Orion’s Sanah Ahmed promoted to assistant editor

Editorial assistant at Orion Sanah Ahmed has been promoted to assistant editor, a role in which, as well as focusing on Orion’s brand publishing, she will expand her commissioning remit to acquire women’s fiction for Orion Fiction.

Since joining Orion Fiction in May 2021, Ahmed has worked on some of Orion Fiction’s biggest brand authors in women’s fiction and book club including Cathy Bramley, Veronica Henry, Lorraine Kelly, Samuel Burr, Rajasree Variyar and more, the publisher says.

She has already begun to acquire, with her first book for Orion Fiction, The Takedown by Carlie Walker, publishing in October 2023. She is also editor for three authors on the Orion Dash list: Felicity George, Emma Jackson and Laila Rafi.

Rhea Kurien, editorial director, said: “From her first interview to now, Sanah has proved herself to be a proactive self-starter with sharp commercial instincts and a strong entrepreneurial spirit. She is beloved by her authors as a conscientious and passionate editor. We’re so excited to see what Sanah will bring to the list.”

Ahmed said: “I am so thrilled to be stepping up as assistant editor at Orion Fiction. Since joining in 2021, I have worked closely with the incredibly talented and inspiring team on several projects. So I’m delighted to be able to build my own list, starting with my recent acquisitions of The Takedown by Carlie Walker and Witch You Weren’t Here by Emma Jackson. I look forward to what the future will bring in my new role as well as acquiring more brilliant and exciting books.”