Alison Mackeen

Alison MacKeen represents serious non-fiction authors who are able to change the way people think about key aspects of life and work. Her clients are thought leaders in the behavioral sciences, business, and the humanities, whose work has been recognized by major foundations, including the John and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, John T. Guggenheim Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, and National Science Foundation; and whose books have received numerous honors, including the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Bancroft Prize. Alison loves working closely with clients to bring fresh ideas to top editors and publishers. She is currently signing clients with “Big Think” projects in business, psychology, history, and science; as well as narrative non-fiction and memoir.

Originally from Nova Scotia, Alison studied literature at McGill University and the University of Oxford. She has held editorial positions at Yale University Press, Princeton University Press, and Basic Books, and she began agenting at Sterling Lord Literistic in 2015. She sits on the board of Libraries Without Borders, and lives with her family in Manhattan.