Running for First Term
HANNAH BOWMAN, Liza Dawson Associates
I have been a literary agent at Liza Dawson Associates since 2011 and an AALA member since 2021. I have a list that’s mostly fiction, specializing in science fiction and fantasy novels and some select nonfiction on topics about which I’m passionate. I love the breadth of skills involved in being a literary agent, from negotiation and careful contract review to hands-on editorial work to the relational work of career strategy with authors.
The variety of creative, business, and relational skills in agenting keep it interesting. For me, the best part of the job is helping authors make books a reality: getting a book into the hands of readers at all is the goal and the win condition, more than even enormous sales or success. I’m drawn to books that envision new worlds, whether fictional ones where the setting drives conflict and character growth and shows me something unexpected and brilliant, or nonfiction that explores a new aspect of our humanity.
Within AALA, I got involved in the Association’s work through serving on the AI Special Committee, which I joined in 2024 and of which I am now the chair. I have found the depth of knowledge and expertise among members of that committee to be inspiring, and the work we are doing intellectually fascinating and essential to helping agents understand AI in the current, complex environment. I also serve on the Contracts Committee, and since December 2025 I have been completing an unfinished term on the Board. I’m enthusiastic about continuing to bring my experience in publishing and on AALA committees to the Board’s strategic work for the Association.
NICOLE EISENBRAUN, Ginger Clark Literary
I began my career in agenting at Curtis Brown in 2019. I quickly added the role of translation assistant in 2020. Then, in 2021, I joined Ginger Clark Literary as an Agent and the Manager of Translation Rights. Both domestic and international rights have been an integral and cherished part of my work. I joined the AALA shortly after starting my career, via the guidance and mentorship of Ginger Clark, and have since been a member of the Contracts, Copyright, and International Committees – currently serving as the Chair of the International Committee and a member of the Contracts Committee.
Through my work with the International Committee, I have spent the past year as a member of the London Book Fair Advisory Board and liaising with the Bologna Book Fair on providing the AALA membership with a raffle. These experiences and opportunities have always felt like a stroke of luck. I didn’t know I wanted to be a literary agent when I took my first position, but I have stayed in the literary agenting world because of the challenge, mentorship, and community it has given me. Like many, I believe in the power of books, but I got to discover the joy of helping creators -particularly children’s authors – get their work into the world. And through the AALA, I found a group of people who care deeply about this work. Those aspects of agenting have kept me in this career. I look forward to honoring those aspects and helping other agents have the same kind of resources I had through the work of the AALA board.
JESSICA FAUST, BookEnds Literary Agency
My career as a literary agent began when I founded BookEnds back in 1999. Previously I had worked as an editor at Berkley, Macmillan, and Wiley, but found myself frustrated by the confines of a publishing house. I wanted more variety and the ability to work on any book that inspired me, whether that was fiction or nonfiction. Over the course of my career I have represented nonfiction and fiction for all ages and all genres. As an agent, it’s fun to try new trends or new genres and let your list grow with you. These days I’m really embracing books that bring joy—fun, light cozy fantasy; romances, especially with paranormal elements; and my real love—mysteries and suspense.
I’ve been a member of AALA for roughly 20 years. I honestly can’t remember exactly when I joined, but the agency is almost 30 years old so somewhere around there. For a brief period of time I was on the Small Business Committee and I have been very honored to mentor two different agents through LAOC. I also attended last year’s People of Publishing Conference which, in my mind, was a great success. I’m excited to attend again this year and am encouraging as many from my team as possible to join me.
When I started BookEnds I found it very difficult to find resources or mentors who would help guide me in both owning an agency and being an agent. For that reason I have a real passion for guiding new agencies to help them succeed, hopefully without some of the pitfalls I faced. I’ve really enjoyed watching AALA grow over the last 20+ years to become more inclusive and open. As someone who has built an agency from the ground up, now with a team of over 15 people, I know what growing feels and looks like and I’d like to bring that experience to AALA not just to guide other agencies, but to guide the organization itself.
ALEXANDRA FRANKLIN, Curtis Brown, Ltd.
I began my agenting journey in 2015 as an intern at Writers House before becoming an assistant at the Vicky Bijur Literary Agency, where I was promoted to associate agent in 2019. I joined Curtis Brown in 2023, initially in the dramatic rights department while continuing to build my book list, and have since transitioned back to book agenting full-time. I was drawn to agenting because it sits exactly at the intersection of so many things that matter to me—advocacy, creativity, community, and constant learning. It is such a privilege to be able to support authors in building lasting, meaningful careers.
In both fiction and nonfiction, I look for work that alters my understanding of the world, whether through immersive cultural deep-dives or a singular, inventive voice. I primarily represent upmarket and literary fiction and narrative nonfiction, and I gravitate toward exceptional prose and projects that offer an enduring shift in perspective.
