SPOTLIGHT FEATURE: Akin Akinwumi from Willenfield Literary Agency

Good morning, everyone!

We are very excited to introduce another Canadian agent, Akin Akinwumi, the founder of Willenfield Literary Agency.

Akin accepts submissions of literary fiction, literary non-fiction, general non-fiction, poetry, and visual narrative. He is passionate about innovative and culturally relevant writing, and is looking for compelling projects with something important to say about the contemporary experience of being in and interacting with the world. More than any theme or aesthetic approach, Akin’s central concern is with literary and artistic excellence. Projects must make a significant contribution to literature.

The Willenfield Literary Agency is an independent agency founded in 2019 to offer a compelling alternative to the conventional literary agency model. Their vision is driven by their commitment to championing literary art and contemporary writing.

Check out some highlights from our interview with Akin below!

“I challenge myself to read beyond my own taste and inclinations‚ beyond what I like and prefer‚ because I love to be surprised.”

Q. What brought you to agenting?

I became a literary agent after pivoting from academia and consulting. I’d always had a strong interest in contemporary literature and writing and enjoy working with writers. Furthermore, I felt there was a gap in the market for literary agencies that catered to writers producing the type of work that might fly below the radar of conventional agencies.

Q. What’s at the top of your fiction wish-list?

I am drawn to literary fiction that is formally and stylistically inventive, intellectually provocative, and challenging. I’m more concerned with artistic vision, language, form, and style than with traditional concerns like plot. That said, I challenge myself to read beyond my own taste and inclinations‚ beyond what I like and prefer, because I love to be surprised.

Q. What’s at the top of your non-fiction wish-list?

For nonfiction, I am interested in all types of literary nonfiction (including narrative and creative nonfiction) and general nonfiction. Across these categories, there is a commonality of interest in that my focus is on work that’s attentive to craft and books intended for a discerning and intelligent readership.

Q. What is a day in the life of an agent like for you?

Emails, calls, meetings, and administrative tasks take up a huge chunk of my day. But I also spend a great deal of time reading and editing client manuscripts and proposals.

Q. What do you want to see in a query letter? And what do you hate?

I don’t find query letters to be particularly useful, so I work with a tailored form to apprehend information that is clear, actionable, and scratches beneath the surface.

Q. Same question when it comes to the synopsis. What should writers do? What should they avoid?

I don’t really care too much for synopses except in rare situations (e.g. a longer novel with several characters).

Q. What makes for a successful author-agent relationship? How can both parties get the most out of the relationship?

The author-agent relationship succeeds when there are clear agreed-upon goals and respectful dialogue. The publishing journey can be long and frustrating therefore it is important that the author works with an agent that they trust implicitly to represent their best interests. The author also has to be willing to exercise patience and allow the agent space and time to do the work.

Q. Any final words of advice for authors in the querying process?

Stay the course.

Check out the full interview on Akin’s AgentMatch profile here.

We hope you have enjoyed another instalment in our series on Canadian agents – more to come soon!

If you’re a Premium Member, head over to AgentMatch now and get searching. We’ve added Canada to our country search filters. If you’re not yet a Premium Member but want to try out AgentMatch, then sign up for the free trial. Or better yet, join us and become a Premium Member to get access to AgentMatch as well as everything else we have to offer.