Cassie Browne to become Quercus Fiction publisher

Quercus Fiction has appointed The Borough Press editorial director Cassie Browne as its new publisher, as current Quercus Fiction publisher Stef Bierwerth has decided to move to Germany.

Bierwerth, who has made the decision to relocate with her family to Frankfurt, will continue to acquire and publish her existing list of authors from Germany as a publisher-at-large.

Browne - who was promoted to the role of editorial director at the Borough Press, an imprint of HarperCollins, in October last year - has subsequently been hired to become the new publisher for Quercus Fiction. She is charged with managing and driving the business from London, and will start on 1st August.

M.d. Jon Butler said: "Stef has reinvigorated our fiction publishing at Quercus, so when she told me of her decision to move her young family back to Germany, I was delighted that we were able to come to an arrangement whereby we retain her brilliant commissioning eye and publishing pedigree. Quercus has built a strong reputation for smart international publishing and an ability to launch new talent, and Stef will continue to be at the heart of that process.

"Cassie is one of the brightest young talents in British publishing. She has played a key role in building the Borough Press from a standing start to one of the fastest-growing imprints in London over the last couple of years. Cassie brings with her a deep knowledge of repeat brand publishing and that elusive ‘commercial-crossover’ genre of book that so often breaks the mould. She joins us to head a crack team of commissioners comprising Stef, Jane Wood and Kathryn Taussig and I’m excited to see what Cassie will build at Quercus over the next few years."

Browne said: "I've had four wonderful years at HarperCollins with some terrific highlights, in particular our launch of The Borough Press, and I feel very lucky to have worked with so many brilliant authors.  I am hugely excited to be joining Jon Butler and the Quercus Fiction team at what is clearly an exciting time for the division, and this was an opportunity I could not resist."