Spanton joins Elliott & Thompson

Elliott & Thompson has appointed former Unbound editor Simon Spanton as editor-at-large.

Spanton will be commissioning and developing narrative non-fiction for the E&T list, working from both Edinburgh and London.

Spanton said: “I’ve long loved reading narrative non-fiction in all areas, particularly enjoying the exciting resurgence of writing about landscape, the natural world and how we live in it. This new chance to publish further in these areas is so exciting: I can't wait to be a part of the close-knit, passionate and hugely effective team at Elliott & Thompson.”

After 25 years working in London as a commissioning editor for Macmillan and the Orion Publishing Group, latterly as associate publisher for the Gollancz imprint, Spanton moved to Edinburgh at the beginning of 2017, working from the city on a list of both fiction and non-fiction titles for London-based crowdfunding publisher Unbound. Spanton was recently made redundant from Unbound along with three other editors following a "strategic reorganisation".

Elliott & Thompson publisher Jennie Condell said: “Simon is one of the very best and most respected editors around. We have been so impressed by his recent ventures into narrative non-fiction and nature writing that we simply jumped at the chance to work with him. This is an exciting time for Elliott & Thompson, a rapidly growing indie publisher, as we look to expand our programme. Simon will bring his fine editorial taste and commercial acumen to enhance our thriving list in ways that we’re thrilled about. We can’t wait to welcome him to the team.”

Elliott & Thompson is a growing independent publisher with a non-fiction list including Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps that Tell You Everything You Need to Know about Global Politics by Tim Marshall, Travellers in the Third Reich: The Rise of Fascism through the Eyes of Everyday People by Julia Boyd, and John Suchet’s Mozart: The Man Revealed.