathryn Schulz, Lionel Shriver, Lalita Tademy, Christina Tosi, and David Vann. She graduated from Brown University in 1984 with a BA in International Relations. She is a founding board member of The Bronx Academy of Letters, a member of the Authors Guild and the editor of two anthologies, including: DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME: Culinary Catastrophes From the World’s Greatest Chefs.

Stephen Barbara

Originally from New Haven, Stephen Barbara moved to New York to join the publishing world after graduating from the University of Chicago with a BA in English language and literature. As a literary agent, he represents authors in both the adult and young reader spaces and he’s particularly excited about high-quality fiction with a strong sense of plot. His clients include British Fantasy Award winner and national bestseller Paul Tremblay (A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World, recently adapted into the #1 film in the country, “Knock at the Cabin”); seven-time New York Times bestselling author as well as screenwriter Lauren Oliver (Before I Fall); international bestseller Clémence Michallon, whose debut thriller The Quiet Tenant was published by Knopf as well as in 30 foreign territories; New York Times bestseller and Newbery Medal winner Laura Amy Schlitz (Splendors and Glooms, Amber & Clay); National Book Award finalist Lisa Graff (A Tangle of Knots), and award-winning children’s author Minh Lê (Drawn Together), among others. In his role as agent for media company Storygiants, Stephen has additionally represented high-profile titles from celebrities such as Krysten Ritter, Hannah Brown, and Jessica Jung. While selective in taking on new clients, Stephen remains excited to discover great new writers and would be thrilled to find a novel that hits big on an emotional level or, if nonfiction, changes the way he thinks about the world.

Lyndsey Blessing

Lyndsey Blessing started her career in publishing in 1995 as an intern in the subsidiary rights department of Grove/Atlantic. She has since worked at the literary scouting agency Maria B. Campbell Associates, rising to Senior Scout and Deputy Director, a position she held for four years. There she worked closely with publishers from around the world, recommending American books for translation. She also lived in Europe for a number of years, working freelance in publishing in Paris and Berlin and teaching English for three years at Berlitz in Berlin. Lyndsey is a graduate of the University of Virginia where she received a BA in English and American Studies. She joined InkWell Management in 2009 as Co-Director of Foreign Rights.

Sidney Boker

Sidney Boker graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a BA in English and minors in psychology and anthropology. Before joining InkWell in 2022, Sidney completed the Columbia Publishing Course and an internship with Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, as well as an internship and freelance editorial work with Pegasus Books. She loves to read young adult, fantasy, sci-fi, historical, and graphic novels, and almost anything with a strong female lead.

William Callahan

William is agent and editor at InkWell Management. He represents writers from a range of disciplines and backgrounds.

Catherine Drayton

Catherine Drayton graduated from the University of Sydney with a BA in English Literature and a Bachelor of Laws. After graduating from the University of NSW with a Master of Laws she worked as a litigation lawyer specializing in copyright and libel law at a major international law firm. But novels, not legal precedents, were always top of her reading pile so in 1998, after a brief stint as a literary scout, she joined Arthur Pine Associates which subsequently became InkWell. She represents a wide range of fiction from around the world for both adults and children as well as some non-fiction on subjects that intrigue her.  Her bestselling and award-winning clients include Markus Zusak, Beth Hoffman, John Flanagan,  Becca Fitzpatrick, Gavriel Savit, Cath Crowley and Karen Foxlee.  Many of her clients are published in multiple territories and sold for film. She particularly loves working with debut authors and is looking for writing that is memorable and enduring. Catherine is InkWell’s Sydney affiliate and when she isn’t reading, she can be found swimming, surfing, hiking and cooking for family and friends.

Naomi Eisenbeiss

Naomi Eisenbeiss graduated with a dual degree in Political Science from Sciences Po in Nancy, France and Freie University in Berlin, Germany. Prior to InkWell, she spent three years as Manager of the Shanghai International Literary Festival in China. She speaks English, Japanese, German and conversational French and Mandarin. Her interests include literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, and memoir.

David Forrer

David Forrer began his career in publishing in 1997 after receiving a Masters in Creative Writing (fiction) from Boston University. He has been an agent with InkWell Management since it was created in 2004. His areas of interest and representation range from literary, commercial, historical and crime fiction to suspense/thriller, humorous non-fiction and popular history.

