James Nicol

@JamesENicol  jamesenicol
www.jamesnicolbooks.com

"Kate’s my advocate, champion and sounding board."

James Nicol grew up on a rich diet of Ursula le Guin, Roald Dahl and fairy stories before pursuing a career in bookshops and libraries. It was while reading The Witches to school children that he resolved to write his own book.

James' The Apprentice Witch series is published by Chicken House in the UK, Scholastic Inc in the USA, and in several other languages. It was longlisted for the Branford Boase and Waterstone’s Children’s Books Prizes and is being developed into a beautiful animated TV series by Lime Pictures, with James as consultant. James’ continues to write atmospheric magical fantasies for middle grade readers such as The Spell Tailors and The Cloud Thief.

James lives in Yorkshire.

JAMES’S BOOKS

The Cloud Thief, Chicken House, 2024; The Spell Tailors, Chicken House, 2022; A Witch Come True, Chicken House, 2019; A Witch Alone, Chicken House, 2018; The Apprentice Witch, Chicken House, 2016.

REVIEWERS

“A charming tale of magic, bravery, and friendship.”

The Guardian

“Adventurous and full of heart.”

Trenton Lee Stewart, author of The Mysterious Benedict Society

“A great read for fans of Harry Potter.”

San Francisco Chronicle

Latest Book

THE WRITER WHO MOST INSPIRED JAMES

Ursula le Guin! When I read The Earthsea Quartet in my early teens I was in awe of how she had trapped such an amazing world and characters with paper and ink. I wanted to be able to do that, and to give a reader enough for them to conjure that world with their own imagination.

HOW JAMES BECAME KATE’S CLIENT

Kate and I met via The Golden Egg Academy and when I was offered my first contract with Chicken House I knew I wanted an agent to support and help me shape my writing career. We exchanged emails, spoke on the phone and then met. It was about 2 minutes into the meeting that I knew I wanted to work with Kate.

JAMES ABOUT KATE

Kate is a superstar: tireless, brilliant, warm and down to earth. She has a keen eye for a great story and her input and advice is always spot on. She’s my advocate, champion and sounding board and I can’t imagine doing any of this without her.

KATE ABOUT JAMES

James’s stories take me back to my favourite childhood place in my grandma’s living room, surrounded by books. James is a huge talent, works like a demon to meet young fans and spread the word about books and magic, and is very supportive of other writers. He is also one of the kindest, funniest and most modest people I’m proud to know.