Ron Eckel is a literary agent and co-owner of CookeMcDermid.

As an agent Ron is particularly drawn to dark fiction, both commercial and literary, in the areas of horror, science fiction, fantasy, suspense, and psychological thriller. On the nonfiction side, Ron loves pop culture, music, pop science, and story-driven current affairs that start conversations.

Ron’s client list at CookeMcDermid includes international bestselling author, RUSH bassist, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Geddy Lee; culture writer, broadcaster and bestselling author Scaachi Koul; CBC Radio columnist, writer, broadcaster and producer Jesse Wente; horror writers Michael Wehunt and David Demchuk; and the Women’s Prize longlisted author Alicia Elliott. On his bedside table you will find equal amounts of fiction and nonfiction, but always, always at least one biography (authorized or not) of the Ramones.

A graduate of Simon Fraser University’s Master of Publishing program and a thirty year veteran of Canadian publishing, Ron worked with Penguin Canada, Westwood Creative Artists, and Random House of Canada before joining CookeMcDermid in 2009. He also co-owned Cooke International, an agency specializing in foreign rights management for a diverse group of publishing clients, until the end of 2021.

Ron is a former president and current member of PACLA (the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents) and you can find him on Instagram at @eckelron.