Associate Agent

Rachel Yeoh

Information

Rachel is the Associate Agent to Madeleine Milburn.

Biography

She graduated from Durham University with a Politics degree, and then read Law at the National University of Singapore, completing internships at Baker McKenzie, WongPartnership and the Attorney-General’s Chambers. Upon receiving a training contract offer, Rachel decided she did not want to use her love for words to structure corporate deals, but rather, to discover and share compelling stories that reflect the human experience. She first joined the agency as an intern, and went on to assist Madeleine before becoming an Associate Agent in 2021.

She continues works closely with Madeleine across her roster of bestselling authors, and is beginning to build her own list.

Rachel appreciates character-driven stories that have the power to soothe the pains of human suffering. Some of her favourite novels include The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Circe by Madeline Miller, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie, Outline by Rachel Cusk, The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid and A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo.

What I'm Looking For

Actively looking for: literary, upmarket, book club, autobiographical fiction, political perspectives, social critiques, postcolonial literature, magical realism, nature writing, philosophical themes, classical retellings, character-driven stories, topical issues, narrative memoir, global voices, diaspora.

I am looking for global voices in literary, upmarket and book club fiction that tell compelling stories reflective of the human experience, as well as autobiographical fiction and narrative non-fiction.

Submissions

On the literary and upmarket end, I am drawn to powerful ideas that say something about our world through a social, political, philosophical or cultural lens. I am particularly looking for stories with a postcolonial emphasis, and stories where traditionally marginalised characters are brought centre stage and possess depth, complexity and heart as in Natasha Brown’s Assembly or Han Kang’s The Vegetarian. I am a fan of novels like The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón with hints of magical realism that shine a light on deeper aspects of human nature, and inventive retellings such as Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie. Above all, I am drawn to writing that is precise and visceral, as though I can sit inside the author’s world and feel close to the characters themselves. In this regard, authors such as Min Jin Lee, Mohsin Hamid, and Donna Tartt inspire me.

In book club fiction, I love a character-driven story with a satisfying, distinctive plot that explores topical issues. I adored Sorrow & Bliss by Meg Mason for its acerbic humour and its examination of mental health, If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha for its unpacking of contemporary South Korean beauty standards and social pressures, and Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid, the whip-smart debut scrutinising the messy dynamics of race and class within the modern American liberal elite.

I admire autobiographical fiction in the vein of Rachel Cusk’s Outline, with its sharp prose and quiet observations of regret, family dysfunction and personal desire, and would love to find an intimate memoir like Once Upon A Time in the East by Xiaolu Guo or Inferno by Catherine Cho.