Deirdre Power

Deirdre began her publishing career at Curtis Brown, working with the agency’s children’s authors and estates. Since then, she has spent time in children’s editorial at major publishing houses, covering everything from picture books to YA, and at a leading London agency’s children’s department. She has worked closely on submissions and manuscripts from writers including Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Ravena Guron, Bill Hussey, and David Farr, and during her time at literary agencies, has worked with clients including Jacqueline Wilson, Michael Morpurgo, Cressida Cowell, Catherine Rayner, Liz Pichon, Jonathan Stroud, and Tom Fletcher, and estates for the Winnie the Pooh properties, Diana Wynne Jones and Richard Adams.

She now edits on a freelance basis, bringing a keen editorial eye and in-depth knowledge of the market. Prior to her start in publishing, Deirdre was a children’s bookseller and tutored in creative writing while she earned her MPhil in Children’s Literature from Trinity College Dublin. She feels incredibly privileged to work solely on children’s books, and loves reading anything from a heartfelt or hilarious picture book to an intense YA. Having worked in both literary agencies and publishers, she has a strong understanding of how the process works from both sides, and what both agents and editors are hungry to read.

If you’d like to work with Deirdre, get in touch with our Writer Support team; tell us about your book and what you’d like support with, and we’ll help you identify your next steps.