Morgan promoted to Gollancz editorial director with new briefs for Akhtar and Redfearn

Bethan Morgan has been promoted to editorial director of Gollancz as part of a restructure after three months in the role of senior commissioning editor.

Morgan joined Orion from HarperCollins digital division One More Chapter where she published commercial fiction including The Dinner Guest by B P Walter, drove digital editorial strategy and spearheaded the division’s diversity initiatives, including shortlisting submissions for the FutureWorlds prize with HarperVoyager.

As well as taking on the editorial reporting lines for the team’s frontlist commissioners, the publisher said Morgan’s new role would incorporate ambitious strategy and frontlist growth targets, overhauling digital sales, exploring new routes to market, raising brand awareness, increasing the overall turnover of the list, and delivering a long-term vision, building towards the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Victor Gollancz Publishing in December 1927.

Her remit will focus on creating and delivering a new frontlist acquisition strategy “led by innovation and diversification, seeking out genre-disrupting fiction that pushes boundaries and rewrites rules, elevating marginalised communities and sidelined voices to unlock new worlds and shaping the future of SFF", the publisher continued.

Morgan said: “The spirit of revolutionary vigour that defined Victor Gollancz’s life’s work is also one baked into the DNA of SFF and one I hope will always steer my career. We have an exceptional team here with seismic plans for the future as we radically diversify the list, expand our audience, and embrace that legacy of innovation. It’s an incalculable honour to have been entrusted with it. Consider the prologue concluded, and chapter one just begun.”

As part of the Gollancz restructure, publisher Emad Akhtar, having spearheaded the publishing strategy of brand authors such as Ben Aaronovitch, Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin and Brandon Sanderson, will take on executive oversight of the imprint.

Deputy publisher Gillian Redfearn, who returns from parental leave this month (February), will report to Akhtar and resume leadership of the UK publishing of Joe Abercrombie, Aliette de Bodard, Joanne Harris, Garth Nix, Alastair Reynolds, Patrick Rothfuss and Brandon Sanderson among others.

Morgan and Marcus Gipps, publishing director with continued responsibility for the Masterworks list and SFF Gateway, both report to Redfearn. Editor Brendan Durkin and editorial assistant Áine Feeney will report to Morgan, while assistant editor Claire Ormsby-Potter reports to both Morgan and Gipps.

Redfearn said: “It’s been a delight to welcome Bethan to the Gollancz list. Her love of SFF, drive for publishing excellence, and enthusiasm and care for every detail already marks her as one of the best in the industry. We’re excited about her vision, commissioning and passion and the future for the whole Gollancz list.”

Orion managing director Anna Valentine said: “In a short space of time Bethan has made an enormous contribution to Orion, as reflected in this rapid and richly deserved promotion. She has brought enormous energy and dynamism to the list, acquired a raft of new talent and has a clear vision for growth. I am excited to see her thrive in this new role as we take Gollancz, one of the most beloved SFF imprints in the world, to even greater heights."