Megan McCreanor

I joined Watson, Little in February 2025 as Assistant to James Wills, after graduating from the University of Galway, Ireland, with a Master’s in Literature and Publishing. In fiction, my taste leans towards bookclub, upmarket, and literary fiction, but I also enjoy some commercial writing. 

I’m particularly excited about contemporary Irish writers, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds with new perspectives to share. I’m drawn towards sprawling, intricate narratives exploring family and relationship dynamics, such as The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne, Boys Don’t Cry by Fiona Scarlett, The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, or The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright.

I’m keen on historical fiction with a lot of heart, such as Trespasses by Louise Kennedy, and I appreciate a well-woven polyphonic narrative such as And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini or There, There by Tommy Orange. I always want to read books which offer incisive societal or cultural explorations, particularly if there’s a satirical edge, such as My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki or Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. 

I enjoy reading texts in which nature plays a central role, from the gritty Ozarks in Daniel Woodrell’s Winter’s Bone, to the Alaskan wilderness in Kristen Hannah’s The Great Alone, or even the badlands of Montana in Kevin Barry’s The Heart in Winter. I am also keen to hear more thoughtful, speculative climate fiction in the vein of Margaret Atwood’s Maddaddam trilogy or Richard Power’s The Overstory.

On the commercial side, I appreciate a well-paced psychological thriller or suspense novel, like B.A Paris’s Behind Closed Doors, Our Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent, Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, or Tana French’s The Wych Elm. Anything that has a strong, propulsive plot coupled with dark, dubious characters is sure to entertain me.

In non-fiction, I read quite broadly. I enjoy nature books, especially those that push us to pay attention to the world around us, such as Peter Wohlleben’s The Hidden Life of Trees. I appreciate books which analyse the implications of online culture such as Mary McGill’s The Visibility Trap: Sexism, Surveillance & Social Media. I’m drawn towards practical, expert-led books on psychology, such as The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. I also enjoy a good memoir, from the heart-warming and relatable, like Dolly Alderton’s Everything I Know About Love, to the shocking and severe, such as Maggie O’ Farrell’s I am, I am, I am.

I am not open to submissions, but I work closely on James’s list.