About
Jean established JVNLA in 1978 in New York City, where she had previously worked as an editor and translator. Her broad-ranging taste in fiction and nonfiction has led to many award-winning titles and numerous bestsellers. She is considered an ace strategist by her clients and has sold a wide range of fiction and nonfiction.
She is also an author, whose poetry has been featured in The Listener and Athanor, and who has been published in The New York Times, The Village Voice, Publishers Weekly, and Writer's Digest. Her memoir of an unusual childhood, Sipping from the Nile: My Exodus from Egypt, was published by Stony Creek Press in 2008. It was republished under the same title by Lake Union in February 2011.
Jean is a member of the Authors' Guild, the International Women's Forum, the Women's Media Group, PEN, and the AAR (Association of Authors' Representatives). A former president of the AAR, she served on its board for many years and continues to be active in its various committees.
Featured Work
SIPPING FROM THE NILE, My Exodus From Egypt
"Sipping from the Nile brings the world of Egypt's privileged class to us like a Downton Abbey set in Cairo. This is history told with the fluidity of poetry, the sensuality of life, and with empathy that resonates from an extended family determined to survive upheaval." --Emily Rubin, author of Stalina
"A fascinating look at a forgotten world...lovingly re-created...Opens a window into a time and place little-known to contemporary readers. Naggar's memoir will interest anyone curious about Egypt and the Middle East in the decades before and after World War II." --Jeff Baker, Book Editor, The Oregonian
Other Works
Awards and Recognition
- Named a Finalist in Autobiography/Memoirs and Narrative Nonfiction by the 2012 International Book Awards
- Short-listed for 2011 Eric Hoffer Grand Award; First runner-up in Memoir category
