With agents seemingly leaving the venerable firm every week -- to date, Euan Thorneycroft, Peter Robinson and Ali Gunn have defected for other agencies or their own shops -- Curtis Brown needed to patch things up, and fast. Fortunately, they've landed Elizabeth Sheinkman as their newest hire, and the woman otherwise known as Mrs. Jamie Byng will be a senior agent and a director for the board, the Bookseller reports.

They also got managing director Jonny Geller on record to say that "Elizabeth is one of the brightest, most dynamic and exciting agents in London at the moment. I'm thrilled she is coming to join our new team at Curtis Brown, not least because she brings with her world class writers and great knowledge of the international markets. She is a complete star."

Sheinkman, too, is thrilled to be on board, where she'll also continue to be the UK agent for the Elaine Markson agency. "Curtis Brown has a great and long established history and offers an excellent opportunity to develop the range of authors I work with on both sides of the Atlantic."