Pegg named publisher as HarperNorth announces promotions and new hires

HarperNorth has announced three promotions, with Genevieve Pegg, Megan Jones and Alice Murphy-Pyle all stepping up.

The Manchester-based imprint has also announced two new hires, with a third to follow later in the year.

Pegg, who was named on The Bookseller 150 Most Influential list in 2022, steps up from publishing director to publisher of HarperNorth, while former editorial assistant Jones is promoted to assistant editor, and Murphy-Pyle, previously head of marketing, expands her role to cover publicity, becoming head of marketing and publicity.

In her new role, Jones will continue to acquire alongside commissioning editor Daisy Watt and Pegg, having already acquired titles from S L MacManus and Emily Merrill.

Pegg said of her promotion: “It’s an immense privilege to work with such a dedicated and passionate team who put their all into acquiring, publishing and promoting the most incredible array of wonderful authors, and I’m very happy to see that hard work recognised as we go into our busiest year of publishing yet.”

Ben McConnell, who joined as commissioning editor to cover a period of shared parental leave, is extending his stay along with the return of non-fiction senior commissioning editor, Jonathan de Peyer. On the marketing and publicity team, Taslima Khatun has joined as publicity and marketing assistant. Recruitment is also underway for a publicity manager who will join the team by the end of the year.

Sarah Emsley, recently arrived from Headline to become managing director and publisher for HarperNonFiction and HarperNorth, said: “I have been hugely impressed by the energy, creativity and sheer hard graft displayed by the entire HarperNorth team. It’s a pleasure to work alongside them and I am delighted to see Alice and Meg step up as we promote Gen, who runs the division with vision and an impressive knowledge of her business, to publisher of HarperNorth.”