As both a writer and an editor, Allegra brings a well-rounded perspective to author-agent relationships and prioritizes championing diverse voices. They have a degree in architecture with a minor in creative writing from Princeton University and have worked at Princeton University Press, Cornell University Press, and the University Press of Colorado shepherding books into the world.
They love books that love you back: sweeping stories, characters with big hearts, and prose that inspires. When they’re not reading, you can usually find them gardening, crafting, or wrestling their misbehaving cats.
Allegra is looking for beautifully written science fiction and fantasy books in the young adult and adult space. Their top priority is elevating stories and authors traditionally marginalized in publishing and they are always on the hunt for gorgeous prose.
In the SFF space they’re open to anything and everything so long as the language is gorgeous. They appreciate family stories (including found family), stories about intergenerational conflict, meddling gods, and works that pull from several genres. They especially appreciate books that don’t take themselves too seriously, even when dealing with heavy topics. Allegra aims to represent ambitious authors, ones who write because they love slotting together new stories into intricate puzzles.
ADULT
They are looking for SFF stories that draw on the author’s expertise and culture to build vivid worlds. Their tastes lean fantasy, but they’d love SF books that read like fantasy. They appreciate a romance subplot, especially if it’s queer, but there are so many types of love—it doesn’t need to be romantic!
YA & CROSSOVER
Allegra prefers older YA and is open to crossover. Here they are again open to science fiction and fantasy only (though a variety of sub genres are very welcome)—think books with big emotions and writing that’s sharp enough to bite.
FAVOURITE BOOKS
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GIDEON THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir
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THE SPACE BETWEEN WORLDS by Micaiah Johnson
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STRANGE THE DREAMER by Laini Taylor
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LORE by Alexandra Bracken
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THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
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IRON WIDOW by Xiran J. Zhao
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GEARBREAKERS by Zoe Hana Mikuta
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AN UNKINDNESS OF GHOSTS by Rivers Solomon
DREAM PROJECTS
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A book featuring a disabled main character whose disability realistically affects the way they navigate space—bonus points if it’s a thoughtful take on an adventure story
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Post-trope books (after the arranged marriage, after the chosen one wins, etc)
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A book with horror as its subgenre, specifically atmospheric horror
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Something that plays with non-eurocentric myth/retelling in a more modern context, perhaps even in space?
DEFINITE PASS
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Allegra doesn't have hard nos, but they're less inclined toward books about fertility, books set at a magic school/featuring a school/centering around a trial, books with talking animals, WWI or WWII books, dream heavy/dream centric books, books featuring witches, and/or Greco-Roman myths
RESPONSE POLICY
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Allegra responds to all queries. Their current timeline is 1-2 weeks, though it varies based on their workload. Feel free to nudge if they have not responded within 4 weeks.