Hayden to join Sphere as commissioning editor

Viola Hayden is to join Little, Brown Book Group as commissioning editor at Sphere Fiction.

Currently editor at Cornerstone on Arrow’s women’s fiction list, Hayden will focus on acquiring commercial women’s fiction at Sphere, reporting to deputy publisher Maddie West. She will begin in her new role on Monday 2nd October.

Hayden began her career at Michael Joseph, before moving to Cornerstone in September last year. During her time there she has been responsible for Arrow’s saga publishing, spearheading the strategy for a list that includes Sunday Times bestselling authors Katie Flynn, Donna Douglas, Ellie Dean and Nancy Revell. She has also worked with bestsellers Katie Fforde, Lisa Jewell, Susan Lewis and Dorothy Koomson.

She said: “I can’t overemphasise what a fantastic time I’ve had being a part of Cornerstone. Having worked with incredibly talented people – authors and colleagues alike – leaving will be bittersweet, but I am incredibly excited about joining the team at Sphere. Their innovative and proactive publishing is hard to miss, and I’m thrilled that I will be contributing to it in the future.”

West added: “Viola’s passion for women’s fiction and her insightful publishing instincts are a perfect fit for Sphere’s exceptional commercial list. She’ll be a brilliant addition to the team.”