Meet the Agent: Fabienne

Fabienne (she/they) joined the Ki Agency in 2024. She’s been a book worm from toddler-hood, “reading” her picture books alongside her parents and their books. Being able to read for a living has always been the goal, so they initially went the academic path - getting halfway through a PhD before realising that they want to work with stories and the people behind them. They’ve been haunting the UK publishing scene for a fair few years now, gaining experience across the industry, including scouting, editorial and audio.

What was your favourite book(s) growing up?

Obviously far too many over the years, but the one that stuck was The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. I couldn’t help but fall for a story within a story, its memorable characters and truly terrifying villain - is there anything scarier than nothing? I loved how the German editions changed font colour between the two worlds too, making it such a special book to read.

Tea or coffee?

100% tea. I run on black tea with milk or jasmine dragon pearls - I don’t think I’m very nice to be around if I don’t get my fix. Matcha is my guilty pleasure, there’s a coffee shop near my house that does the world’s best matcha lattes!

Favourite time of day?

I’m a morning person! I will be at my most productive between about 8 and 10 - don’t make me stay up past my bed time please.

Cats or dogs?

Very much a cat person. They make everything better (and ok, there are some lovely dogs too). My little cat-nephew Attila is the cutest and luckily my sister keeps me in a constant stream of pictures and videos. Perhaps I’ll manage to have my own one day, though living in London has thrown a huge wrench in those plans for now.

Paper, Ebook or Audio?

In theory, paper all the way. I love the feel of books, the mechanical motion of turning the pages. And because we work on manuscripts digitally, paper books feel like fun reading only. In the day to day, I probably listen to audiobooks more, it’s just so convenient to put them on and run errands or do chores, letting me multi-task at all times.

Where would you time-travel to?

I used to be a medieval historian, so I don’t think I could resist the lure of the Angevin court under Henry II and Eleanor. Such a fascinating time period with huge cultural developments - and I could find out whether the murder of Thomas Becket was actually ordered by the king!

What would your superpower be?

I would love to be able to teleport. I am a very curious person and I love exploring, so the idea of being able to pop to a new place, have lunch and go for a walk while still being able to have my normal life is very very appealing.

Who would be your fictional nemesis?

I love a good villain. The first person to pop into my head is Melisande Sharizai from Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Dart series. Melisande is a subtle villain, playing the long game rather than being outright devious in her machinations. She’s smart, she’s accomplished, and she’s hot too - a nuanced and intriguing character.

I also loved David Tennant’s Kilgrave in Jessica Jones. He too manages to toe the line between charming and evil. I find him fascinating, and, with his mind control power, very very scary.

What do you love about agenting?

What I enjoy most is the author-centric nature of the work. We look after the authors and their interests, not the publishers’, which gives us more freedom to focus on the stories we want to support. I love how varied the work is. For example, I might be writing editorial comments, thinking about how to spin a manuscript to give it the best possible chance, putting together a submission list or chasing editors, all in the same day.

What have you been reading, watching or playing?

I’ve just read and loved Katherine Arden’s The Warm Hands of Ghosts, which is a slow, atmospheric novel set in WWI. T. Kingfisher’s A Sorceress Comes to Call is wonderful, perfect for days that are getting shorter and colder - it might be her best yet. I’ve been reading a lot of romance recently too!

I haven’t been watching many things recently, I think the last thing I was obsessed with was The Fall of the House of Usher and finally watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I really want to see My Lady Jane, I love me some silly over-the-top YA TV.

On the games front, I’ve been playing a lot of Cult of the Lamb - basically Hades meets a farming game. It’s cute, it’s cosy, and it’s wonderfully dark.

I’ve also been listening to a lot of moody, atmospheric music along the lines of The Necromancers!

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