Promotions for Parkin, Harris and Horobin at Bonnier Books UK

Bonnier Books UK has made three new executive promotions, including that of Kate Parkin (pictured), previously executive director of Adult Fiction at Bonnier Zaffre, who been promoted to managing director of Adult Trade - a new role in which she will take on responsibility for the company’s adult trade publishing across eight imprints.

The other promotions will see Jane Harris (right) lead the company’s children’s trade publishing as managing director of Children’s Trade and James Horobin oversee UK and international sales, marketing and publicity of the company’s trade titles, across adult and children’s, as group sales, marketing and publicity director of Trade, Bonnier Books UK.

In her new role, Parkin will oversee all Bonnier Books UK's adult imprints, comprising Zaffre, Twenty7, Blink, John Blake, 535, Lagom, Manilla and Echo, and direct the company’s adult trade publishing strategy, building author brands in fiction and non-fiction and seeking new ways to find readers. Her promotion follows the departures of both Mark Smith, Zaffre's chief executive, and Ben Dunn, Kings Road Publishing m.d., in July; acccording to Bonnier Books UK, the company will no longer be looking for a replacement for either.

Parkin has worked in publishing for 25 years, including as m.d. of the Cornerstone Division at Random House and then fiction publisher at Hodder & Stoughton, during the course of which career she has worked with authors such as Michael Caine, Sebastian Faulks, Robert Harris, Kathy Reichs, Karin Slaughter, Katie Fforde and John Grisham. At Bonnier Books UK, her authors have included Lynda La Plante, Lisa Hilton, Wilbur Smith, and Heather Morris, author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Parkin said: "It has been a huge privilege to be part of the Bonnier Zaffre team over the last few years. I’m extremely proud of Zaffre, the adult fiction imprint we have built from scratch, and excited by the opportunity to work more closely with the teams at Blink, John Blake, Lagom and 535. I am looking forward to this next phase of our development as a trade publisher very much."

Harris, who was previously executive director for Children’s Fiction at Bonnier Zaffre, will now lead the children’s editorial teams across six imprints (Hot Key Books, Studio Press, 20 Watt, Big Picture Press, Templar and Piccadilly), curating and delivering the company’s children’s publishing strategy, to deliver profit and bestsellers.

She too has worked in publishing for over 25 years and has experience working across both adult and children’s publishing programmes, including Unwin Hyman Publishers, HarperCollins Publishers, Walker Books and Quercus where she held board positions. Writers and illustrators she has worked with include Michael Morpurgo, Anthony Horowitz and Chris Riddell, as well as the Tolkien and CS Lewis Estates.

Harris said: “This is such an exciting opportunity to bring a cohesive and comprehensive new strategy for all the children’s imprints within Bonnier Books UK to the marketplace. I cannot wait to work with the creative teams to enhance our combined author and illustrator publishing programmes for the future. Authors and illustrators are at the heart of our business and our mantra of 'every book matters' will be at the centre of everything we do.”

Horobin (below), currently executive director for sales, marketing and publicity at Bonnier Zaffre, and now group sales, marketing and publicity director of Trade for all Bonnier Books UK, takes on responsibility for building the company’s fiction and non-fiction brands and leading the retailer and consumer strategy across global markets.

Horobin has previously held senior positions at Simon & Schuster UK and Headline, and has worked with author brands including Lynda La Plante, James Patterson, Martina Cole, Philippa Gregory, Victoria Hislop, Santa Montefiore, Hillary Clinton, Bear Grylls and Dork Diaries.

He said: “It's been such an exciting three years building the Zaffre fiction lists and now I’m thrilled at the prospect of working with the Kings Road teams on the adult non fiction and illustrated children's imprints.”

Parkin, Harris and Horobin will all report directly into Perminder Mann, c.e.o. Bonnier Books UK, who commented: “With 15 Sunday Times bestsellers this year so far, our trade publishing is going from strength to strength and I’m confident that it will continue to thrive and evolve under the proven and dedicated leadership of Kate, Jane and James. Over the last three years, they have successfully built our fiction division from the ground up and are widely known and respected within the industry. I’m looking forward to working with them to transform Bonnier Books UK into a fully-fledged publisher.”

Paul Gregory, c.e.o., Igloo Books Group will continue to lead the company’s mass-market publishing, based in Northampton.