Emily S. Keyes

Literary Agent

Founder of the Keyes Agency, LLC. Bookish. Short. Invisible Disability. Brooklyn, NY. She/her

Emily S. Keyes
@esc_key
Literary Agent
Founder of the Keyes Agency, LLC. Bookish. Short. Invisible Disability. Brooklyn, NY. She/her
102 MSWL
1 AskAgent
36 Tips

tl;dr When I took a fantasy literature class in college, it started with British folklore, then King Arthur then LOTR. These are still the foundations of most fantasy stories. Why?

Emily S. Keyes
@esc_key
Literary Agent
Founder of the Keyes Agency, LLC. Bookish. Short. Invisible Disability. Brooklyn, NY. She/her
102 MSWL
1 AskAgent
36 Tips

I'd also love to see historical fantasy (which is hard because you have to world build AND do tons of research, I know) about very specific times and places that aren't England during medieval times.

Emily S. Keyes
@esc_key
Literary Agent
Founder of the Keyes Agency, LLC. Bookish. Short. Invisible Disability. Brooklyn, NY. She/her
102 MSWL
1 AskAgent
36 Tips

Further, our fantasy now is very heavily influenced by Tolkien and he set out specifically to write a "mythology for England". And what I'd love to see is a "mythology of [X non-western] country." (2/?)

Emily S. Keyes
@esc_key
Literary Agent
Founder of the Keyes Agency, LLC. Bookish. Short. Invisible Disability. Brooklyn, NY. She/her
102 MSWL
1 AskAgent
36 Tips

An update to an on-going #MSWL. I love non-western fantasy. And some people seem to think "just making it up" is non-western. It's not. So much of the fantasy we are familiar with is rooted in European folklore (fairies, dwarves, etc). 1/?

Emily S. Keyes
@esc_key
Literary Agent
Founder of the Keyes Agency, LLC. Bookish. Short. Invisible Disability. Brooklyn, NY. She/her
102 MSWL
1 AskAgent
36 Tips

I watched one of those documentaries about how Edward VIII was a Nazi and stuff. And I saw him say "Bertie was a good boy it was that bitch he married [or whatever]" who got us exiled. And I was like "ooh I would love a fantasy book abut the bitch who exiled all the Nazis! #MSWL

Emily S. Keyes
@esc_key
Literary Agent
Founder of the Keyes Agency, LLC. Bookish. Short. Invisible Disability. Brooklyn, NY. She/her
102 MSWL
1 AskAgent
36 Tips

Emily S. Keyes @esc_key

I always struggle to put words to my wants on #MSWL day.
Replying to @esc_key

I want fantasy (ya or adult) about a woman leading a country or empire. How does she do it? How does she overcome those who doubt her? #mswl

Emily S. Keyes
@esc_key
Literary Agent
Founder of the Keyes Agency, LLC. Bookish. Short. Invisible Disability. Brooklyn, NY. She/her
102 MSWL
1 AskAgent
36 Tips