Tracy Fisher is a partner and head of the international rights team at William Morris Endeavour (WME). She is the literary agent for Quentin Tarantino, Tom Clancy, Joy Fielding, Curtis Sittenfeld, Mohsin Hamid, Yaa Gyasi, Julia Phillips, Chloe Benjamin, Jean Kwok, Jean Korelitz, and Jeannette Walls, among others. Over the last five years, WME books have debuted on the New York Times bestseller list 353 times, and 37 of those titles have hit the #1 spot. Every year WME closes more than 1,000 publishing deals in more than 50 languages. Sophia Stewart caught up with Fisher before the fair.
What books are you reading right now?
I’m reading a lot. Just the tip of the iceberg: The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes. It’s the new thriller from the author of I Am Pilgrim. It’s been 10 years in the making and it’s absolutely brilliant. I’m also enjoying immensely The Little Book of Aliens by astrophysicist Adam Frank. It’s a comprehensive, witty, and wildly entertaining look at our search for extraterrestrial life.
What’s one of your favorite books that most people don’t know?
A Different Drummer by William Melvin Kelley. It was his debut novel, published more than 50 years ago. Kelley is a fascinating author who lived an incredible life; he sadly passed away in 2017. His works have started to be rediscovered internationally, but many of my American friends have not read him. Yet!
What’s a big book you read recently that surprised you in a good way? In a bad way?
In a good way (but this really wasn’t a surprise!), Emma Cline’s The Guest. I would never talk on the record about a big book that surprised me in a bad way!
What are some trends to watch out for in international literature?
Author travel and live events are back in full force and it’s really exhilarating. We’ve seen a meaningful uptick in international invitations for our authors and colleagues. Mohsin Hamid attended the Frankfurt Book Fair last year, as a guest of his German publisher DuMont. At this year’s Frankfurt, Jeannette Walls—author of The Glass Castle and Hang the Moon—will be a guest of Hoffmann und Campe. Emma Straub visited Italy for This Time Tomorrow. Sloane Crosley went to Australia. Curtis Sittenfeld, Cecilia Rabbess, Jean Kwok, Bob Odenkirk, Kiley Reid, Dani Shapiro, and Emma Torsz all visited London for their publications. Simon Winchester just spent three weeks on his book tour in China. It’s incredibly rewarding and meaningful for our authors to have these direct connections with their international publishers and readers.
What are some trends in American literature your international book business friends and contacts are most excited about? What are some they’re tired of?
I always hear from international publishers that they are hunting for the classic, sprawling Great American novel. There’s certainly been an uptick in commercial fiction of all kinds, especially if they are escapist, funny, and fresh. I’ve also heard a few times that some international editors are very much over dystopian near-future novels however fully developed their worlds might be. The present is terrifying enough.
Who are the hot new agents and editors to watch at this year’s fair, both in the U.S. and abroad?
We have a number of rising stars at WME. Here’s my shameless plug for every one of my colleagues—I have a number of fantastic new colleagues at WME. There’s Hellie Ogden in our London office, Alyssa Reuben and Angeline Rodríguez in New York. If you don’t know them already, you absolutely should! Regarding editors, there are literally hundreds of talented young international editors WME works with so that’s kind of impossible to answer! But definitely keep an eye on Ulrike Von Stenglin, publisher and CEO of new German publishing house Gutkind Verlag. She’s a force.