Ryan to cover Huthwaite as Avon publishing director

Thorne Ryan will join Avon later this year as publishing director to cover Helen Huthwaite’s maternity leave.

Huthwaite will start her leave at the end of October and Ryan will start at Avon on 1st November. Ryan will take over responsibility for both team management and strategic direction, reporting to executive publisher Oliver Malcolm. 

Ryan is moving from her role as editorial director at Head of Zeus imprint Aria, where she led the team responsible for authors such as Faith Hogan, Julie Houston and Andie Newton and oversaw such acquisitions as M H Eccleston’s The Trust and Phyllida Shrimpton’s Every Shade of Happy.

She joined Head of Zeus from Hodder & Stoughton where she worked on commercial women’s fiction, including authors such as Nicola May, Anna Jacobs, Brenda Davies and Claire Heywood.

Ryan said: "Entrepreneurial, brilliantly commercial and driven by a passionate, dedicated team of industry-leading experts, Avon represents everything I love about publishing. I’m therefore over the moon to be joining them, and I am so honoured to be looking after the imprint while Helen is away."

Malcolm added: "In physical, digital and audio formats, both home and internationally, Avon continues to go from strength to strength. Thorne has a reputation for being both commercially astute and hugely motivated by delivering exceptional author care, so I have every confidence she will lead the team with real drive and diligence during this period."