Nicholas Ellison is a literary agent with the Nicholas Ellison Agency. He began his career as Senior Editor at T.Y. Crowell. After moving to Harper as a Senior Editor, he became Editor-in-Chief at Funk & Wagnalls, and later, Editor-in-Chief of Delacorte/Doubleday. During his tenure at Delacorte, he edited or published authors as varied as Kurt Vonnegut, Irwin Shaw, Richard Brautigan, James Clavell, Doris Lessing, Robert Parker, Thomas Berger, James Kirkwood (A Chorus Line), and Tim OÕBrien.
Mr. EllisonÕs father was the president of a distinguished publishing house, Howell Soskin, as well as a professor of both law and writing at Columbia University. He was also the book reviewer for the New York Herald Tribune. Mr. EllisonÕs mother is the author of The Winnie-the-Pooh Cookbook, and has authored over 20 childrenÕs books. Publishing just seems to run in the family.
Mr. Ellison wrote a book of his own while studying at the Sorbonne in Paris, and held publishing internships with Doubleday France and Harry Abrams in New York. He has taught creative writing at two universities. While in graduate school at The University of Grenoble, Mr. Ellison played ice hockey for the French National team, and later, boxed professionallyÑpursuits which have served him well in dealing with editors.
Along with a select and very successful list of non-fiction projects, Mr. Ellison represents fiction primarily, with projects ranging from belles lettres to popular entertainment. Mr. Ellison works with each author meticulously from concept to finished work, and every one of his authors has had and will have his or her books on the New York Times or PublisherÕs Weekly bestseller lists; or become bestselling authors within their genre.