Jessie Burton

Photo credit: Lara Downie

Jessie Burton is represented by Juliet Mushens

 

Jessie Burton studied at Oxford University and The Central School of Speech and Drama. Rights to The Miniaturist, her first novel, sold in forty territories around the world, the bulk of which were sold at auction. Picador published it in the UK in summer 2014, and it entered the Sunday Times bestseller list in its first week of sales. It was named Waterstones Book of the Year 2014, and to date has sold over two million copies worldwide. It was BBC One’s flagship Christmas series of 2017, starring Romola Garai and Anya Taylor-Joy, and it aired in the United States on PBS Masterpiece in the fall of 2018.

Her second novel, The Muse, was published in summer 2016 and spent 10 weeks straight on the Sunday Times bestseller list, peaking at number one.

As a non-fiction writer, she has written essays and reviews for The New York Times, Harpers Bazaar UK, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, Vogue, Elle, Red, Grazia, Lonely Planet Traveller and The Spectator. Harpers Bazaar US and Stylist have also published her short stories. She regularly appears on Radio 4 as a contributor to cultural programmes.

Found In Translation, her personal essay on Brexit, appeared in Goodbye Europe, published in 2017.

Jessie's first illustrated book for children, The Restless Girls, was published by Bloomsbury in September 2018, with Medusa following in 2021. Jessie was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Writing for Medusa in 2023.

Jessie’s third novel, The Confession, was published by Picador in September 2019 and immediately became a Sunday Times Bestseller. The Miniaturist’s sequel, The House of Fortune, was published by Picador in July 2022 and also became a Sunday Times No. 1 Bestseller.

Praise for The Miniaturist:

‘Mesmerising and suspenseful . . . Unmissable.’ — Psychologies

‘Ripples with undercurrents, secrets, hidden histories and inexplicable mysteries . . . Tantalising, beautifully poised, exquisitely detailed’ — Sunday Express

‘The Miniaturist is that rarest of things - beautifully written, yet also a compelling page-turner. It's haunting, magical and full of surprises, the kind of book that reminds you why you fell in love with reading’ — S. J. Watson, author of Before I Go To Sleep

‘A remarkable debut - complex, involving and deeply atmospheric.’ — Deborah Moggach, author of Tulip Fever

‘Utterly beguiling and impeccably written. I am missing the characters already’ — Emylia Hall, author of The Book of Summers

‘Utterly transporting, The Miniaturist is one of those rare debut novels that excels in every regard. The past is brought to life in potent, sensory detail: one feels steeped in it. Burton's prose beguiles the reader, while a riptide of a plot takes hold with an unrelenting grip of suspense. My first instinct on finishing this book was to immediately read it again.’ — Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites

Praise for The Muse:

‘Burton's multi-layered story is never less than engaging . . . she has an undoubted gift for seizing the reader's attention and holding it . . . powerful . . . genuinely surprising.’ — Sunday Times

‘Deftly plotted, a masterclass in pacing, tension and suspense, and richly characterised . . . exquisitely written, evocative and suspenseful.’ — Sunday Express

‘Burton clearly has a way with words, crafting masterful, complex and atmospheric mysteries that keep the reader hooked right up until the very last page. The Muse is a brilliantly realised story and the parallel narratives are perfectly balanced, propelling the story forward at breakneck speed . . . An exhilarating read.’ — The Herald

‘Richly atmospheric and engrossing . . . you'll turn the pages feverishly’ — Daily Express

‘Impressive . . . It takes all the promise of The Miniaturist - the complex female characters, an entrancing mystery, a lush and evocative sense of place - and executes it with wit and style. My book of the summer.’ — Elle

Praise for The Confession:

‘Dazzlingly good . . . Without doubt one of the best novels of recent years’ — Elizabeth Day, author of The Party and How to Fail

‘A bold, intelligent, wonderful novel’ — Sarah Winman, author of Tin Man

‘Burton writes perceptively about female identity and creativity . . . stunning’ — Red

