Our Authors
We are proud to own and steward, often in partnership with the relevant author’s family, the works of some of the most significant literary figures of the twentieth century. Each estate represents a unique relationship built on trust, passion, and a shared belief in the enduring power of great writing.
E.H. Shepard & Mary Shepard
E.H. Shepard is one of the most celebrated illustrators of the twentieth century and his works are embedded in popular culture. As the illustrator of Winnie-the-Pooh, he created some of the most significant and enduring children’s illustration of all time. He also contributed to a host of other essential works such as The Wind in the Willows, The Reluctant Dragon and The Secret Garden.
Mary Shepard was the English illustrator of children’s books, best known for the iconic Mary Poppins illustrations which accompanied the original stories by P.L. Travers.
AGENT: Curtis Brown / UTA
Evelyn Waugh
Evelyn Waugh was one of the greatest twentieth century writers of literary fiction. Novelist, biographer, journalist and travel writer, he was perhaps best known for his satirical works Decline and Fall (1928) and A Handful of Dust (1934) and for his defining work Brideshead Revisited (1945) and the Second World War trilogy Sword of Honour (1952-1961).
AGENT: The Wylie Agency
“Sometimes…I feel the past and the future pressing so hard on either side that there’s no room for the present at all”
– Brideshead Revisited (1945)
C.S. Forester
C.S. Forester was a leading twentieth century novelist of historical naval fiction. Best known for the immensely popular Horatio Hornblower series, he was also the author of a wide range of other bestselling noir, thriller and adventure novels including Payment Deferred (1926) and Plain Murder (1930) to The African Queen (1935) and The Good Shepard (1955).
AGENT: Peters Fraser and Dunlop
“I’d rather be in trouble for having done something than for not having done anything”
– C.S. Forester, Lieutenant Hornblower (1952)
Sir Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Churchill was the British Prime Minister 1940-1945 and 1951-55. He was perhaps the most significant political figure of the twentieth century, and his image, life and works are embedded in the English-speaking culture. He was also a celebrated (and Nobel Prize winning) non-fiction writer across 60 volumes mostly of history and biography.
AGENT: Curtis Brown / UTA
“No one can tell that he may not some day set a stone rolling or take or neglect some ordinary step which in its consequence will alter the history of the world”
— Winston S. Churchill, The World Crisis Vol 2: 1915
Frederick Forsyth, CBE
Freddie had a remarkable life, being a former RAF pilot, investigative journalist and MI6 recruit. He is best known as author of some of the most suspenseful novels ever written. He defined the modern thriller with The Day of the Jackal (1971), the hunt for an anonymous man hired to assassinate the French President. He went on to write many other bestselling novels and short stories including The Odessa File (1972), The Fourth Protocol (1984) and The Negotiator (1989). His books have been translated into thirty languages and sold millions of copies worldwide.
AGENT: Curtis Brown / UTA
“It is cold at six-forty in the morning on a March day in Paris, and seems even colder when a man is about to be executed by firing squad.”
– The Day of the Jackal (1971)
Portland Literary continues to seek partnerships with the families and trustees of significant literary figures.
All enquiries are treated with the strictest confidence.
WORK WITH US
Represent an exceptional literary estate?
We would love to hear from you. Whether you are an author, a family trustee, or a literary agent, we are always open to a conversation.