Shah and Abrams Simpson join Orion art department

Orion has bolstered its art department with the appointment of Amazon Publishing's Nick Shah as creative director and freelance Charlotte Abrams Simpson as art director.

Shah was senior art director at Amazon Publishing and the creative lead in the UK and Europe, helping to launch authors and shape special projects. His work includes “Es War Einmal”, a project to promote inter-generational reading that created and gifted one million books to German readers. Before joining Amazon Publishing, Shah held roles at Penguin Random House and HarperCollins creating covers for high-profile authors including M J Arlidge, Jeremy Clarkson, Conn Iggulden and Tom Clancy.

Reporting to deputy m.d. Sarah Benton, he will head Orion's design team setting a creative vision and strategy for the company. He will also integrate the art team from Laurence King Publishing, “taking their design-led approach and bringing that to the heart of Orion’s business”.

He said: “I have had an incredible journey delivering for readers and authors with the team at Amazon Publishing. It had to be a special opportunity to get me to leave. The chance to work with the exceptionally talented team at Orion Publishing ticked that box. I look forward to joining the team and contributing to their future success.”

Abrams Simpson pictured right will focus on commercial fiction and non-fiction. She has worked across the industry, starting at Penguin Random House and HarperCollins, and has spent the last four years freelancing in and out of houses including Bonnier Books UK, Michael Joseph and Simon & Schuster.

She commented: “I am excited and it feels an honour to be heading back in house and being a part of this new vision for Orion’s talented art department. The team and Orion have contributed hugely to my growth as a designer during my freelance career. I’m looking forward to being a part of the design team and together sharing what more we can bring to the cover design industry.”

Benton said: “Nick has a unique set of skills that are perfect for Orion: consumer focused; highly strategic; an outstanding designer; his vision for the future of design blew us away. Charlotte has an incredible reputation across trade, combining her varied portfolio with her brilliant problem-solving attitude, I’m thrilled we could convince her back in house. I can’t wait for both of them to join us to take our design department to even greater heights.”

Abrams Simpson joins Orion on 14th June, while Shah will join in September.