Sphere expands crime team

Sphere has expanded its team for acquiring crime fiction with two hires, following the departure of Nikola Scott, who was editorial director specialising in crime and thrillers.

The two new positions split her former role by gender: Catherine Burke joins as editorial director, specialising in female-focused crime and thrillers and some women’s fiction, while Daniel Mallory joins as editorial director, specialising in male crime and thrillers, and action/adventure fiction.

Burke has spent the past six years at Harlequin Mills & Boon, primarily running the commercial fiction imprint MIRA, publishing authors including Tess Gerritsen, Nora Roberts and Diane Chamberlain

Mallory has spent the past two years researching, teaching, and writing on Anglo-American crime fiction at Oxford University, as well as publishing reviews in the TLS, the New York Times Book Review, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post. Previously, he was an editor at Ballantine in New York, where he worked with Jonathan and Faye Kellerman and Richard Montanari among others.

Both appointees will report to LBBG deputy publisher David Shelley. He said: "They are both very talented acquiring editors who bring unique skills to the company. In the last few years, we have seen huge growth at Sphere, and I am confident that Catherine and Daniel will help us take that success to a new level."