Susanna Abbott and Sam Humphreys to join Black & White Publishing Group to lead on lifestyle non-fiction and reading group fiction respectively
New adult trade division led by Tim Whiting to be named Black & White Publishing Group as Black & White imprint expands beyond Edinburgh
Tim Whiting, managing director of Black & White Publishing Group – Bonnier Books UK’s newly-titled adult trade division – is growing the division with two new senior editorial hires, Susanna Abbott and Sam Humphreys.
The arrival of Abbott and Humphreys will mark the expansion of the Black & White imprint from Edinburgh to London, with both editors commissioning for the list based at Bonnier Books UK’s headquarters at Victoria House, WC1. Campbell Brown, previously managing director of Black & White will take on the new title of executive publisher of the expanded imprint as he continues to lead its successful publishing in Edinburgh, with the support of publishing director Ali McBride.
Susanna Abbott, formerly publishing director at Penguin Random House imprint Vermilion, will join the division as publishing director, responsible for commissioning lifestyle non-fiction. Abbott has more than 20 years’ experience, working with bestselling authors including Brené Brown, Glennon Doyle, Thomas Erikson, Marie Kondo, Angela Duckworth and Professor Steve Peters. Prior to Vermilion, Abbott was an editorial director with Orion and Harper NonFiction.
Abbott said: “I am thrilled to be joining Tim and his talented team at Black & White. There is no more exciting time to join a publisher than when it is committed to positive growth and change, and I look forward to being part of Bonnier’s ambitious new era of publishing. With the world and our society facing so many problems and uncertainties, I believe lifestyle non-fiction has an important part to play in working towards the positive solutions and ideas we need. I can’t wait to build up a new list of talented, forward-thinking authors to inform, empower and inspire us all.”
Sam Humphreys, formerly associate publisher at Pan Macmillan imprint Mantle, will join Black & White as publishing director and will commission fiction for the division. She has worked with bestselling authors including Graeme Simsion, Kate Eberlen, Janice Hadlow and Liane Moriarty. She has previously worked at Michael Joseph and as Picador’s editorial director, where her acquisitions included Room by Emma Donoghue.
Humpreys said: “I’m a longtime fan of Bonnier Books UK, and hugely admire their publishing, their energy and their forward thinking. Being asked to build a fiction list for Black & White feels like an unprecedented opportunity and I’m absolutely thrilled to be a part of the team going forward.”
Tim Whiting, Managing Director, Black & White Publishing Group said:
“I’m thrilled to welcome Susanna and Sam to the Black & White Publishing Group. They are both experienced publishers with a fantastic track record of creating bestsellers and I am hugely looking forward to working with them to establish and grow their lists. Campbell, Ali and team have done a tremendous job building Black & White from the ground up, publishing bestselling authors including The Hebridean Baker and Donna Ashworth. They will continue to run the Edinburgh office and to commission brilliantly as they have always done, now working in partnership with the London team to take Black & White and its authors to new heights.”
Whiting joined Bonnier Books UK last year after 14 years at Hachette to help drive the company’s ambitious growth plans. The Black & White Publishing Group comprises the Black & White imprint, the YA imprint Ink Road, music imprint Nine Eight, Dublin-based imprint Eriu and narrative non-fiction imprint Ithaka Press.
Humphreys ([email protected]) and Abbott ([email protected]) will report directly into Whiting.
