Aoife Lennon-Ritchie

The Lennon-Ritchie agency is a literary agency with offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. They represent a select group of international writers of literary and commercial fiction, non-fiction, and children’s literature. Their award-winning books include the 2023 Sunday Times non-Fiction prize winning My Land Obsession by Bulelwa Mabasa, the 2022 Sunday Times Fiction Prize winning Junx by Tshidiso Moletsane; the 2021 Sunday Times Fiction Prize winning A Sin of Omission by Marguerite Poland (Penguin Random House SA; Envelope Books UK);  the 2019 Sunday Times Fiction Prize winning The Theory of Flight by Gloria Siphiwe Ndlovu (Penguin Random House SA; Catalyst Press US; Trinta Zero Nove PALOP;Aser al-Kotob WAR; Brioschi Editori ITA); the  2021 Giller Prize shortlisted, Nigeria prize-winning, and 2019 Sharjah best international book award winning The Son of the House by Cheluchi Onuobia (Penguin Random House SA; Dundurn House Press NA; E/O Italy; Europa Editions UK; Antares, Armenia; Kalimat WAR); and winner of the 2020 SALA awards and the 2020 Humanities and Social Sciences best novel award, Lacuna by Fiona Snyckers (Picador Africa; Europa Editions US, UK; Round Robin ITA, Film).

Books and authors they’ve represented have won, been long-listed, or short-listed for awards including the Booker prize, the Giller prize, the Sunday Times Fiction prize, the Comedy Women in Print prize, the Sir Walter Scott Prize, the Ondaatje prize, the SpriNG prize, the Nigeria Prize, the Sharjah prize, the South African Literary Award, the Humanities and Social Sciences Award, and the UJ prize.

Specialising in Book to Screen rights, the Lennon-Ritchie agency also sells International and film/TV rights for publishing houses including Penguin Random House South Africa, Pan Macmillan South Africa, Jonathan Ball Publishing, Mirari Press, Crystal Lake Publishing, and Duck Creek Press, New Zealand. And in a twist on the above, they help producer partners including Baboon Animation and Snipple Animation sell book and graphic novel rights to their projects in development. Have a look at their lists here.

Aoife Lennon Ritchie is also founder and MD, along with David Kayser, of Torchwood, a literary agency for film and television representing screenwriters and directors worldwide. With roots in London and Dublin and offices in Cape Town, and Johannesburg, they represent above-the-line talent negotiating and advocating on behalf of their list of emerging and established talent.