‘Her best yet, I’m dazzled by it . . . I am deeply jealous of every reader who has it all ahead of them’ — Daisy Buchanan, author of The Sisterhood

‘A masterpiece about the autonomy of women and their roles in society’ — Irish Tatler

‘An absorbing, intelligent piece of storytelling that succeeds in sustaining its mystery to the end’ — Observer

‘Stylish and riveting, Burton's latest is every bit as gripping as The Miniaturist’ — Vogue

Praise for The Restless Girls:

‘A magical modern retelling of an old fairytale - the exquisite text and illustrations work in perfect harmony’ — Jacqueline Wilson

‘The Restless Girls is wild, wise, generous, ferocious kind of story. It's a tale to read to your children (of both genders) over and over, and for them to read to theirs. It's a book that glows’ — Katherine Rundell, author of The Explorer

‘A beautifully realised, whirling adventure full of the dark glitter of growing up, The Restless Girls is a fierce fairytale for the rebel girl - and boy - generation’ — Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Girl of Ink & Stars

‘This re-telling was refreshing and empowering and utterly impossible to put down. An exciting and magical tale of joy, love and the courage of twelve girls to be wholly themselves’ — Dr. Alaa Murabit

Rights sold:

The Miniaturist: Picador (UK), HarperCollins (US), Audible (Audio), Buybook (Bosnia), Intinseca (Brazil), Ciela Norma Ad (Bulgaria), HarperCollins (Canada), Ara (Catalan), Xiron (China), Profil (Croatia), Euromedia (Czech), HR Ferdinand (Denmark), Varrak (Estonia), Otava (Finland), Gallimard (France), Blanvalet (Germany), Patakis (Greece), Libri (Hungary), Bræðraborgarstig (Iceland), Matar Triwaks (Israel), La Nave di Teseo (Italy), Hayakawa (Japan), Gimm-Young (Korea), ABC (Latvia), Baltos (Lithuania), Luitingh-Sijthoff (Netherlands), Pax (Norway), Literackie (Poland), Presenca (Portugal), Humanitas (Romania), Eksmo (Russia), Vulkan (Serbia), Ikar (Slovak), Zalozba (Slovenia), Salamandra (Spain), Modernista (Sweden), Rye Field (Taiwan), Library House (Thailand), Epsilon (Turkey), Vivat (Ukraine), Dinh Ti (Vietnam), BBC/Company Pictures (Film/TV option).

The Muse: Picador (UK), HarperCollins (US), Intinseca (Brazil), Ciela Norma Ad (Bulgaria), HarperCollins (Canada), Ara (Catalan), Shanghai Dook (China), Argo (Czech), HR Ferdinand (Denmark), Varrak (Estonia), Otava (Finland) Gallimard (France), Insel (Germany), Patakis (Greece), Libri (Hungary), La Nave di Teseo (Italy), Gimm-Young (Korea), Luitingh-Sijthoff (Netherlands), Cappelen Damm (Norway), Literackie (Poland), Presenca (Portugal), Humanitas (Romania), Eksmo (Russia), Ikar (Slovak), Salamandra (Spain), Modernista (Sweden), Shanghai Dook (Taiwan).

The Confession: Picador (UK), Profil (Croatia), Otava (Finland), Gallimard (France), Insel (Germany), Patakis (Greece), La Nave di Teseo (Italy), Gimm-Young (Korea), Luitingh-Sijthoff (Netherlands), Literackie (Poland), Humanitas (Romania), Modernista (Sweden).

The House of Fortune: Picador (UK), Bloomsbury (US), Dar Molhimon (Arabic), Ciela Norma (Bulgaria), Profil (Croatia), Otava (Finland), Gallimard (France), Insel (Germany), Patakis (Greece), La Nave di Teseo (Italy), Luitingh-Sijthoff (Netherlands), Literackie (Poland), Presença (Portugal), Humanitas (Romania), Imperative (Serbia), Salamandra (Spain), and Mondernista (Sweden).