Faber appoints Marshall as crime commissioning editor

Libby Marshall has been appointed to the newly created role of crime commissioning editor at Faber.

As well as curating the crime list as a whole, Marshall will acquire and commission a select frontlist of both series and stand-alone crime titles from across the spectrum of the genre. 

Marshall has already acquired two "outstanding" new crime series. The first, written by bestselling Swedish crime author Tove Alsterdal, will launch in February 2022 with We Know You Remember. Described by author Peter James as "a terrific twisting roller-coaster of a thriller" and Chris Whitaker as "intensely gripping", the novel was named best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year. Faber is expected to release details of the second series by a new debut talent soon.

Marshall began her career as a bookseller, joining Faber in 2017 as editorial assistant to Angus Cargill and Louisa Joyner. Since then, she has worked in the team on a variety of titles including Rules for Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson and Snow by John Banville, Barbara Kingsolver’s Unsheltered and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun.

Commenting on Marshall's new role and the future of the crime and thriller list, associate publisher Louisa Joyner said: "The creation of this new role is a cornerstone of our strategy for future growth. From P D James to Nicola Upson, John Banville to Peter Swanson the last year has seen incredible energy in our crime publishing. Libby is the person to grasp fresh opportunities and deliver them at Faber’s level of excellence. Libby is an exceptional editor; her cultural sensitivity, commitment to diversity and reading acuity are matched by her rigour and commerciality. She is a hugely popular and talented editor operating in an incredibly competitive area of the market. It’s a perfect match."

Marshall added: "I’m thrilled to be taking on this new role. It’s a real privilege to be a part of shaping Faber’s future, and I am so looking forward to bringing dynamic new voices to the list. This is a real opportunity to strengthen our relationships with the crime community, to develop new talent and to champion this thriving genre. I can’t wait to get started."

She can be reached by email at libby.marshall@faber.co.uk