Our Team

after attending the French Lycée in Barcelona and London, Erica Berla obtained a B.A. in English Literature at Sussex University and an M.A. in Comparative Literature at University College, London. She started working in publishing at the educational publisher Edizioni Scolastiche Bruno Mondadori, was then acquiring editor for foreign fiction and non-fiction for ten years first at Sperling & Kupfer Editori and then at Edizioni Piemme.
In 2001 Erica Berla worked as literary agent at Agenzia Letteraria Internazionale (ALI) in Milan, where she represented a significant number of English, American, Canadian and French publishers and literary agencies. At ALI she also looked after the foreign rights of Italian contemporary writers represented by the agency, as well as those of authors published by Sellerio.
In 2007, along with Barbara Griffini, she establishes the Berla & Griffini Rights Agency, where she looks after the English language clients and a number of Italian authors.

studied at the German School of Milan and obtained a degree in Literature and Philosophy at the University of Milan.
For many years, Barbara Griffini worked as literary translator (she has translated works by Joseph Roth, Stephan Zweig, Imre Kertész, Christoph Ransmayr, Judith Hermann among others) and as consultant for German literature and non-fiction for a number of Italian publishers.
From 1997 until the foundation of B&G she worked as literary agent at Agenzia Letteraria Internazionale (ALI) in Milan, where she represented a significant number of German language publishing houses and their authors. At ALI she was also responsible for promoting worldwide Italian classical and contemporary authors represented by the agency.
Through Barbara's close collaboration with cultural institutions and events the agency has been involved in the promotion of German culture and literature.

raised bilingual (German and Italian), Vanessa graduated in European and Extra-European languages and literature at the University of Milan. She has been part of the B&G team since 2009, quickly becoming agent for both German and English languange children's and YA titles. She looks after a substantial number of adult fiction and non-fiction clients as well.
She is contracts manager and oversees the agency's entire back-office.

Has always been attracted to German culture and to the world of books, she studied European and Extra-European languages and literature at the University of Milan. After a work experience in Austria she joins the B&G team in 2017. Since 2018 she is executive in the contract department for some important American Agencies and German publishers (Holtzbrinck Group). Passionate for new literary voices, she is also Junior agent for a number of independent German publishers and few American, Dutch, Chinese and South African clients.

Chiara graduated in European and Extra-European languages and literature at the University of Milan and is passionate about foreign languages, books and opera. She joined the B&G team in 2019 preparing German and English language submission proposals and since 2020 she has been assisting with general back-office activities and looks after the rights of reference, business, parenting and self-help titles.

After graduating in Modern Literature at the University of Milan, Elisabetta worked for several years at Agenzia letteraria Internazionale (ALI) She then took a break from publishing, during which she helped set up and promote a classical music competition for children. In 2019 B&G was very lucky to lure her back to the agency world, where she took over the back-office for Italian authors and a selection of foreign clients. Last but not least, Elisabetta coordinates the agency's editorial services.