Hodder & Stoughton publicity director Swannell moves to Headline

Headline has appointed Louise Swannell from Hodder & Stoughton as its new publicity director, with a promotion for Jessica Farrugia and two new publicity managers joining the team.

Swannell will join from her current publicity director role in July, reporting to Headline m.d. Mari Evans.

She joined Hodder & Stoughton more than three years ago, and has promoted bestselling authors including Graham Norton and Erin Kelly. Successful campaigns included the Deliciously Ella books and sensitively handling Rio Ferdinand’s memoir following the death of his wife.

Swannell said: “I couldn’t be more delighted to join Mari and her management team at Headline as publicity director.  I am so looking forward to the new challenges that this role will bring, and to contributing to the future success of the business overall. It goes without saying that I am hugely indebted to Eleni Lawrence and the entire Hodder team for a very rewarding three and a half years, and thrilled to be staying within the Hachette fold.”

Evans said she was a long-term admirer of Swannell for her “high creativity and sales-driving focus”. She added: “I know she’ll bring precision and passion to bear in equal measure in the promoting of Headline’s authors and we’ll benefit enormously from her range of experience and dynamic approach. I am thrilled to welcome her to the Headline management team.”

Farrugia, a senior PR manager at Headline, will become head of publicity for non-fiction. She joined the firm last March, having arrived from Pan Macmillan imprint Bluebird. Evans praised her for an “imaginative and sales-driving campaign” on the David Higgins Hollywood Body Plan earlier this year.

She said: “She joined us from Bluebird with a wealth of experience and I look forward to seeing her bring that experience to bear even more effectively in this new role that will also give her a key area of responsibility within the team.”

Rosie Margesson, currently a press officer for HarperNonFiction, and Alara Delfosse, Michael O’Mara Books’ senior press and digital officer, will join as publicity managers.