At Random House Children’s, Jennifer Baker has joined as a managing editor. She was previously production editor for Teachers College Press. Jinna Shin has been promoted to assistant art director; Bob Bianchini to senior designer; April Ward to senior art director; Nicole de las Heras to senior art director; Tracy Tyler to senior executive art director; Roberta Ludlow to executive art director; and Alison Kolani to executive director, copyediting.
Sara Birmingham has been promoted to associate editor at Ecco.
Ben LeRoy has joined Crooked Lane Books as senior acquisitions editor focusing on crime fiction. He was previously founder and publisher of Bleak House Books and Tyrus Books.
Clare Mao has joined Europa Content as agent. She was previously with Janklow & Nesbit.
Harper UK will launch a new Manchester-based publishing division called Harper North. Oli Malcolm has been promoted to executive publisher to oversee the division, while remaining based in London and continuing to oversee HarperNonFiction and Avon. Harper North plans to publish 20 titles across a number of genres in its first year.
Also at Harper UK, Carla Josephson has been promoted to senior commissioning editor and Ore Agbaje-Williams to editor at The Borough Press.
Authors
Lee Child announced that he will collaborate with his younger brother Andrew Grant on future Jack Reacher novels, and eventually his brother — who is 15 years younger — will take over the series. “I always thought I’d retire at 65, but I’m not quite ready yet,” Child said. “I love my readers and know they want many more Reacher stories in the future. I am thrilled to announce a new writing partnership that ensures Reacher stays on the road for a long time.”
Their first collaboration will be THE SENTINEL, publishing this fall from Random House (and October 27 from Transworld in the UK). Grant is the author of nine thrillers, most recently from Ballantine, and will write as Andrew Child when collaborating with his brother. Lee noted, “We’re going to work on the next few together, and then he’ll strike out on his own.” Lee Child has long been represented by Darley Anderson, while Grant has been represented by Richard Pine and Kim Witherspoon at Inkwell. Pine says the three agents worked together on the new US and UK deals for the two brothers.
Acquired
Skyhorse Publishing announced that it has acquired the right to publish books using The World Almanac name, starting this November with the release of The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2021. They acquired the rights and trademark from Infobase, which acquired the World Almanac in 2009 (and has been distributing through Simon & Schuster). Skyhorse says it plans to create other “new and exciting print and ebooks in its new World Almanac imprint.”
