PRH's Matt Phillips joins Blink Publishing

Matt Phillips is joining Blink Publishing to lead a new sports imprint, after 12 years at Penguin/Random House.

Phillips, currently editorial director of Yellow Jersey Press, is appointed to the new role of publishing director for Blink Sports. He will lead the new imprint with Joel Simons, who will assist Phillips with commissioning. Phillips will also be responsible for commissioning popular culture titles for Blink’s general list. 

Phillips will join the company on 11th March and report to Blink m.d. Ben Dunn.

Dunn, before joining Bonnier in November, was previously at Penguin Random House for six years. Other recent recruits to Bonnier include Eleanor Dryden from HarperCollins’ commercial fiction arm, who left in November to lead its adult fiction imprint Zaffre.

Phillips has been editorial director of literary sports imprint Yellow Jersey Press, part of Penguin Random House UK, since September 2009. During his time there he is credited with "transforming" the list; he published Bradley Wiggins’ autobiography, and titles that have been shortlisted seven times for the prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, winning the prize twice, in 2011 and 2014.

Matt has spent the last 12 years at Penguin/Random House, having joined in 2003 through the Graduate Trainee Scheme.

Dunn said: “I know Matt well from my time at Penguin Random House, and have always admired his ability to actively identify trends, subjects and authors. He’s one of the finest commercial non-fiction publishers of his generation and his appointment is a massive coup for Blink; he was the only person I wanted for this job so naturally I’m delighted he’s joining us.”

Phillips commented: “I’ve had a fantastic time at Yellow Jersey Press, working with an amazing team and incredible authors. Though I’ll be sad to leave, I’m incredibly excited to be joining Blink, as it has quickly established itself as a pioneering publisher full of ambition and energy.”