Simon & Schuster ceo Carolyn Reidy announced in a memo this morning that president and publisher of the Atria Publishing Group Judith Curr “has decided to leave” after 19 years with the company, effective at the end of day. She was the founding publisher of Atria Books in 2002, and became head of the Atria Group in 2012. “Smart, creative, personable, and always keen to try out new ideas and methods of publishing,” Reidy writes, “Judith was also deeply committed to bringing new and underserved voices to readers and has been a true champion of diversity both on her staff and on Atria’s lists.” Peter Borland and Suzanne Donahue will oversee Atria’s editorial and publishing activities in concert with Reidy as the company searches for a replacement. (Curr’s departure follows the news from earlier in January that Michael Morrison will leave HarperCollins at the end of the month.)
Nebula, Locus, and Hugo award-winner Amal El-Mohtar will take over as science fiction and fantasy columnist for the New York Times Book Review. N.K. Jemisin is leaving the role to focus on “her numerous outside projects, including her own books and a guest editorship for the Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy series.”
Erin Wicks has been promoted to editor at Harper.
At Penguin Random House, Isabella Biedenharn joins as a senior publicist, from Entertainment Weekly, where she was an editor for the book section. In promotion, Christine Mykityshyn is now publicity manager; Sophie Vershbow moves up to senior social media manager; Emily Isayeff becomes senior publicist; Dhara Parikh has been promoted to publicist; Katie Darcy is publicist, special events; and Melissa Sanford and Mary Moates have both been promoted to associate publicist. Catherine Mikula leaves the publicity department to join the Random House Speakers Bureau team as lecture agent.
Madeline Jones has been promoted to assistant editor at Holt.
Macmillan announced the following promotions across the sales department: John Edwards to senior director, mass merch sales; Patricia Doherty to senior national account manager; Claire Marie Ochse, Adam Lambert, and Vanessa Torres each to sales coordinator; Talia Sherer to senior director of library marketing and national accounts manager; Christine Jaeger to director, Barnes & Noble; Holly Ruck to senior manager, international sales; Kara Warschausky to international marketing coordinator; Catherine Marvin to senior manager, internal communications; Tova Rohatiner to internal communications associate; Susan Carner to senior associate ebook account manager; and Alexandra Quill to assistant manager, academic marketing.
Kelli Daniel-Richards has left Tarcher Perigee, where she was a senior publicist, to launch DartFrogg Communications, a freelance PR firm.
Mary Ghikas will serve officially as executive director of the American Library Association through January 2020, after taking the position on an interim basis last summer. The organization will conduct a search for a new executive director starting in spring 2019.
In the UK, at the Booksellers Association, Meryl Halls will move up to the new position of managing director of the organization on April 10. Current chief executive Tim Godfray will step down from day-to-day management that day, taking the new position of executive chair of the Booksellers Association Group, which includes Batch and National Book Tokens. Head of marketing Alan Staton will be promoted to director of strategy and communication at the same time.