I have been a member of the AALA since 2022 and currently serve on the Communications Committee and the People of Publishing Conference Special Committee, both of which reflect my passion for the community-building aspect of the work we do. Being involved in the AALA, and benefitting from the mentorship, support, and continuing education that the organization offers, has been a central factor in my own professional and personal growth in recent years. I am excited for the opportunity to become involved on the board level and to give back to an organization that has given so much to me.
PAIGE TERLIP, Starling Literary + Media
I have worked in publishing for ten years, starting as an intern and assistant at publishing houses and agencies, before founding Starling Literary + Media with two amazing colleagues at the end of 2025. I have always loved books. After suffering a debilitating injury that left me bedridden my junior year of high school, novels were my escape. But after getting an MA in Children’s Literature and an MFA in Writing for Children from Simmons University, I realized I wanted to be more than a reader—I wanted to work in publishing, to support authors as they write books for the next generation. I’m passionate about projects that show the diversity of our world from creators historically underrepresented in publishing, and as a lesbian, I’m particularly keen to champion queer projects that I didn’t have access to growing up.
Eager for community, I joined AALA in 2021. It’s been a delight to serve as co-chair on the Communications Committee, a member of the Professional Development Special Committee, and a LOAC mentor. With a background in communications from the National Renewable Energy Labs/Department of Energy, I was excited to brainstorm and implement AALA’s burgeoning communications strategy to help our membership and the public better understand who AALA is, what AALA offers, and the amazing things that our membership and committees accomplish. Being part of AALA’s active, welcoming community has motivated me to run for a board seat so I can continue to support my fellow literary agents as the publishing industry evolves.
JESSECA SALKY, Salky Literary Management
I am a career long agent, having started at a small, old agency called Russell & Volkening in 2005. I loved working for an agency that had been around since 1939 and represented writers I had long admired, including Nadine Gordimer, George Plimpton and Anne Tyler. I went to law school at Fordham at night while working for the agency during the day and found the combination incredibly rewarding. I formed an agency with two partners the week after I graduated from law school and spun off from them in 2019 to form my eponymous shop. I partnered with Charlotte Sheedy’s literary agency in 2021. I am drawn to projects that I believe will have a long life and be as relevant and remembered as those Russell & Volkening authors I cut my teeth on.
I can’t remember how long I have been a member of AALA, but I would estimate 15 years? I served on the Small Business Committee for a couple of years after law school, as I had just started my own agency as was intrigued by the concerns of the agent/owner combo.
I am outside counsel for approximately 45 other literary agencies, so along with my partner Jonathan Lyons, I have a unique and distinct handle on the business of literary agencies.
Running for Second Term
REGINA BROOKS, Serendipity Literary
Regina Brooks is the founder and CEO of Serendipity Literary Agency, a leading U.S. literary agency representing award-winning and bestselling authors and illustrators across nonfiction, literary fiction, and children’s literature. Her clients have received honors including the National Book Award, Newbery Medal, Caldecott Medal, NAACP Image Awards, Edgar Awards, and appearances on the New York Times bestseller list.
Regina currently serves as President of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA), where she has helped lead the modernization of the organization during a period. She was the first chair of the AALA’s Communications Committee and is a founding member of Literary Agents of Change (LAOC). She is also the founder and co-producer of AALA’s People of Publishing Conference in New York, AALA’s signature gathering focused on professional development, industry connections, and cross-functional dialogue across the publishing ecosystem.
JEMISCOE CHAMBERS-BLACK, Starling Literary + Media
Jemiscoe Chambers-Black began her publishing career at the Corvisiero Literary Agency and later spent more than five years as a Los Angeles-based agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Now based in Austin, she co-founded Starling Literary + Media in 2025. As a literary agent, she is passionate about championing storytellers across age categories, from picture books to adult fiction and nonfiction. She represents ALA-award-winning creators as well as New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors and illustrators. She has served as a co-director of the Literary Agents of Change (LAOC) mentorship program, and the DEI and International Committees, and currently serves on the Governance and Membership Committees, in addition to the Board of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA), and is excited about the opportunity to serve another term.
TESS CALLERO, Europa Content
Tess Callero is a Senior Agent at Europa Content. She joined the agency in 2019 after spending four years at Curtis Brown. She specializes in building platform-driven proposals across the nonfiction space. Tess also represents mystery, thriller, suspense, and romance authors in the adult space. Her clients have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Sunday Times, and Globe & Mail bestseller lists. She currently serves on the Board of the AALA and is a member of the AI Special Committee and the Media and Digital Innovations Committee. She currently lives in Chicago.