Claire Friedman

Claire Friedman joined InkWell in 2016. Originally from Salt Lake City, Claire spent three years working for her local indie bookstore, The King’s English, before moving to New York to attend Columbia University. Claire graduated with dual degrees in English and History, and continues to have stress dreams about the core curriculum. Claire is actively seeking upmarket and commercial fiction in the adult and YA categories, with a special focus on book club fiction, thrillers and suspense, romance, and anything with a speculative edge. More on what Claire is looking for can be found at: https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/claire-friedman/.

Laura Hill

Laura Phy Hill began her career in the book industry as a bookseller at the legendary Dutton’s Books in North Hollywood, CA. She owned Reading Rock Books, near her hometown in Tennessee, for 10 years. Laura has a BA in Literature from Western Kentucky University and has joined us as a Royalty and Accounting Assistant. She most often reads literary fiction and children’s books.

Alexis Hurley

Alexis Hurley started her career in 1998 and has been at InkWell since its inception in 2004. Alexis works in the dual capacity of Co-Director of Foreign Rights and agent of domestic works in the areas of literary and commercial fiction, memoir, narrative non-fiction and more. She is a native of the Berkshires and a graduate of Dickinson College where she received her BA in English and Art History and a minor in Italian.

Nathaniel Jacks

Nathaniel Jacks joined InkWell Management after graduating from Columbia University. His clients include New Yorker contributor Nicola Twilley, Guggenheim Fellow Donald Ray Pollock, bestselling author Lynn Vincent, New York Times journalist Jim Tankersley, sociologist Lisa Wade, neuroscientist Stephen Fleming, and psychologist Nathan DeWall. He welcomes the opportunity to represent ambitious new book projects that enlighten, surprise, and excite readers. Additionally, he oversees contracts management at InkWell.

Hannah Lehmkuhl

Hannah Lehmkuhl joined InkWell in 2020 as a member of the foreign rights team. She received her B.A in English Literature from The Ohio State University. Prior to InkWell, Hannah interned with Writers House, Folio Literary, and Liza Dawson Associates. Hannah enjoys literary fiction, speculative fiction, psychological suspense, memoirs, and narrative nonfiction.

George Lucas

During a transatlantic career spanning more than three decades, George Lucas has variously packed books in the warehouse, marketed travel guides and dictionaries, sold subsidiary rights, and acquired and edited thrillers at Hodder & Stoughton, Ballantine and Pocket Books/Atria. Turning to agenting in 2003, he now represents a wide range of acclaimed international historians, classicists, Arabists, scientists, journalists and suspense writers, as well as the Literary Estate of P G Wodehouse.

Michael Mungiello

Michael Mungiello is from New Jersey and graduated from Georgetown University. His interests include intellectual histories, counterintuitive social science, literary criticism, and jazz.

Jessica Mileo

Jessica joined InkWell Management in 2017 and primarily focuses on children’s books, children’s graphic novels, women’s fiction, rom-coms, commercial/book club fiction, and select prescriptive and narrative nonfiction. The projects she works with are high concept, commercial, and have a juicy hook. She is always looking for books that are from points of view of underrepresented folks in books and media, such as BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+. Her clients include New York Times Bestselling author Rory Power, USA Today Bestselling author KC Davis, New York Times Bestselling author Allison Saft, Julio Anta, and Ava Wilder.

Charlie Olsen

Charlie Olsen started his publishing career at InkWell in 2007 and has been building his client list since. He is interested in fiction, children’s books, graphic novels and illustrated works, and compelling narrative non-fiction. Prior to Inkwell, Charlie studied print journalism at Rider University, covered a beat at a newswire in the District of Columbia, and wrote for two newspapers in New Jersey. He works with award-winning graphic novelists, including New York Times bestseller Matt Kindt, New York Times bestseller Jeff Lemire, and National Book Award finalist ND Stevenson; distinguished children’s book authors including New York Times bestseller Andrea Robertson, Amy Ewing, and Gus Gordon; and also represents non-fiction—both illustrated and traditional prose—like Whisk(e)y Distilled by Heather Greene (Viking, 2014); a book about the seven would-be assassins of Queen Victoria called Shooting Victoria by Paul Thomas Murphy (Pegasus,2012); and The Warren Commission Report: A Graphic Investigation into the Kennedy Assassination by Dan Mishkin, Ernie Cólon, and Jerzy Drozd (Abrams, 2014).

