18th July 2025 Rising Stars
Feature
Star power: Reflecting on Rising Stars past and present as 15th Class is lauded
In a decade and a half, the Rising Stars initiative has honoured just over 600 trade professionals in the UK – in addition to numerous staffers in international spin-offs of the feature – a group that has shaped the course of the industry. Founder Tom Tivnan looks at the legacy of the list
Rising Stars from the Class of 2019 at the celebratory drinks reception at Soho House
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n 2011, I created the Rising Stars as a counter-measure. At that point, we had been running The Bookseller 100 (later 150) – a roll-call of the book world’s most influential – for a couple of years.
While that proved popular, there was a sense that we were missing out. The British and Irish trade had an embar-
rassment of earlier-career talent that we were not shining as much of a spotlight on as we could have. The industry was in a period of huge change, with ramped-up digitisation, conglomeration and a workforce that was diversifying (if at an agonisingly slow rate). The generation coming up was exciting, dynamic, and poised to take up the reins of power at a period that would arguably be the most convulsive since Caxton introduced the printing press to these shores. So we decided to feature what we have since
termed the “up-and-comers and leaders of the future”. Though the list mostly skews young,
age is not necessarily a factor. Those who have changed tack later in their careers, or come into the book world after spells in other sectors, are also eligible. For example, Class of 2014 member and librarian-turned-campaigner Tom Roper, was, as he said at the time, “on the shy side of 70”. The initiative was helped from the jump by
what proved to be a very strong debut. The Class of 2011 included (current job titles) Orion MD Anna Valentine, Transworld fiction and brand publisher Sarah Adams and a raft of galactico agents such as Madeleine Milburn, Cathryn Summerhayes, Felicity Blunt and Jodie Hodges. Succeeding years would feature those who have gone from leaders of the future to our present: Bonnier Books UK co-CEO Sarah Benton and Hachette group communications director Maura Wilding (both Class of 2012), Collins MD Alex Beecroft (’13), Transworld MD Kimberley Young (’15) and HarperFiction MD and publisher Frankie Gray (’16).
Features
Rising Stars
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