Rochelle was born in Hackney, East London, and grew up in Hainault and Wanstead living above her Mum’s clothing shop with her sister Barbara and parents Doree and Reg.  After taking her A Levels in English and French, Rochelle took secretarial courses where she learned the shorthand that she remained proud of throughout her life.

Rochelle’s literary career began at the National Theatre where she was involved not only in its productions but its expansion, culminating in its move from the Old Vic to the current, world-class venue on London’s South Bank. Whilst there, Rochelle met her future husband, Peter Stevens. Following their marriage they lived in New York, a city they loved returning to.

Rochelle worked as a story editor for producer Verity Lambert at Euston Films, for literary agents Clive Goodwin, Judy Daish, and at Curtis Brown before striking out on her own, starting her eponymous agency from her dining room table in 1984. In 1990, the company moved to a terraced house in Islington, North London, which has been the company’s home (and Christmas Party venue) ever since. Frances Arnold joined the company in 1991 and in August 2024, we celebrated the company’s 40^th year, a milestone of which Rochelle was incredibly proud.

Rochelle was well-known as huge fun, but also a tough negotiator, she demanded the best of herself and those around her, driven by a solid belief in the unique and extra-ordinary talent of her clients. The company was built on individual relationships, not targets or short term aims, with the ambition to nurture, support, encourage and enable writers and directors to achieve their goals and tell their stories.

For those lucky enough to be looked after by Rochelle, she was the greatest champion of their work, fiercely protective and an enthusiastic, encouraging and always honest first reader. She promoted her clients’ work to great heights, but always showed as much care and dedication for smaller passion projects as she did the commercial big hitters.

Rochelle was vibrant and full of energy. She lit up the room with her sharp intelligence and wonderfully infectious curiosity and love of life – and she always had an opinion. Successes and milestones were celebrated, premieres, awards and readthroughs attended, and scripts relished – the ‘good bits’. And in trickier times, Rochelle was a brilliant ally, to colleagues and clients alike, a loyal and trusted friend.

In recent years, Rochelle divided her time between two gloriously colourful homes in Peckham and in Sidlesham, West Sussex. She relished entertaining, was a brilliant cook, and her green fingers meant her gardens were filled with beautiful blooms. Rochelle loved her dogs, her clients, her friends and her collections/obsessions – Lea Stein being the most prominent as she was rarely without a brightly coloured brooch (or two) pinned to her clothing. Rochelle was a wonderful human and we feel lucky to have known her.  

“When we were in New York last September, Rochelle and I went to meet with a literary manager, who asked Rochelle, in passing, if she had any children. Rochelle smiled and said that her clients were her children.” – Nancy Harris

“Rochelle encapsulated everything that I’d once imagined a literary agent to be, long before I ever met one and discovered that most aren’t. Her dedication to – and love of – her clients never felt anything less than maternal to me and I think all of us reciprocated it.” – Mark Brotherhood

“A life-force who spent the past 50 years in her prime… As an agent, she was your greatest ally, most honest critic, and most loyal friend. She was proud of us all, but she rightly considered her greatest achievement to be the agency and the relationship that she built with Frances.” – Tom Connolly

We miss Rochelle hugely.