Gideon Pine

Gideon is interested in representing writers in the nonfiction space with a focus on historical narrative nonfiction, true crime, health and wellness, and long form investigative journalism. He is also looking for voice-driven debut novels, including but not limited to the following genres: thriller, mystery, horror, or literary fiction. Whether a book is destined to be the next book club bestseller or a cult classic that will live on forever, he wants to read it. Gideon has a B.A in Political Science from Indiana University. Prior to working in publishing, he worked in commercial production and advertising.

Tizom Pope

Tizom Pope joined InkWell in 2020 as a Royalty and Accounting Assistant. Before entering the publishing industry, Tizom gained his administrative and accounting experience by managing a growing New York restaurant group’s corporate office. He enjoys cookbooks, humor, literary fiction, and creative writing in the fantasy genre.

Eliza Rothstein

A native of St. Louis, Eliza Rothstein began her career in publishing at The Susan Golomb Literary Agency after studying Comparative Literature and Art History at the University of Pennsylvania and attending the Columbia Publishing Course. At InkWell, she represents memoir, literary and commercial fiction, and a wide range of journalists and non-fiction authors who seek to generate deep conversations, inspire social and systemic change, or advance our understanding of our minds and bodies. In addition to finding publishers for their books, she helps writers expand their reach by placing essays and journalism in publications ranging from The New York Times and The Atlantic to National Geographic and Sports Illustrated. She is particularly interested in the intersection of narrative writing with topics of psychology, medicine, science, food, technology, business, humor and pop culture. She is also drawn to literary fiction that explores diverse communities or intergenerational stories, commercial fiction that crosses genre borders, and fiction from Latinx and Spanish-speaking writers.

David Hale Smith

David Hale Smith is looking for mind-blowing commercial fiction and compelling nonfiction. Prior to joining InkWell in 2011, he operated his eponymous literary agency in Texas, which he started just a few years after graduating from Kenyon College. His fiction list includes thriller phenom Matthew FitzSimmons, Gary Phillips (writer for hit FX series Snowfall), Chad Zunker and The New York Times Bestselling novelists Greg Rucka (creator of ABC’s Stumptown, and the #1 Netflix smash hit The Old Guard, starring Charlize Theron) and Blake Crouch, author of the smash genre-benders Recursion, Dark Matter and the multi-million selling Wayward Pines trilogy (adapted into the FOX television show). In nonfiction, Smith represents Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, co-authors of the classic Intuitive Eating; Jordan Mackay, Rajat Parr, Daniel Vaughn and Robert Sietsema; Top Chef stars John Tesar and Isaac Toups; and New York Times Bestsellers Skip Hollandsworth and barbecue superstar Aaron Franklin. Smith enjoys developing projects from concept to finished book, and is active in selling film and television rights for his clients, making numerous annual trips to the West Coast to pitch projects to managers, agents and producers. He lives in Dallas, Texas and commutes to New York.

Jessie Thorsted

Jessie Thorsted joined InkWell Management in 2017 and is a member of the foreign rights team, after working for three years in royalties and accounting. She earned her BA in English Literature with a minor in Art History from Arizona State University and her MA in English from Northern Arizona University. Before coming to InkWell, Jessie interned at Liza Dawson Associates and worked for Strand Book Store. She enjoys reading young adult literature, romance, suspense, and mysteries.

Kristin van Ogtrop

Kristin van Ogtrop is the former longtime editor-in-chief of Real Simple, the award-winning #1 American women’s lifestyle magazine brand with a print and digital reach of 25 million. She is the author of two books, Just Let Me Lie Down and Did I Say That Out Loud?, both published by Little, Brown. She is also a contributor to the New York Times bestseller, The Bitch in the House. As an agent, she represents lifestyle, illustrated books, prescriptive nonfiction, literary fiction and memoir.

Maria Whelan

Maria graduated from University College Dublin with a BA in English and Drama, then obtained her Masters in Modern Literature from the University of Edinburgh. She moved from Dublin to New York in the hopes of pursuing a career in publishing. Before joining InkWell, she worked as a Foreign Rights Assistant at Janklow & Nesbit and interned at Akashic Books. Maria enjoys a blend of literary and commercial fiction, as well as speculative fiction and magical realism. She is particularly fond of novels that straddle the cultural divide. She is looking for books in the fiction and nonfiction space that speak to the current cultural moment or examine overlooked facets of society.

Jenny Witherell

Jenny Witherell, Business Manager, is a graduate of Simmons College in Boston where she received a B.A. in English and Economics. She received her M.B.A. from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Before joining InkWell, she worked in investment research. She has also coached collegiate rowing.