Granta appoints Arthur as Barber and Lacey promoted

Jason Arthur has been appointed associate publishing director at Granta Publications, with Laura Barber promoted to the same position and Bella Lacey made managing director. Anne Meadows is returning to the role of editorial director, expanding the indie's editorial team.

Arthur first joined the indie in August last year and covered Meadows' role while she was on maternity leave. He was previously at Penguin Random House for 22 years, working at Jonathan Cape, Vintage and, for more than 10 years, as publisher of the William Heinemann, Hutchinson and Windmill imprints, where he released books by authors including Nicola Barker, Sara Baume, Eley Williams, Harper Lee, Lauren Groff, Michel Houellebecq, Tony Judt, Charles Duhigg, Andrea Wulf and Richard Powers. The last two of Powers' novels acquired by Arthur, The Overstory and Bewilderment, were both shortlisted for the Booker Prize. He left PRH last year as part of a reorganisation that saw Hutchinson and William Heinemann merge.

In his new role, Arthur reports to Lacey, who has been promoted to m.d. with responsibility for governance and management of Granta Publications. Lacey also continues in her role as publishing director alongside acquiring for the list, and her award-winning authors include Madeleine Thien, Lisa Halliday, A M Homes, Rebecca Solnit, Carys Davies, Madeleine Bunting, Amy Blakemore and Julian Baggini.

Barber is also promoted to associate publishing director. She was previously deputy publishing director of Granta, and has also worked as publishing director of Portobello Books, which she joined in 2005. She has published books from authors including Anuk Arudpragasam, shortlisted for the Booker Prize for A Passage North, Jenny Offill, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Weather, Ben Lerner and Jenny Erpenbeck.

Completing the four-strong books acquiring team is editorial director Meadows whose authors include Gwendoline Riley, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for First Love, Margo Jefferson, shortlisted for the Bailie Gifford Prize for Negroland, and Sandra Newman, Sayaka Murata and Mariana Enriquez, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize for The Dangers of Smoking in Bed. Supporting the team is assistant editor Dan Bird.

"The exceptional publishing at Granta has long been an inspiration to me, both as a publisher and as a reader," Arthur said. "I couldn’t be happier to be joining such an immensely talented and impressive team, and to help build on Granta’s reputation for quality, integrity, and originality in its publishing."

Lacey added: "I am delighted that such a talented and experienced publisher as Jason is joining Granta Books’ editorial team. I have long admired his publishing at Penguin Random House and I can’t wait to see what he will contribute to the list. Working with three such visionary and proven editors is a great privilege, and heralds good things for Granta’s future, and for our continued aim to publish the most literary, original and thought-provoking writing today."