Cornish and Mursell become commissioning editors at HQ

HQ has promoted editors Clio Cornish and Charlotte Mursell (pictured below right) to commissioning editors following their "smart, creative and commercial" acquisitions for the HarperCollins imprint.

Cornish has been promoted from editor to commissioning editor for fiction while Mursell has been promoted in a similar capacity but across non-fiction as well.

Cornish joined Harlequin in 2012 and began commissioning commercial fiction when the company was acquired by HarperCollins and relaunched as HQ. During this time, she has published Mel McGrath’s thriller Give Me The Child and Khurrum Rahman’s East of Hounslow, which has been nominated for a number of awards. She recently acquired Louise Hare’s debut, This Lovely City, a dark social drama set in 1950s Brixton.

Mursell started at Harlequin in 2013 and this year she has published dystopian debut VOX by Christina Dalcher (editor’s pick for The Bookseller) and debut The Plus One from former Tatler journalist Sophia Money-Coutts, along with Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo and The Doll House by Avon editor Phoebe Morgan. In 2019, she will publish Period. by Emma Barnett and The Art of Sleeping by Rob Hobson.

Publishing director Kate Mills said: "Clio and Charlotte have played an integral part in the growth of HQ in the two years since we launched. Acquiring titles which are the very essence of HQ – books that get readers talking – they’ve helped shape and grow our list and through their commissioning have shown themselves to be smart, creative and commercial."

She added: "We’re known for our ambition and energy at HQ, and I’m delighted that Charlotte and Clio will play a key part in our talented editorial team as we take our next steps as an imprint."