Michael Taeckens Literary Representation

Michael Taeckens Literary Representation

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Clients

CURRENT

  • Douglas Stuart, John of John (Grove), an instant New York Times and National Indie bestseller; longlisted for the Booker Prize; finalist for the Kirkus Prize and the George Orwell Prize; a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Min Jin Lee – American Hagwon (Cardinal/Grand Central Press, September 29)
  • T. Geronimo Johnson – The Occidental Book of the Dead (Morrow, October 6)
  • Ed Yong – Life beyond Measure: A Celebration of Nature’s Wonders at Every Scale (Knopf, April 2027)

FORMER

  • Abraham Verghese – The Covenant of Water (Grove Atlantic); over two million copies sold; an instant New York Times and National Indie bestseller; a New York Times Notable and New York Times Editors’ Choice; one of Obama’s “Favorite Books of 2023”; an Oprah Book Club selection
  • Namwali Serpell – On Morrison (Hogarth/Penguin Random House), an instant National Indie bestseller; The Furrows (Hogarth/Penguin Random House), finalist for the NBCC Award in Fiction; longlisted for the $150,000 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction; one of the New York Times‘ “Ten Best Books of 2022” and one of Obama’s “Favorite Books of 2022”; a New York Times Editors’ Choice; and The Old Drift (Hogarth/Penguin Random House), winner of a Windham-Campbell Prize, Los Angeles Times Book Prize for First Fiction, Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, and Arthur C. Clarke Award; cover of the New York Times Book Review (review by Salman Rushdie); a New York Times Notable Book and New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Ada Limón – Startlement: New & Selected Poems (Milkweed), a New York Times Notable and New York Times Editors’ Choice; In Praise of Memory (Norton); You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World (Milkweed); The Hurting Kind (Milkweed), a New York Times Editors’ Choice, longlisted for the PEN/Voelcker Award for Best Poetry Collection; and The Carrying (Milkweed), winner of the 2019 National Book Critics Circle Award in Poetry, $75,000 PEN Jean Stein Award finalist
  • Daniyal Muneenuddin – This Is Where the Serpent Lives (Knopf), finalist for finalist for the Kirkus Prize and the George Orwell Prize; a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Nathan Thrall – A Day in the Life of Abed Salama (Metropolitan/Holt), winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Nonfiction; shortlisted for the Orwell Prize; longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize and the Moore Prize; a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Claire Messud – This Strange Eventful History (Norton); winner of the American Book Award; longlisted for the Booker Prize and the Giller Prize; shortlisted for the American Library in Paris Book Award; a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • The Whiting Foundation – year-round for over ten years, including the Whiting Awards, Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grants, and Whiting Literary Magazine Prizes
  • Sarah M. Broom – The Yellow House (Grove Atlantic), winner of the 2019 National Book Award in Nonfiction and the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Award; finalist for an NAACP Image Award; cover of the New York Times Book Review; a New York Times and National Indie bestseller; one of GQ‘s “50 Best Books of Literary Journalism of the 21st Century”; one of the New York Times‘s “Ten Best Books of 2019,” a New York Times Notable Book, and a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Clint Smith – How the Word Is Passed: A Journey across the Country That Black America Built (Little, Brown), an instant #1 New York Times and National Indie bestseller and named one of the New York Times‘ “Ten Best Books of 2021”; one of Obama’s “Favorite Books of 2021”; winner of the NBCC Nonfiction Award and the Hillman Prize for Book Journalism; a finalist for the PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award in Nonfiction and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize; longlisted for the National Book Award in Nonfiction; one of GQ‘s “50 Best Books of Literary Journalism of the 21st Century”; a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Leslie Jamison – Make It Scream, Make It Burn: Essays (Little, Brown), finalist for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay; and The Recovering: Addiction and its Aftermath (Little, Brown), a New York Times and Indie bestseller; one of Entertainment Weekly‘s “10 Best Books of the Decade” and Entertainment Weekly‘s #1 Nonfiction Book of 2018; Lit Hub‘s #1 Best-Reviewed Memoir of 2018; a New York Times Notable Book and New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Ayad Akhtar – Homeland Elegies (Little, Brown), one of the New York Times‘ “Ten Best Books of 2020” and New York Times critic Dwight Garner’s “Top Ten Books of 2020,” a New York Times Notable Book, and a New York Times Editors’ Choice; one of the Washington Post‘s “10 Best Books of 2020,” Entertainment Weekly‘s “10 Best Books of 2020,” New Yorker critic Katy Waldman’s “10 Favorite Novels of 2020,” Slate‘s “10 Best Books of 2020,” Publishers Weekly‘s “10 Best Books of 2020,” TIME‘s “10 Best Fiction Books of 2020”; winner of the 2021 American Book Award and finalist for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction
