About Pete

Who i am

I am a literary at Park & Fine Literary and Media, where I represent middle grade and young adult fiction. Previously, I worked at Floren Shieh Productions, a literary consultancy that advises film & TV clients on the publishing marketplace and on book-to-film or TV adaptations; I remain passionate about the film and TV side of author representation, and Park & Fine's work in this space has resulted in over a dozen films and TV programs, with many more in active development. When I'm not reading and editing, I can be found swimming at the neighborhood lap pool, at the beach in Brooklyn, or playing board games with my husband and friends.* (*Or, you know, these days in my apartment trying to master my InstaPot, water my postage stamp herb garden or trying to figure out how to use my elastic band set I bought on Amazon in a panic.)

What I Represent

The word that I'd use to describe my clients' books is sharp: they have strong points of view, are smartly written and are compulsively readable. Some are commercial, some are literary, but all of them have a bit of edge: they stick out, demanding to be noticed. My clients include the New York Times bestselling authors Soman Chainani, Lindsay Cummings, Brenda Drake, Adalyn Grace, and Sara Holland, and critical darlings like Emily Bain Murphy (whose debut was an ALAN Pick, among other accolades) and Julia Drake, whose debut has received six starred reviews...and counting! I love to work with both established voices and up-and-coming talent, and also represent Daniel Aleman, Adi Alsaid, Francesca Flores, Maiya Ibrahim, Rebecca McLaughlin, Sarena and Sasha Nanua, Kate O'Shaughnessy, Crystal Smith, and Amélie Wen Zhao, among others.

What I'm Looking For

I am eager to find and develop more new and established voices as part of my growing list in the middle and young adult space. I look for clients whose books have a strong perspective on their subject -- whether it be a romantic comedy with a queer point-of-view or a sweeping fantasy that examines socioeconomic disparities, such as Francesca Flores's DIAMOND CITY. With my background in film and television and my love of action and speculative films, I gravitate toward highly cinematic and high-concept stories, but I also can never resist a simple but brilliantly told coming-of-age or slice-of-life story in both YA and middle grade. I'm also actively seeking graphic novelists with wonderful, heart-filled stories across genres. And I'm particularly eager to find not just great books, but great people: authors who are ambitious both on and off the page, and who want to forge a collaborative relationship with an agency in order to say what they want to say, and build what they want to build.

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About

Pete Knapp is a literary agent at Park & Fine Literary and Media.

Park & Fine brings a 360° approach to agenting with a robust support staff. The team includes a retail expert, a creative branding and marketing director, publicity strategists, a dedicated foreign rights department, an accomplished editorial team, and savvy television and film minds, who all work together on every book.

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