Linda Chester began her publishing career at Doubleday. After earning a Masters in Communications, she established the Linda Chester Literary Agency in La Jolla, California. In 1992, Linda opened a new headquarters in New York City, and today the firm is one of the few bi-coastal agencies. Linda represents books in the areas of literary and commercial fiction, biography/memoir, history, current events/politics, health and beauty, the fine and performing arts, and business. Additionally, she is a member of the Board for the National Center for Family Literacy as well as the Board of the Salk Institute.

Laurie Fox, who joined the agency in 1989, is our West Coast Associate. A graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz (Writing and Theatre Arts), she is a published author of fiction and poetry, including Sexy Hieroglyphics (Chronicle Books); and two novels, My Sister from the Black Lagoon (starred Publishers Weekly review; San Francisco Chronicle bestseller) and The Lost Girls, both published by Simon & Schuster. She represents books in the areas of literary fiction, memoir/biography, popular culture/quirky humor, upmarket spirituality, and cutting-edge science.

Alexandra Machinist, Alexandra Machinist, who joined the agency in March of 2007, has a B.A. in English (with a minor in Art History) from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. A native New Yorker, her passion for the written word was cultivated during college while working at Janklow & Nesbit Associates. Following law school, she worked as a corporate attorney. A member of the New York Bar and the AAR, Alexandra is fluent in French and conversant in Spanish, German and Italian. When her nose momentarily emerges from a book, she can usually be found hunting down the best noodle bar in New York or skiing fresh powder. Her literary interests run the gamut from swift-moving narrative non-fiction to Jane Austen to cyberpunk. She is looking to acquire books in any of those veins including literary fiction, historical fiction, commercial fiction (specifically, up-market women's fiction, suspense, historical romance, paranormal romance), popular culture, narrative non-fiction, popular science, travel narrative, and anything and everything having to do with subcultures. For recent sales and more description, please visit Publisher's Marketplace.

Gary Jaffe, Executive Manager, has a bachelor's degree in theatre and music from Syracuse University. With a varied background in the arts and office management, he lends both his literary and theatrical talents to the agency.

A Sampling of Our Celebrated Titles:

With a client list that includes novelists, historians and journalists, the Linda Chester Literary Agency is extremely proud to represent national treasure Wally Lamb and his two New York Times bestselling novels and Oprah Club selections, She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True. The agency also represented two of the last books by bestselling author (Don't Sweat the Small Stuff) Richard Carlson, as well as wildly popular novelist Jennifer Weiner's Good In Bed and In Her Shoes. We are delighted to represent international Buddhist author/teacher Thich Nant Hanh's The Art of Power; James R. Hansen's authorized biography of Neil Armstrong, First Man, a NYT bestseller; Winston S. Churchill's collection of his grandfather's speeches, Never Give In; acclaimed New York Times bestselling novelist, Lolly Winston's Good Grief and Happiness Sold Separately; Rosemary Clooney's autobiography, Girl Singer; Jonathan Kirsch's bestselling The Harlot By the Side of the Road and Moses; Cameron West's New York Times bestselling memoir First Person Plural; Robert Zubrin's classic science book The Case For Mars; Daniel H. Wilson's How to Survive a Robot Uprising, Wired's 2006 Book of the Year; Elizabeth Brundage's literary thrillers The Doctor's Wife and Somebody Else's Daughter; Carolyn Cooke's story collection, The Bostons, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and Los Angeles Times "Best Book of the Year"; 3-time BookSense Pick novelist Tim Farrington, author of The Monk Downstairs, a New York Times Notable Book; literary crime novelist David Corbett's New York Times Notable novel Done for A Dime, as well as The Devil's Redhead, nominated for both an Anthony and Barry Award, and his Blood of Paradise, nominated for the Edgar; the classic parenting guide, The Wonder of Boys by Michael Gurian; international yoga star Donna Farhi's The Breathing Book and Yoga Mind Body and Soul; and Pamela Keogh's illustrated AudreyStyle and What Would Audrey Do?