

Tasneem Motala
Assistant Agent
If there's literally anything to do as a kid growing up in rural Niagara, it's read, and Tasneem did so much of it that she turned it into her career with a degree in English and Classical Civilizations and a post-grad in Publishing. Her experience includes writing beauty articles for Elevate Magazine, promoting Sonia Faruqi’s book, The Oyster Thief, to the book-blogging sphere as a marketing manager, and building her very own #ownvoices literary zine, KROS Magazine, from scratch.
Sometimes she doesn't know what she's looking for until it's in her inbox, but some things are timeless, like retellings of well-known myths and classics, teenage romances, and mysteries with fascinating protagonists, just to name a few.
In the realm of Middle Grade and YA, Tasneem is currently seeking stories (regardless whether fantasy, sci-fi, or contemporary) that are raw, emotional, heartfelt, and authentic. She's especially drawn to stories with a focus on found families and friendships with morally grey leads and coming-of-age themes. Some of her favourite tropes include enemies to lovers, unreliable narrators, and ragtag team-ups. You can find more of her favourite things on her Manuscript Wishlist.
Tasneem is currently looking for character-driven MG and YA fiction and graphic novels, with or without a touch of magic, written by BIPOC authors.
Interested in:
Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, New Adult, Science Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary YA, Cyberpunk, Fairytale Retellings, Low Fantasy, Magical Realism, Robots/A.I., Steampunk, Urban Fantasy