HarperCollins to create standalone Irish division with Nagle at helm

HarperCollins Ireland, a new standalone publishing division, is being launched with Conor Nagle from Gill Books as its publisher.

Nagle, currently senior commissioning editor, will head the division from 16th March. He will acquire books by Irish authors for the Irish market, reporting to Kate Elton, HarperCollins UK executive publisher for HarperFiction, NonFiction and Avon.

His appointment follows the resignation of the company’s publishing director in Ireland, Eoin McHugh, last year. He had been appointed in November 2017 from Transworld, going on to acquire books including the An Post Irish Book Award-winning Barefoot Pilgrimage by Andrea Corr and The Personals by Brian O’Connell.

Nagle, who joined Gill Books as commissioning editor in 2013, has worked with authors including Jim McGuinness, Philly McMahon, Des O’Malley, Matt Cooper, David McCullagh and the team behind the bestselling Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling.

He said: “It has been my privilege over the past six years to work with so many talented and forward-thinking colleagues at Gill Books, but the time is right to move on, and I'm immensely excited to embark on a new adventure as publisher at HarperCollins Ireland.

“Over the course of my discussions with the team at HarperCollins, I have been inspired by their vision, enthusiasm, and sincere respect for the culture and heritage of Irish publishing. I look forward to helping build a list that exemplifies those same values and, in so doing, acts as a showcase for the best Irish writing.”

HarperCollins Ireland sales director Tony Purdue and publicity director Patricia McVeigh will continue to report in to HCUK group sales director Anna Derkacz and communications director Fiona Allen respectively, but will also have a dual report through Nagle.

Figures for 2019 showed the Ireland market as a whole was up by 5% in value from 2018, partly due to a 6.8% spike in value for trade non-fiction.

Elton said: “Ireland is a hugely important market to us—its passionate readers, its creative and committed booksellers and its talented writers. Conor‚Äôs energy, creativity and depth of market knowledge are exactly what we need to lead this important new business—and his vision for the future of HarperCollins Ireland is genuinely inspiring. I‚Äôm incredibly excited to see the business that he and the team will build, both for the new writers they will sign, and for our existing list of bestselling, award-winning authors.”

Under the new structure, assistant editor Nora Mahony will report to Nagle and sales executive Jacqueline Murphy continues to report to sales director Tony Purdue. Publicity executive Ciara Swift, who reports to publicity director Patricia McVeigh, is promoted to press officer.