16.10.19 Free


At the Frankfurt Book Fair 2019.


Baggaley leaves Picador publisher post to become Bloomsbury editor-in-chief


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n a coup for Bloomsbury, Paul Baggaley is to leave Pan Macmillan aſter 11 years as Picador publisher to take up the post of Bloomsbury editor-in-chief for adult consumer publishing. The appointment has the full support of Alexandra Pringle, Bloomsbury’s current editor-in-chief, who now moves to the position of executive publisher. Baggaley told The Bookseller he hadn’t been looking for a new job, but that Bloomsbury c.e.o. Nigel Newton and m.d. of consumer publishing Emma Hopkin had convinced him. “I have done 11 years at Picador and I managed to achieve what I wanted,” he said. “It’s consistently profitable and I’ve built a team there. I wasn’t really looking to change that but talking to Emma—who I knew from her Macmillan Children’s Books days—and to Nigel, their vision of what they wanted, and the thought of working alongside them, was compelling. Picador is a wonderful part of Pan Macmillan, but only part of its adult publish- ing; this role has a slightly broader scope. I have one last big job in me and this seemed like the right one. It was time for a change.” He added: “Picador is incredible and there are many, many things I will miss.” Baggaley will join Bloomsbury in early 2020, reporting to Hopkin. Newton said: “At a time of unprecedented strength for Bloomsbury Adult publishing, with nine books recently and currently in the bestseller list, we are consolidating that strength with the appointment of Paul. He brings huge strength, both in his own publishing and in his leadership of editorial teams. He follows in the great footsteps of the only two editors-in-chief in Bloomsbury’s 33 years, Liz Calder, and


I have one last big job in me and this seemed like the right one. It was time for a change. Picador is incredible and there are many, many things I will miss


Paul Baggaley


Alexandra Pringle, who was one of the archi- tects—with Emma Hopkin, Kathleen Farrar and me—of Paul’s appointment. Alexandra remains a vital member of our team with her incomparable list and publishing panache. We look forward greatly to Paul’s arrival.” Picador has seen a string of major bestsell- ers in the past couple of years, including Adam Kay’s This is Going to Hurt, Jessie Burton’s The Muse and the anonymously- authored The Secret Barrister. The imprint’s growth led to promotions in May for Ravi Mirchandani (to editor-in-chief), Francesca Main (to associate publisher) and George Morley (to publishing director), while this week there were promotions for Kris Doyle and Sophie Jonathan (both made editorial directors), and Ansa Khan Khatak and Kishani Widyaratna (commissioning editors). On Baggaley’s successor, Macmillan publisher Jeremy Trevathan told The Bookseller: “It’s a testament to Paul that the Picador team has such a wonderful strength and depth of talent and that, as a result, we see this as a terrific opportunit for the next stage in Picador’s development. We’ll explore all options. We wish him well for all that he goes ahead to do at Bloomsbury.”


Reporting Benedicte Page


Hall 6.0, C95


memoir


name


Big-


#MerkyBooks bags Blackman memoir


Grime artist Stormzy’s Penguin Random House imprint #MerkyBooks has snapped up the long- awaited memoir from YA star and former UK children’s laureate Malorie Blackman. Tom Avery, editorial director of #MerkyBooks,


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acquired world rights for the as-yet-untitled autobiography. The deal was negotiated by Hilary Delamere at The Agency (London). Blackman has written nearly 60 books in her 29-year career, and is perhaps most famous for her groundbreaking Noughts and Crosses series. She has sold almost two million units, for £11.6m, through BookScan UK. Blackman said her book would be a “full and


frank account of my life journey as an author [and offer] all the writer’s tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years. #MerkyBooks is so innovative and dynamic that I truly believe my autobiography could not have found a better home.”


Wednesday


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