Ollie Martin to join Transworld as senior publicity manager covering parental leave

Ollie Martin will join Transworld’s publicity team at the end of November on a fixed-term contract as senior publicity manager, reporting to deputy publicity director Becky Short, to cover Chloë Rose’s parental leave.

Ollie has worked as a Waterstones bookseller and events manager, planning events for literary heavyweights, including Sally Rooney, Stacey Halls and Matt Haig. He joined Hodder & Stoughton in 2021, working across campaigns including the Publishers’ Publicity Circle-shortlisted début Maame by Jessica George and Bryan Moriarty’s Sounds Like Fun, for which he won an annual Publishers’ Publicity Circle Award.

Since June 2023, Martin has been publicity manager at Headline, working across a range of titles including Ashley Elston’s First Lie Wins, Matt Coyne’s debut novel Frank & Red and the DallerGut Dream Department Store novels by Miye Lee, translated by Sandy Joosun Lee.

Alongside his roles in publicity, he has also led the Hachette Pride Network as co-chair, introducing new initiatives and partnerships, including bookshop events with Waterstones Piccadilly and Manchester’s Queer Lit, internal events with Durex and the Terrence Higgins Trust, and industry-wide socials for queer publishing professionals.

"Ollie is a much-admired publicist with a stellar track-record of creative, ambitious and sales-driving campaigns," said Short. "I’ve been watching his campaigns from afar for a while and have always been so impressed with his strategic vision for his books and authors. His energy and insight will be a fantastic addition to the team here and we are thrilled he will be joining us at Transworld.”

Martin added: “I’m so grateful to my colleagues at Hachette for the past three-and-a-half years and everything I’ve learned there. I first met the Transworld team as a bookseller and I’ve longed to work with them ever since. Their team is a creative powerhouse producing high-performing, ambitious campaigns across one of the best lists in the industry. I can’t wait to get started.”