Hodder-Williams leaves as Espiner and Valentine take new roles in Hachette shake-up

Hodder & Stoughton c.e.o. Jamie Hodder-Williams is leaving after more than 30 years at the publisher as Katie Espiner steps into a newly created role and Anna Valentine is promoted to Orion m.d., in a major restructure at Hachette UK. 

Hodder-Williams will leave in spring 2022 to develop other publishing projects after more than 20 years as m.d. and c.e.o. at Hodder & Stoughton and three decades working at the firm. 

Espiner, currently Orion m.d., has been named c.e.o. of Hodder & Stoughton and Orion. Meanwhile, Valentine has been promoted from executive publisher at Orion to managing director. Both will start their new roles on 1st January 2022.   

David Shelley, c.e.o. of Hachette UK, paid tribute to Hodder-Williams' contribution, saying: “I’m extremely grateful to Jamie for the enormous amount that he has contributed to Hachette over the years. He has overseen Hodder & Stoughton’s growth into one of Hachette’s largest divisions, as well as being instrumental in the acquisition, integration and success of John Murray Press and Quercus, and the growth of Headline."

Hodder-Williams has worked closely writers such as Stephen King, John Grisham, Sophie Hannah and David Nicholls. "Other landmark achievements include the publication of Alex Ferguson’s autobiography, one of the bestselling memoirs of all time, the publication of Deliciously Ella, and his work on Michael Parkinson and Russell Brand’s memoirs,” Shelley added. 

“In recent years, Jamie has also set up the exciting Hodder Studio imprint, which is going from strength to strength, as well as being executive sponsor of our THRIVE employee network and instrumental in various ways in ‘Changing the Story’. Jamie has been a terrific colleague and an invaluable source of publishing knowledge and insight for all of us here, as well as a kind and thoughtful mentor to many. He’s also been fun and energising to work with. I wish him all the very best in his new ventures, and he will always be a close friend of the house.” 

Hodder-Williams said: “I’m looking forward to exploring the possibilities that this exhilarating industry presents. At Hodder, I’ve had the privilege of working with an incredible roster of authors of every genre, from all over the world, many of whom have sold millions of books. The extraordinary range of voices we work with has been fun and inspirational. I am incredibly grateful for all the support we have received from the wider trade — from agents, booksellers, the media and partners all over the world. The team at Hodder and the wider Hachette group are driven by their passion for great stories and I know that they will go on to even greater success in future.” 

Hodder-Williams started as a graduate trainee at Hodder & Stoughton in 1987, working in the warehouse. He held a variety of editorial and marketing positions, including the marketing of brand fiction into supermarkets for the first time, before becoming m.d. of Hodder & Stoughton in 2001. Following the acquisition of John Murray, he created John Murray Press as a specialist non-fiction and literary division, and he led the acquisition and refocusing of Quercus and the re-energising of Headline with a revitalised team. Most recently, he recruited an editorial unit with a mixture of TV, audio and varied book experience to launch Hodder Studio. 

Of Espiner’s new role (pictured, right), Shelley said: “Katie has done the most amazing job at Orion: taking the company to new heights in her six years as m.d., topped off by this year’s Publisher of the Year and Imprint of the Year wins at the Nibbies, and record sales." Orion authors she has worked closely with include Ian Rankin, Candice Carty-Williams, the Hairy Bikers and Adam Kay among others.  

Shelley added: “I have no doubt that Katie will bring her flair, dynamism, vision and — most of all — her passion for working with talented authors to the company. I am very excited to see what she, m.d. Carolyn Mays and the brilliant Hodder team achieve together in the years to come." 

He also praised Valentine's contribution so far: “Anna Valentine is one of the fastest-rising and most exciting publishers in the industry. She has published some of the bestselling non-fiction titles of the past decade, including books by Noel ‘The Supervet’ Fitzpatrick, Alan Partridge, Frankie Boyle, Justin Bieber and DanTDM. She set up Trapeze, which has twice been shortlisted for the Nibbie for Imprint of the Year and has had hits including British Book Award winner Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams and Dear NHS by the bestselling non-fiction author of the decade, Adam Kay. Anna is a terrific publisher and a positive force, and I know she will help take Orion to new heights.” 

Espiner started her career as a sales admin assistant at HarperCollins, moving departments to become an editorial assistant and then editor. She moved to Transworld as commissioning editor, before returning to HarperCollins and setting up her own imprint, The Borough Press. She made the leap from publisher to m.d. in 2015 when she joined the Orion Publishing Group.  

She said: “I am unbelievably proud of our incredible authors and of everything the amazing teams at Orion have achieved over the past six years. Anna is one of the best people I have ever worked with and I know she will lead Orion magnificently to even greater things. I am incredibly excited to be given the opportunity to work with the hugely talented authors, contributors and teams at Hodder, while also continuing to work alongside my colleagues and our authors at Orion.” 

After starting as Orion’s inaugural Graduate Trainee in 2006, Valentine (pictured, left) re-joined the company in 2014 and since then has led the strategic growth of the commercial non-fiction lists. She has published some of Orion’s biggest non-fiction successes of recent years and in 2016, she founded Trapeze. In 2019, she was promoted to executive publisher, taking over strategic responsibility for the entertainment and lifestyle list Seven Dials, and the health and wellbeing imprint Orion Spring. In 2020 she spearheaded Orion’s acquisition of the Laurence King Publishing book and gift list and its integration into the business. 

Valentine said: "It is an honour and a privilege to be offered to lead Orion, the company where I had my first permanent job in publishing. Katie has built all facets of the business up extremely skilfully, with fantastic authors, talented publishers and editors, innovative covers and creative marketing and publicity. It truly is a company that is firing on all cylinders, as evidenced by being named Publisher of the Year, and one I have long been proud to be a part. I am thrilled to continue working with Katie and my brilliant colleagues on the next phase of Orion’s growth and development and its mission to be a publisher where every story matters."