People 9/18

Keith Underwood joins as chief financial and operating officer, reporting to Nigel Newton, starting February 2, 2026. He was previously chief financial and operating officer at Guardian Media Group. Underwood will join the company’s board as well.

Sara High has joined as vice president of international sales. She was most recently vice president, director of international sales at Hachette Book Group.

The publisher celebrated its 100th anniversary at a party in New York City on Wednesday evening. As president and publisher Brian Tart noted in his remarks, founders Harold Guinzburg and George Oppenheimer intended to call the publisher Half Moon Press, named after Henry Hudson’s ship.

Quoting from longtime Viking employee Paul Slovak’s history of the company: “They commissioned the well-known artist and illustrator Rockwell Kent to design a colophon. Kent on his own made such a noble drawing of a drakkar, a Viking ship, that Guinzburg and Oppenheimer decided to go with that instead and the firm became known as The Viking Press–a moniker that seemed to fit, for it could serve as a symbol, as Viking proclaimed in an early announcement, of ‘enterprise, adventures and exploration’ for the new firm.”

Matt Kissel has joined Random House Children’s as marketing designer. Most recently, he was a multimedia designer at National Geographic.

Torin Cone has been promoted to president.

Sabine McAlpine will join as vice president of sales & content. She was most recently vice president of Thorndike Press.

Ashley Lopez is joining as literary agent. She was formerly director of foreign rights and an agent at WLA Books.

Lucy Buxton has been promoted to editor at Hodder nonfiction.

Kate Norman has been promoted to editor at Hodder fiction.

Founder of Chicago Review of Books Adam Morgan has launched Alderbrink, an online magazine devoted to fine press books. Coverage will include reviews and breaking news. The magazine is named for Alderbrink Press, a Chicago fine press that was headquartered in the Fine Arts Building.