HarperCollins promotes Macdonald to art director

HarperCollins has promoted Holly Macdonald to art director of HarperFiction, HarperNonFiction and Avon with immediate effect.

She was previously deputy art director and will continue to report to Claire Ward, creative director.

HarperCollins said the promotion is in recognition of Macdonald’s "continued contribution and success in creating industry-leading covers for all areas of the market, while supporting Claire Ward in the management and art direction of the design team".

Since joining HarperCollins in 2017, Macdonald has designed commercially successful covers for established fiction authors such as Bernard Cornwell (War Lord), Fern Britton (Daughters of Cornwall), Tracy Chevalier (A Single Thread) and Avon’s Phillipa Ashley (A Special Cornish Christmas), alongside new hardbacks pioneered for the Agatha Christie Estate and non-fiction such as Extraordinary Insects by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson. Macdonald "brought equal flair" to designing covers for debut writers, including Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

Ward said: "Holly is an amazing deputy. She is exceptionally driven, creative and a natural at managing the team. Without her support I would not be able to manage so many divisions and continue to design covers. She totally deserves this promotion to art director as she already shares much of the responsibility of running the department, and she will be instrumental in building the team for the future."

Macdonald said: "I’m delighted that HarperCollins champions and supports the talents of its in-house designers. I’m fortunate to be part of a such a creative team who push me to be a better designer and I look forward to continuing our work together."