Datura Books announces team changes amid fresh attempt to "diversify" crime publishing

Datura Books, the crime and thriller imprint of indie publisher Angry Robot, has announced two promotions and a new initiative to "diversify the crime & thriller sphere" following its launch in February 2023.

In the first of two staff changes, Gemma Creffield has been promoted from senior commissioning editor at Angry Robot and Datura to editorial director of Datura Books. Creffield recently acquired Kelley Armstrong’s thriller Every Step She Takes, which will be published in summer 2025. She will continue commissioning and leading on Datura’s "editorial vision", and will report to publisher Eleanor Teasdale. 

"Gemma is an extremely talented acquiring editor and the Datura list is going to thrive under her focus, vision and ability to find brilliant voices," Teasdale said. "This marks a new chapter for Datura and an expansion of the list with her dedication to great books."

Creffield added: "I am absolutely delighted and honoured to be taking on the role of editorial director for Datura Books. I have always been a lover of the crime genre since being completely floored by Mo Hayder’s works – The Treatment especially. It really challenged me as a reader and this is something that I would like to emulate moving forward with the Datura list."

Meanwhile, April Northall, currently an intern at Angry Robot, has been hired as a publishing assistant. She will report to Creffield. Northall will work primarily on the Datura list, but will also provide general support to the Angry Robot team. 

In addition to these promotions, the imprint is now permanently accepting submissions from unrepresented authors from minority backgrounds, in a bid to diversify the crime & thriller sphere. Authors can submit directly to unagented@daturabooks.com. Datura will also be hosting an "Open Door" period, giving unagented authors from any background the chance to submit their work directly.

In addition to this, the imprint will double its list capacity from six books a year to 12 by 2025, increasing this more every year.