Literary Agent Christopher Little dead at 79

Jan 12, 2021

Posted by: Amanda Kirk

Bloomsbury, Books

We all remember the story of how Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was rejected by numerous publishers before finally being picked up by Bloomsbury for £2,500. What you may not remember is the literary agent who took on the job of trying to sell the manuscript. That agent, Christopher Little, deserves some of the credit for the Harry Potter series gracing your bookshelf today.

Leaky is sad to report that Little died on 7th January after a long illness. He was 79, still running his agency and representing authors. In anticipation of his death, he assigned everyone on his roster to other agents within the agency. That must have been an incredibly depressing task. Quite an amazing effort to have made, facing mortality so bluntly.

According to The Bookseller, Little’s agency represented the Harry Potter series until 2011, when the author followed agent Neil Blair to his new agency.

Leaky expresses our gratitude to Little for his part in helping to bring Harry Potter into our lives, and we express our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.