WME Bolsters Literary Media Department With New Hires

WME is bolstering its Literary Media Department with two new hires and is broadening its footprint in the major talent agency’s offices in New York and London.

Charlotte Simms, who led BuzzFeed Studios’ scripted TV efforts, and Mary Pender, a veteran media rights agent at UTA, have joined WME, the Endeavor-owned company said Monday.

Simms joins the agency after seven and a half years at BuzzFeed’s studio arm, as the company made a push to develop and sell buzzy projects to networks based on its in-house IP and inked a first-look deal in 2020 with Universal Television. At WME, she will be based in Beverly Hills and focus on non-fiction rights, including for articles and podcasts.

Pender, who spent nine years at major agency UTA, will join WME based in the company’s New York office. At UTA, the agent’s clients included authors Angie Thomas, Dhonielle Clayton, Casey McQuiston and Emily Henry and projects set up for film and TV have included The Hate U Give and Red, White and Royal Blue. Pender returns to WME after an earlier role in the agency’s Book department and working for ten years as a literary scout at Maria B. Campbell Associates.

Alongside the hires, WME literary packaging agent Sanjana Seelam is moving from Beverly Hills to London to expand the agency’s presence in the region.

“We have seen incredible organic growth as a division and are excited to bring on Mary and Charlotte at a time when the market for high-quality, premium IP continues to expand across traditional and newer mediums,” stated Sylvie Rabineau and Hilary Zaitz Michael, co-heads of WME’s Literary Media Department.

“I’m thrilled to start the next chapter of my career with a team I’ve long admired,” said Pender. “Returning to WME to help grow LMD’s presence in New York is incredibly exciting and truly a full circle moment for me.”

Simms added, “It’s a huge privilege to be joining this incredible team of WME agents.”