Interview with an Agent: Georgia Tournay-Godfrey

As an agent at Bright, Georgia Tournay-Godfrey is passionate about discovering fresh talent and bringing dynamic stories to life. In this interview, she shares her journey into publishing, what excites her about children’s books today, and how she’s advocating for more diverse storytelling.

Tell me a bit about your background and what led you to become an agent at Bright?

My way into agenting wasn’t the usual route, as I prioritised having a family in my early twenties. During my last pregnancy, I opted for a children’s literature module to complete my Open University degree, naively thinking it would be the easy option! Little did I know it would turn into a full-blown obsession with children’s books.

Three daughters and a commendation from the Open University later, I knew that I had to work with stories. But as we all know, publishing isn’t the easiest industry to break into, especially when you’ve got a young family, no connections and live outside London. With a bit of perseverance and a lot of caffeine, I found a cheerleader in The Bright Agency’s CEO Vicki. She’s a fab mentor and I’ve worked my way up to build a list of artists and authors that I’m incredibly proud of.

Illustration by Ulrike Mieke

What excites you most about being an agent?

Sponsoring creativity is such a privilege and nothing beats the buzz of seeing something truly special for the first time. That moment when you see an idea and just know it’s got something brilliant —the concepts or manuscripts that I can’t wait to run past my kids (the most discerning critics) as soon as I get home. Then, seeing that excitement reflected back at you from art directors and editorial teams is truly some kind of magic.

What kinds of children’s books would you love to see more of in the coming years?

As we learn more about how children engage with the world— not just with the constant stream of digital content, but in how we understand things like neurodiversity and different ways of learning — there’s some really exciting shifts the discussions around the what we publish. I love how the industry is responding to that. On one hand, there’s a pull towards gorgeously nostalgic, the observational, the classic themes. Then on the other, we’re seeing experimentation, gamification, new blends of genres and formats. I’m here for all of it!

What I’d really love to see more of though is middle grade graphic novels, particularly for girls in the UK. I’m excited to watch the rise of author-illustrators like Meggie Johnson, Aaron Blecha and Aoife Dooley. Engaging kids who aren’t your typical avid readers is so important and to compete with online content, I feel like this bite-sized, energetic visual storytelling has so much potential. Every time I go to bookshops in the US, I’m in awe of how much more on offer there is in that space. I’m also loving how elevated board books and novelty titles are becoming— such inventive mechanisms and playful styles to meet the demand for considered storytelling from birth.

Illustrations by Jonathan Emmerson, Liv Bargman, and Sofia Moore

Was there a particular children’s book that inspired you growing up?

There is an illustration of a great white shark breaching the moonlit waters in Lynley Dodd’s A Dragon in A Wagon, that I couldn’t resist revisiting time and time again, even though it utterly terrified me. I don’t know about inspiration, but it definitely had an impact. It haunts my dreams and to this day, I still seek out that wondrous, giddy thrill you get from feeling scared. And when I got older although I’d love to say something beautiful and literary, but I was a proper 90’s kid — Goosebumps and Jacqueline Wilson kinda gal. Borrowed from the library of course.

Georgia & Family in and around their home in Brighton

What’s something about agenting that surprised you?

Right now, I never expected to be learning so much! I get to work with some incredible non-fiction authors, from Harvard psychologists to leading astrophysicists, historians to leaders in tech conservation. I’m constantly picking up the most fascinating facts—it means I’m excellent in a pub quiz! But what’s more impressive than their knowledge, is their ability to take hugely complex ideas and distil them into imaginative and exciting concepts for children.

Illustration by Katie Rewse

How do you plan to advocate for diverse stories?

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a bit of a class warrior. I grew up in council housing, had free school meals and a slightly colourful upbringing, so this is something really close to my heart. I truly believe we’ll only see the best diverse stories when the industry is shaped by people who understand their worth runs much deeper than meeting surface-level representation. It’s not just about opening the door to diverse voices, but making sure those voices are heard across all kinds of stories.

Something I’m particularly wary of is how creatives from underrepresented backgrounds are so often pigeonholed into issue-based books. Of course, important topics like childhood poverty, have their place on children’s bookshelves, but a creator’s background isn’t just about hardship–– it’s what shapes their perspective, their humour, their characters, their world-building. The creativity that comes from experience brings something fresh and dynamic to storytelling and that’s what we need more of.

And with so much funding being cut from key initiatives, we can’t just rely on the same routes into publishing. We have to be more proactive about where talent comes from and how we champion different creative perspectives. I’ve got some exciting things planned for 2025 on this, so watch this space!

What advice would you give to aspiring authors looking to break into children’s publishing?

Don’t let convention get in the way of a good idea. I used to get so caught up in what was “the right way” to do things, worried I’d go against the holy rules of children’s publishing. As an agent, the first thing I’m looking for is an emotional response to the work—a unique idea, a moving mark, an unexpected character—not whether it’s polished, on trend and pitch-perfect. Creatives shouldn’t be expected to be experts in formats or the market and they certainly shouldn’t be restricting themselves just to fit industry norms. Of course ideas often need shaping and guidance, but that’s why we are here! Anyway publishing is constantly evolving, there is an element of us all learning as we go along. Sometimes, we don’t know what the next big trend is until it’s right under our noses.

Community is everything. Creativity isn’t meant to happen in a vacuum—it thrives when you have people to bounce ideas off, people who get what you’re trying to do and people who’ll cheer you on when things get tough. The real magic in storytelling comes from human connection, so go find your people. Join a crit group, book a desk in a creative co-working space once a month—whatever works for you. Writing and creating can feel lonely, but it doesn’t have to be.

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To work with Georgia, get in contact here.