Snelgrove to lead new Bonnier Books digital-first imprint Embla

Bonnier Books UK has appointed former Thomas & Mercer publisher Jane Snelgrove to lead its new digital-first imprint, Embla Books, which launches this year.

The imprint will focus on publishing commercial genre fiction, "discovering compelling and creative storytelling that will captivate readers".

Snelgrove, who takes up her new role as publishing director for Embla Books on 29th January, previously led Amazon Publishing’s UK crime and thriller imprint, Thomas & Mercer. During her time there she signed and published authors including Teresa Driscoll, who sold over a million copies of her crime debut I Am Watching You, historical mystery writer T E Kinsey, Caroline Mitchell and John Marrs. She set up an editorial business in 2019 and has since worked with authors such as Boris Starling, Cesca Major and Jennifer Chase. Before she worked in publishing, Snelgrove was head of content for Amazon Music.

Emilie Marneur, who recently joined as digital and business development director at Bonnier Books UK after 15 years with Amazon, said: "Jane is a seasoned editor, with great strategic thinking and commercial nous, and an incredible eye for spotting talent. She was instrumental in shaping the Thomas & Mercer UK list. She has demonstrated exceptional editorial and publishing vision time and time again, has a knack for discovering amazing writers and working with them to create long-term bestsellers. She was such an asset to the Amazon Publishing team and I am thrilled to be working with her again in this new role."

Snelgrove said: "I am beyond delighted at the chance to launch a digital-first imprint at Bonnier Books UK - the opportunity I feel I have been working towards since my years at Amazon Publishing, and in my editorial business. I have high hopes for the imprint, which I am confident will become a home for top authors in commercial genre fiction, both well established and new voices. This is an exciting move by the Bonnier Books group, and I am thrilled to be joining their talented team and to be working with Emilie Marneur again - a true trailblazer in book publishing."

The name for Bonnier Books UK's new imprint comes from one of the first humans in Norse mythology, Embla, who was crafted by the gods from a tree trunk.

Further details about the new imprint have yet to be revealed, but Marneur said that the mission of Embla books is "to bring together editorial excellence and commercial expertise to drive long-term sales and revenues for our authors". She added: "We’ll work with the agility, precision, and speed that are intrinsic to digital publishing; and will bring integrity and long-term thinking, which we associate with our Scandinavian heritage, to deliver exceptional publishing experiences for our authors."