Joanna Copestick appointed Kyle Books publisher

Octopus Publishing has appointed Joanna Copestick, formerly associate publisher at Jacqui Small, to be publisher of the recently-acquired Kyle Books. 

Copestick is a writer, publisher and editor specialising in interior design and decoration. She has been head of publications at CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) and she spearheaded Jacqui Small's drinks list.

Books she has worked on have included World’s Best Beers by Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham and The Pub by Pete Brown (Jacqui Small). She also published many lifestyle titles, among which Virginia Woolf’s Garden by Caroline Zoob and Caroline Arber, Vintage Cakes by Jane Brocket and Shed Chic by Sally Coulthard (Jacqui Small).

"I’ve long been an admirer of the breadth and quality of the Kyle list, as well as the impressive calibre of its authors," Copestick commented. "I’m tremendously excited by the prospect of nurturing and developing the publishing programme and working with the talented editorial team in its new home at Octopus Publishing."

Copestick takes up her role on Monday 8th January 2018 and will report to Denise Bates, Octopus Group publishing director. 

Her appointment follows the planned closure of the Jacqui Small list, announced by Quarto in September following Small's retirement, and Octopus' acquisition of independent publisher Kyle Cathie Ltd in October. M.d. Kyle Cathie had been due to step down at the end of 2017. 

Alison Goff, Octopus c.e.o., said: "We're excited about the future for the Kyle Books list and thrilled to have appointed, in Joanna, a publisher who will build on the fantastic legacy which Kyle Cathie leaves us to take the list on to even greater heights."