Bookouture hires Bonnier's Proko in audio push

Bookouture is expanding its audio team with the appointment of Alba Proko from Bonnier Books UK as audio manager.

Proko has been at Bonnier Books UK for five years, most recently as product manager for audio, e-book and apps, working on projects including Lily Allen’s My Thoughts Exactly and Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.

She will start in her new role on 21st September, reporting to publishing director Ruth Tross and with responsibility for heading the continued growth of Bookouture's audio publishing.

Bookouture has reported seeing consistent double-digit growth in the audiobook market with a 25% revenue increase year on year in 2019, it said. The Hachette business is now planning an increased focus on audio sales and marketing, as well as commissioning titles and talent specifically for the audio market.

Tross said: "We’ve wanted to expand our audio publishing for some time, and I’m thrilled that Alba will be joining the team in September. She has the perfect background, with a huge understanding of the audio market and audio production process, as well as the insight and creative skills that will grow sales, bring new talent to our list, and create new opportunities for our authors. This will be an exciting new chapter for audio at Bookouture."

Proko said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining the Bookouture team at such a pivotal moment in the audio market. I've long admired their dynamic publishing, and I'm looking forward to bringing their audio list to new heights."

Bookouture has also made two further appointments, taking the total number of staff to 38. Hamzah Hussein joins as publishing executive on 1st September, moving from Little, Brown, where he has been working as a Fresh Chapters trainee for the past nine months. And Saidah Graham will start as contracts and rights executive on 7th September, moving from Bonnier Books UK, where she was rights assistant.