Hi! I’m Nour. I’m a literary agent at Helm Literary. I represent a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, and I’m always on the hunt for compelling and accessible stories that spark “brain butterflies.” As an Arab woman and immigrant, I’m drawn to books that amplify joy and connection or feature nuanced narratives. I love working closely with authors at all stages of their publishing careers, and I consider myself an editorial agent. I’ve been a champion for the storytellers I love since I was in kindergarten, and I’m pinching myself every day that this is now my career.
I’m based in Canada (hello from the North!) and sit on the advisory committee of BIPOC of Publishing in Canada. I’m also a member of the AALA.
What I’m Looking For
I’m interested in representing fiction and nonfiction work.
In fiction, I’m seeking commercial and upmarket titles with a high concept pitch in the following spaces: book club fiction, women’s fiction, horror, thriller, and romance. I’m also open to historical fiction with settings from the 1960s and onwards, grounded retellings of underrepresented mythological or folkloric tales, and extremely grounded books with a speculative bend (think THE HUSBANDS by Holly Grazimo).
Generally, I’m drawn to characters that are haunted by something, whether figuratively (a secret, a past, an obsession) or literally (a ghost, a monster, an object). I’m always looking for character-driven stories featuring women in power, stories of female rage, or stories that negotiate patriarchal structures. I have a soft spot for unreliable narrators, family sagas with dysfunctional families, and stories that focus on friendship dynamics (whether sweet or sinister). I am also drawn to fun and joyful titles that explore the diverse experiences of underrepresented groups and challenge our understanding of diasporic cultures or experiences.
In nonfiction, I welcome both narrative and prescriptive books with fresh and accessible perspectives. I’m especially hungry for big-idea books, self-help, industry deep dives, health and wellness, and business books for millennials and Gen Z. I’m also seeking personal narratives with bigger reverberations across pop culture, art, and nature, as well as books that offer incisive commentary on culture, socio-economic structures, and corporate underbellies.
My taste in nonfiction is pretty broad. I gravitate towards books that either challenge what we know or explain what we might not know.
I’m especially keen on championing underrepresented narratives across genres, so if your book seems like it might be just outside my wishlist, I’d like to consider it!
Submission Guidelines
I am currently closed to queries, but you can check my Query Manager page for updates.
Before you query me, please note that I do not represent the following genres: Sci-fi, Fantasy, Picture Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult, New Adult, and Poetry.
I’m also generally not a good fit for these types of books:
Historical fiction focused on WWI, WWII or Cold War conspiracies and/or spy-adjacent books.
Political and/or espionage mysteries or thrillers
True crime
Spirituality
Trauma-heavy books in any genre that center wars or civil conflicts
Books in any genre that feature physical or sexual child abuse
Mafia romance (though I love all other subgenres of romance!)
While I’m open to speculative fiction that is one step removed from our world, I’m not a fit for stories with heavier world-building.