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A number of key promotions and new appointments have been made in the editorial team at Simon & Schuster Children’s Books.
In fiction, Lucy Pearse has been promoted to fiction publisher. Since joining S&S as editorial director in 2020, she has steered Ben Miller’s growth, edited Emma Carroll and Lauren Child’s landmark collaboration The Little Match Girl Strikes Back and brought several major acquisitions to the list including Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis. In her new role, reporting to publishing director Ali Dougal, she will take overall responsibility for the strategic development of the children’s fiction and YA lists, as well as managing the fiction editorial team and publishing her own list of authors.
Following the departure of Lowri Ribbons for Puffin, Pearse has appointed Arub Ahmed as fiction editor. She has joined S&S from Scholastic.
In picture books, Polly Whybrow is promoted to picture books editorial director. As senior commissioning editor, her growing list of bestsellers includes The Dragon with the Blazing Bottom by Beach. In her new role, she will look for opportunities to grow S&S picture books’ UK Total Consumer Market performance with commercial series, characters and seasonal and occasion publishing, as well as taking on new management responsibilities within the team. She will continue to report to picture book publisher Helen Mackenzie Smith. To support the growth of the list, an editor for colour publishing is also being recruited.
Manging director Rachel Denwood said: “At S&S Children’s Books we are committed to publishing the highest quality commercial picture books and fiction and our stellar editorial team is at the heart of our endeavours, building a stunning and successful list that consistently hits the mark for readers. We are so thrilled about these promotions; they are richly deserved.
“Lucy Pearse is an exceptional editor, an insightful and strategic publisher and a powerful champion of our authors: we are excited to see what she will achieve with greater responsibility and a wider remit. Polly Whybrow will excel as our picture books editorial director. Her strong commercial instincts, infectious enthusiasm and passion for picture books, and total dedication to empowering and entertaining readers are a winning combination. We’re so excited to see her continue to grow this core area of our publishing.”
Pearse said: “The energy, creativity and ambition of the whole S&S children’s team is astounding, and I am very lucky to be a part of it. I am thrilled to be leading the fiction editorial team in our mission to make and publish the highest quality books to get kids hooked on reading. We’re immensely proud of all of our exceptional S&S authors and illustrators, and I look forward to growing our wonderful list alongside such brilliant colleagues.”
Whybrow added: “I am absolutely delighted to be taking on this new role. It is a pleasure and privilege to be part of an incredibly talented team who are consistently firing on all cylinders to deliver bestselling and ubiquitously child-friendly picture books which become repeat reads and family favourites. There are even more exciting times ahead.”
All appointments are effective immediately.