Behind every successful writer there's likely to be a good literary agent - though if you're not in the business you probably don't know that. And for strong set of our top writers - including Eleanor Catton, Catherine Chidgey, Charlotte Grimshaw and Bill Manhire - that person doesn't even live in New Zealand. Her name is Caroline Dawnay, of the United Agency in London. She was awarded Literary Agent of the Year in the UK in 2014, has headed the association of literary agents and has been in the business since the 1970s.