  • Natasha Trethewey – Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir (Ecco), an instant New York Times bestseller, New York Times Notable Book, and New York Times Editors’ Choice; winner of the 2021 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in Nonfiction; one of the Washington Post‘s “10 Best Books of 2020,” New York Times critic Dwight Garner’s “Top Ten Books of 2020,” L.A. Times’s “10 Best Books of 2020,” Slate‘s “10 Best Books of 2020,” and TIME‘s “10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2020”; finalist for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction; and Monument: Poems New and Selected (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), longlisted for the National Book Award and a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Nicholas Boggs – Baldwin: A Love Story (FSG), an instant New York Times bestseller; New York Times Notable and New York Times Editors’ Choice; winner of the PEN Award for Biography, the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Award, the Publishing Triangle’s Randy Shilts Award for Nonfiction, and the Stonewall Book Award; finalist for the Kirkus Prize, Plutarch Award, and Lambda Literary Award; longlisted for the Baille Gifford Prize
  • Anthony Veasna So – Afterparties (Ecco), an instant New York Times and National Indie bestseller; winner of the NBCC John Leonard Prize for Best First Book and the Ferro-Grumley Award for LGBTQ Fiction; longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction; a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Luis Alberto Urrea – Good Night, Irene (Little, Brown), an instant New York Times and National Indie bestseller; a New York Times Editors’ Choice; and The House of Broken Angels (Little, Brown), a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist; cover of the New York Times Book Review; New York Times Notable Book and New York Times Editors’ Choice; National Indie bestseller
  • Nicole Dennis-Benn – Patsy (Liveright/W.W. Norton), finalist for the Aspen Words Literary Prize and Lambda Literary Award; longlisted for the PEN/Faulkner Award; a New York Times Notable Book and New York Times Editors’ Choice; and Here Comes the Sun (Liveright/W.W. Norton), a Lambda Literary Award winner; Center for Fiction First Novel Prize finalist; National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Award finalist; Young Lions Award finalist; and New York Times Notable Book and New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Kevin Young – African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle & Song (Library of America), a New York Times Editors’ Choice; one of New York Times critic Parul Sehgal’s “Top Ten Books of 2020,” New York Times Book Review‘s “Best Poetry Books of 2020,” and Barnes & Noble’s “10 Best Poetry Books of 2020”; and Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts, and Fake News (Graywolf Press), winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in Nonfiction; National Book Award longlist; National Book Critics Circle Award finalist; $75,000 PEN/Jean Stein Award finalist; a New York Times Notable Book and New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Elizabeth McCracken – Bowlaway (Ecco), a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Edward Carey – Little (Riverhead Books) and Heap House (Overlook Press), a New York Times Notable Book
  • Max Porter – Grief is the Thing with Feathers (Graywolf Press), a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Madeleine Thien – The Book of Records (Norton), one of Obama’s “Favorite Books of 2025”
  • Jeff VanderMeer – Absolution (MCD/FSG, October 22, 2024), an instant New York Times and Indie bestseller and New York Times Editors’ Choice; finalist fot the L.A. Times Book Prize
  • Rachel Khong – My Dear You (Knopf) – with Sarah Jean Grimm; and Real Americans (Knopf), an instant New York Times and Indie bestseller
  • Jordy Rosenberg – Night Night Fawn (OneWorld/Penguin Random House), a New York Times Editors’ Choice – with Sarah Jean Grimm; and Confessions of the Fox (One World/Penguin Random House), finalist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize; a Lambda Literary Award finalist; a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Jonathan Escoffery – If I Survive You (MCD/FSG), finalist for the Booker Prize, PEN/Faulkner Award, Dublin Literary Award, and the NBCC John Leonard Prize; longlisted for the National Book Award, $75,000 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award, the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Fiction, and the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize; an instant National Indie bestseller; a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Safiya Sinclair – How to Say Babylon (37 Ink/Simon & Schuster), winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography and the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature; shortlisted for the Women’s Nonfiction Prize; one of Obama’s “Favorite Books of 2023”; a New York Times Notable and New York Times Editors’ Choice; a Top Ten pick of the year from the Washington Post and The Atlantic
