President and publisher of Putnam Children’s for the last 15 years Nancy Paulsen will launch an eponymous imprint, Nancy Paulsen Books in 2011. She plans to publish 12 to 15 picture books, middle grade and young adult novels a uear. Paulsen will keep her current position until a replacement is named, with a search underway now.
Paulsen says in the announcement, “I am thrilled with the opportunity to return to my true passion full time–editing. My imprint will focus on publishing a select group of picture books that are eye-opening and inventive, along with fiction, from culturally diverse and distinct voices, that is enlightening and emotionally satisfying.”
In her new line Paulsen will “continue to publish and personally edit literary stars such as” Tomie dePaola, Adele Griffin, Nikki Grimes, Dave Horowitz, Rachel Isadora, Maira Kalman, Robin McKinley, David Milgrim, Wendell Minor, Patricia Polacco, Polly Shulman, David Ezra Stein, Simms Taback, Hudson Talbot and Jacqueline Woodson.
In other personnel news, Anne Collins has been promoted to the newly-combined position of publisher of Knopf Random Canada, reporting to executive publisher Louise Dennys. Current Knopf Canada publisher Diane Martin “has chosen to step away from the management of the imprint while giving herself the opportunity to achieve a positive return to good health.” She will serve as publisher at large, still reporting directly to Dennys.
The Knopf and Random House editorial groups are being consolidated into a single unit, said to “further accentuate their ability to provide the very best support for our authors.”
At the editor level, reporting to Collins are senior editor Pamela Murray and editor Angelika Glover. Also reporting to Collins but keeping their imprint affiliations and responsibilities are associate publisher of Knopf Canada Michael Schellenberg and Random House Canada editor Craig Pyette.
Vintage Canada publisher and group manager Marion Garner will continue to report to Dennys.
Also internationally, Scholastic UK managing director Elaine McQuade is leaving to “pursue new plans” after four years. Sales and marketing director Hilary Murray Hill will take over as managing director.
Lonely Planet has hired Douglas Schatz as managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, reporting to ceo Matt Goldberg. He will lead their European business and oversee “delivering the strategy for print and digital expansion, as it makes the transformation to a cross-media organization. A key area of focus will be on growing audiences from core independent travellers to a wider psychographic target across print, digital and emerging platforms.” Schatz was managing director at Stanfords, the UK’s biggest specialty retailer of travel books and map data.
In promotions at Little, Brown Children’s, Nancy Conescu has moved up to senior editor; Julie Scheina is associate editor; Tracy Shaw is associate art director; Lisa Ickowicz is senior marketing manager; and Zoe Luderitz is assistant manager, school & library marketing.