Introducing: Emma Dawson

Speed reader, library enthusiast, and theatre lover: Meet our new Assistant to Juliet Mushens, Emma Dawson!

How did you get into the publishing industry?

My first role in publishing (and also my first job) was at DK, in their adult and children’s reference books team. As a new graduate, I found it very difficult to get my first role in the industry, which I think is important to mention, as this is an industry where publishing staff and writers alike have often fought tooth and nail to be here. After working at DK, I worked in roles outside of the industry at Southbank Centre and Complicité and my second publishing role was at Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency, where I discovered that Literary Agenting was the thing for me.

What are you most looking forward to about the job, and what do you like about working at an agency?

I’m most looking forward to getting to know and supporting the authors, as I love working closely with creative people and seeing how their incredible brains work. I have been reading Juliet’s authors since I was first applying for roles in the industry, so it’s extremely exciting for me to be able to work with them. One aspect that I particularly enjoy about working at an agency is that you’re an advocate for your authors, fighting their corner. I also particularly enjoy that you’re at the beginning of the process, seeing these gems coming into the submission inbox and having the excitement of being the first people to spot them. And, of course, the endless supply of free books!

What's one book you could read over and over, and one you've recently enjoyed?

I re-read or listen to the audio book of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express around every two years, because knowing the solution to the murder doesn’t ruin how fantastic it is in the slightest. I particularly love hearing the other passengers announce their ridiculous theories about the murderer and seeing Poirot be firmly dismissive, or alternatively, keep his counsel, while presumably rolling his eyes in his head. It’s my dream that somebody will write a modern version with a cast of many different classes, nationalities, and races.

I recently enjoyed Shanghai Immortal by A. Y. Chao. It’s hysterically funny with a particularly unique voice, so I kept laughing out loud on the tube while reading it, and I was also completely immersed in the celestial world that Chao has created. I love books that are funny while sitting within another genre.

What do you like to do outside of work for fun? 

I like to go to the theatre to watch new writing and though I love a lot of different venues, my favourites are Soho Theatre and Bush Theatre - it always feels like an experience before you even get in to see the show, and I’m very rarely disappointed after seeing a show at those theatres. I also, perhaps unsurprisingly, spend a lot of time in libraries (I’m a fast reader, so it would cost me a fortune to buy new books every time), and I love going for long park or river walks, particularly if some cute dogs are in the vicinity!