  • Vanessa Chan – The Storm We Made (Marysue Rucci Books/Simon & Schuster), longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize; a National Indie and USA Today bestseller and New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Janice P. Nimura – The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine (Norton), a 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist in Biography, instant New York Times and National Indie bestseller, a New York Times Editors’ Choice; and Daughters of the Samurai: A Journey from East to West and Back (W. W. Norton), a New York Times Notable Book and New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Nicole Chung – A Living Remedy (Ecco), a New York Times Notable and New York Times Editors’ Choice; longlisted for the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize
  • Kristen Radtke – Seek You: A Journey through American Loneliness (Pantheon), a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellent in Nonfiction, and a 2022 Eisner Award; longlisted for the $75,000 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award; and Imagine Wanting Only This (Pantheon), a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Tom Perrotta – Tracy Flick Can’t Win (Scribner), a New York Times Editors’ Choice; and Mrs. Fletcher (Scribner), cover of the New York Times Book Review; a New York Times Editors’ Choice and New York Times and National Indie bestseller
  • Amistad/HarperOne – Zora Neale Hurston‘s The Life of Herod the Great (January 7, 2025)
  • Vikram Chandra – Geek Sublime: The Beauty of Code, the Code of Beauty (Graywolf Press), an NBCC Award in Criticism finalist; a New York Times bestseller, New York Times Notable Book, and New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Maggie Nelson – On Freedom: Four Songs of Care and Constraint (Graywolf Press), an instant National Indie bestseller and New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Maud Newton – Ancestor Trouble: A Reckoning and a Reconciliation (Random House), finalist for the NBCC John Leonard Prize, New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Paul Lisicky – Later: My Life at the Edge of the World (Graywolf Press)
  • Mary-Louise Parker – Dear Mr. You (Scribner), a New York Times Editors’ Choice and New York Times and National Indie bestseller
  • Belle Boggs – The Art of Waiting: On Fertility, Medicine, and Motherhood (Graywolf Press), a PEN Award for the Art of the Essay finalist and cover of the New York Times Book Review
  • Lidia Yuknavitch – The Book of Joan (Harper), cover of the New York Times Book Review and a New York Times Notable Book and New York Times Editor’s Choice
  • Gabriela Garcia – Of Women and Salt (Flatiron/Macmillan), a New York Times and National Indie bestseller and a New York Times Editors’ Choice; winner of the “Isabel Allende Fiction Book Award” from the Latino Book Awards
  • Megan Abbott – Give Me Your Hand (Little, Brown), finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Sara Gruen – At the Water’s Edge (Spiegel & Grau/Random House), a New York Times, USA Today, and National Indie bestseller
  • Te-Ping Chen – Land of Big Numbers (HMH), one of Obama’s “Favorite Books of 2021” and a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Adrienne Brodeur – Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), a New England Society 2020 Book Award winner
  • Adam Grant – Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World (Viking), a #1 New York Times bestseller
  • Tim Johnston – Descent (Algonquin Books), a New York Times Editors’ Choice and New York Times, USA Today, and National Indie bestseller
  • Lauren Grodstein – Our Short History (Algonquin Books)
  • Chelsey Johnson – Stray City (Custom House/HarperCollins), a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Mark Doty – What Is the Grass: Walt Whitman in My Life (Norton)
  • Matthew Zapruder – Why Poetry (Ecco), a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Christopher Bollen – The Destroyers (Harper), a New York Times Editors’ Choice
  • Cary Fowler – Seeds on Ice: Svalbard and the Global Seed Vault (Prospecta Press)
  • Michael McGriff and J. M. Tyree – Our Secret Life in the Movies (A Strange Object)
  • Sunil Yapa – Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist, paperback edition (Lee Boudreaux Books/Little, Brown)
  • American Booksellers Association

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