Judith Curr joins HarperCollins US

Judith Curr, formerly president and publisher of Simon & Schuster's Atria Publishing Group, is joining HarperCollins on 2nd April as president and publisher of HarperOne, Amistad, and Rayo.

In her new role she will be based in New York, reporting to Brian Murray, president and c.e.o. HarperCollins Publishers, and sit on the global executive committee. Curr left S&S's general interest publishing division in January, but at the time did not disclose the reason for her departure.

Curr's goal will be to work with the existing team to grow the HarperOne publishing program from 50 titles to 120 titles per year. She is charged with expanding the imprint’s current editorial scope to include developing, marketing, and building fiction and non-fiction properties with global appeal for both the HarperCollins English and foreign language publishing programs. She will also be tasked with continuing to build the company’s list of diverse writers and stories within the HarperOne programme, as well as growing the Amistad and Rayo trade lists.

Murray said he admired Curr's "creative and entrepreneurial approach to publishing", which he said had been evidenced by her publishing of Rhonda Byrne's The Secret, which sold more than 35 million copies in 57 languages, and Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove (both Simon & Schuster).

"Judith brings tremendous experience, passion and energy to the next set of global blockbusters across HarperCollins offices around the world," he said.

Curr founded Atria Books in 2002 and was named president and publisher of Atria Publishing Group 10 years later in 2012. She commented: “I have great respect for Brian Murray, particularly his global vision. My role—to build upon the already successful and diverse HarperCollins imprints—perfectly combines my passions in publishing. It comes at a time when publishing is full of opportunities and challenges, and as new voices and readerships are emerging both globally and locally.”

HarperOne staff will continue to work out of both the New York and San Francisco offices.