Kerry-Ann Bentley is Jamaican-born and has lived in the Caribbean, the UK and the U.S. and this transatlantic experience is reflected in the writers she loves to read.

She got her start in agenting as an intern at Janklow & Nesbit Associates and joined the agency full time in 2020, working across the New York and London offices. Kerry-Ann has worked closely with incredible writers such as Maggie Nelson, Olivia Laing, Kiese Laymon, Eileen Myles, Maurice Carlos Ruffin, Yrsa Daley-Ward, Plum Sykes, Mason Coile, and others.  

In 2023, Bentley became a literary agent at The Good Literary Agency where she first built a list of writers from underrepresented and marginalised backgrounds. While at TGLA, she was lucky to work with writers such as Dean Atta, Charlie Castelletti and Sofia Akel.  

She founded KABL in 2025 to represent exceptional writing talent from around the world and to advocate for writers traditionally overlooked in publishing.

She’s been invited to speak about her expertise as an agent at The Southbank Centre, City, University of London, The Black British Book Festival, the National Centre for Writing, and more.

For updates on what panel or workshop Kerry-Ann will appear at next, check here. 

Bentley graduated with a First-class degree in English & United States Literature from the University of Essex. Then, she earned her master's with Distinction in Caribbean Literature and its Diasporas from Goldsmiths, University of London.

To submit your writing to Kerry-Ann, first read here .