Bonnier Books UK is to restructure its adult trade division, with four imprints no longer taking on new commissions and three members of staff leaving the company—Pete Selby, publishing director for Nine Eight, Toby Buchan, executive editor for John Blake and Sam Humphreys, publishing director for Black & White London.
The new model follows the merger of the Black & White and Zaffre Publishing Groups into one adult trade division earlier this year under the leadership of m.d. Sarah Benton. In non-fiction, flagship imprint Blink will expand to cover the areas of publishing that Nine Eight, Heligo and John Blake have traditionally operated in, with no new titles commissioned on these imprints. In the future, non-fiction titles in these areas will sit under the Blink umbrella. In fiction, Zaffre and Manilla Press will be the main home for commercial and literary fiction in the London office, and there will be no new commissioning on the Black & White London fiction list.
The restructure means three people will be leaving the company, Selby, Buchan, and Humphreys. Benton, m.d. of the adult trade division, said: “After a very careful review we have taken the decision to make some changes to our editorial teams and imprints. This enables us to move to a structure where fewer imprints cover broader subjects, we can better share skills across teams and build publishing hubs of expertise. This will set us up for further success, continuing to deliver the best books possible to our readers and the best service to our authors.”
Perminder Mann, chief executive of Bonnier Books UK, added: “We are hugely grateful for the significant contributions made by Pete, Toby and Sam and wish them every future success. The changes that we are making will aid our growth ambitions as we enter an exciting new chapter for the business. One of our greatest strengths has always been our ability to adapt and evolve, and as we approach our 10th anniversary next year, we are more confident than ever that we are on the right path to continued success.”
Following these editorial changes, the adult division will form hubs of expertise around their core publishing areas: commercial fiction, commercial non-fiction, literary, lifestyle and local publishing (Scotland and Ireland) with teams focused on developing a deeper understanding of audiences in those areas and sharing skills to drive success.
