Faber & Faber publisher for adult publishing Mitzi Angel, 43, will return to the US to take over as publisher and senior vice president of Farrar, Straus “later this year,” as Jonathan Galassi, 68, relinquishes that position. (The Bookseller says she will leave Faber at the end of June, but FSG tells us the exact timing of her start there is still being discussed.) Galassi will remain as president, with Angel reporting to him, and he will still acquire and edit books. Publisher of the MCD imprint Sean McDonald will still report to Galassi, too.
Galassi tells the NYT, “Publishing has changed radically in the last 15 years, and we need to hold to the core of what we’re doing, but change what we’re publishing and how we publish.” He says of Angel, “She has an independent sensibility, and that’s half the game in publishing.”
Angel worked at FSG for seven years, serving as publisher of the US Faber imprint jointly owned by FSG and Faber until it was terminated and then spent a few months as executive editor for FSG before leaving in mid-2015. She is not quoted in the NYT’s posted story, but reporter Alexandra Alter quotes her on Twitter saying, “I hope to continue the excellence but also refresh it with new talent.” In the press release Angel says, “I’m delighted to rejoin my friends and colleagues at FSG. They and the publishing house they work for, led by Jonathan Galassi, represent the best in publishing worldwide.”