Horne and Gonda step down from The FLIP and seek new leadership

Ella Horne and Helena Gonda are stepping down from the digital platform and newsletter The FLIP (Female Leadership in Publishing), which they co-founded with their colleague Sophie Christopher.

The news was announced via The FLIP's newsletter on 4th October, which said the pair, who both work at Penguin Random House, had decided to step down "in order to allow new voices to shine". They added the loss of Christopher, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 28, had made it difficult to "keep building on what we started".

They said: "We have experienced incredible highs, including winning awards and interviewing our idols, but we also experienced a loss that no one could have expected when we lost our co-founder Sophie in 2019. In truth, it has been very hard to keep building on what we started in the face of this loss, despite our belief in The FLIP’s potential and importance for women in the industry."

They are now seeking new people to lead the newsletter and platform "to give other voices in the industry a platform to create the change they want to see". 

They said: "It has done so much for us and we hope others might benefit in the same way we have." Details on how to apply can be found on The FLIP's website, as here. The deadline is 31st October. 

The pair told The Bookseller: "Ending our involvement with The FLIP is not a decision we have come to lightly, but ultimately we are excited about what a change of leadership will do for the platform.

"We believe in the importance of The FLIP for women in publishing, and the feedback we receive has been incredibly meaningful. Reading our emails has meant that women in the industry have felt less alone in the struggles they face, and our hope is that some enthusiastic people in the industry, passionate about female leadership, will be interested in steering The FLIP into its next phase."