Lilly Ghahremani

Lilly fell into this dream career in publishing. After graduating from UCLA Law School, she joined a small law firm that, of all things, represented authors. What fun for a bookaholic! While she loved finessing the perfect contract for powerhouse academic authors, she realized she wanted to be part of the bigger life cycle of a book. She and Stefanie partnered up and co-founded Full Circle Literary nearly two decades ago (!!!). They had at their core the very personal mission to lift marginalized voices (cue Lilly going on and on about the lack of representation of Middle Eastern kids in books when she was growing up).

Now a recovering lawyer, Lilly jokes that she uses her powers for good. Since striking her very first book deal (a pop culture book sold to Random House) Lilly has been hooked on the thrill of telling a client that their book is about to become a reality. She enjoys thinking carefully about contracts and using them to make room for authors and illustrators to grow. She’s no book-slinger and it’s never about one project. As an agent, she works closely with clients to strategize a longer play of creative productivity and satisfaction. 

Lilly represents a wide range of authors and illustrators on both the adult and children’s book sides, including: Pulitzer Prize and Golden Kite award-winning illustrator Fahmida Azim; Emmy-winning journalist, medical doctor and poet Dr. Seema Yasmin; Dawn Dais (author of the bestselling Sh!t No One Tells You parenting series); Emmy-winning ABC San Francisco anchor Dion Lim ; disability activist Kam Redlawsk; interfaith storyteller and educator Naaz H. Khan; lifestyle bloggers Rachel Mae Smith/The Crafted Life and Melissa Bahen/Lulu the Baker; illustrators Andrea Pippins, Susie Ghahremani, Mariam Quraishi and Lili Chin; early childhood and STEAM expert Dr. Rekha Rajan; poet and performance artist Harold Green III (Black Roses and Black Oak, Harper Collins) and SO many wonderful others.

*She can talk about her books, her beloved clients and #FullCircleFam forever – just try her!

Lilly is a proud graduate of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Go Blue!), UCLA School of Law (JD), and San Diego State University’s School of Business (MBA). Happy to be back in San Diego after a few years living in Seattle, she can be found strolling in the sun, drinking too much coffee at her local coffee shop, driving and singing with the windows down, or reading with her daughter, a bookworm in training.

Say hi to her on Instagram/Twitter @Wonderlilly.

LILLY’S MANUSCRIPT WISH LIST

Lilly is now open to submissions! But PLEASE READ BELOW to be sure your project fits with her new wish list!

Lilly’s Wish List:

I seek to partner up with creatives who have done their homework on the industry, their place in it, and a concept that stays with me.

• Illustrators from the African diaspora (please make sure portfolios are expansive and demonstrate your ability to depict children and a range of emotions)
• Illustrators from lesser-represented cultures and areas of the world
• Worldly children’s books & art. I love children’s stories that take me into a culture I might not have been familiar with before. This could be through setting or character. I am particularly interested in authors writing and illustrating from personal experience.
• Children’s books that infuse traditional cultural wisdoms in a modern, relatable way.
• Children’s nonfiction books by experts. If you have something new and interesting to teach today’s children, I’d love to hear about it!
• Funny but smart picture books that surprise me in some way.
  — Hot tip: in a picture book, I’m always hoping for a twist or an element of surprise.
• Books for kids of any age that center disabled characters without necessarily being about disability
• High-concept gift books with illustration/photography included
• Picture book, middle grade, and YA with Middle Eastern characters, settings, or themes.
• Joyous middle grade. I still buy Sideways Stories for Wayside School for every child I know. Hearty laughter is always of interest to me.

*Photo credit: Mehri Photography