Faith Evans obituary

Tue, 09 Dec 2025

Talented editor and literary agent who was a co-founder of Women in Publishing

In 1987 Faith Evans, who has died aged 83, set about realising the concept of a small literary agency with a distinct identity, akin to the list or imprint of a publisher. It would focus on ideas and the kind of books that would enable her to combine her editorial, publishing and business experience with making a living. This meant looking out for and thinking up projects to which she could contribute, and which accorded with her political views. The agency was to have fewer authors than most – a dozen rather than several dozen – so she could give them the attention they needed.

She launched her firm, Faith Evans Associates, in shared premises in Dryden Street, Covent Garden. Around this time, she was a juror in a trial in which I was the defending barrister at Knightsbridge crown court. She thought I was a good communicator as a defender of the underdog, and that if I could just translate that on to the page, then I could write.