InkWell Management Literary Agency

Our Staff

Stephen Barbara

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, 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.