Stretch leaves Bonnier Books to launch KSPR

Karen Stretch is leaving Bonnier Books UK to launch KSPR, where she’ll bring her combined PR and journalism skills together to offer publishing houses consultancy and campaign services.

With almost 30 years’ experience in media relations and communication within publishing, journalism and television, 15 of them in senior PR roles at Bonnier Books UK and Penguin Press, Stretch has now set up as an independent publicist and PR consultant.

She was the third member of the team to join Blink Publishing in 2014 as head of PR and was promoted to publicity director of non-fiction in 2016 and then campaigns director across the adult trade division, fiction and non-fiction in 2020. More recently, Stretch led PR strategy and media relations on the newest division, Black & White publishing, comprising five imprints from music to business, both fiction and non-fiction. At the end of 2022, eight titles from the Nine Eight music imprint secured 24 Books of the Year slots.

She said: “I am proud to have played an instrumental part in the growth of Bonnier Books UK in the last decade. I have worked with so many wonderful authors and agents, have multiple Sunday Times bestsellers and awards nominations under my belt and a reputation for great campaigns and author care. 

"The publishing and comms team at Bonnier Books UK are among the most collegiate, supportive, inclusive and fun group of people I have had the pleasure of working with. I am very grateful to Perminder Mann for all the opportunities she has given me. I love books and am excited to be continuing work with Bonnier in my new capacity.”

Mann, c.e.o. of Bonnier Books UK, added: “Karen is an experienced and trusted publicist, she built great relationships with authors and senior stakeholders across the organisation to deliver exceptional campaigns every time. Karen is also extremely strategic, applying her knowledge of the promotional landscape and the readers to inform decisions across the publishing process from acquisition to publication, and enhanced the impact of our campaigns across the division.”

Stretch negotiated a big and complicated serial deal last year for Tom Bower’s Revenge and led campaigns for Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell, Katherine Ryan’s The Audacity, Gary Barlow’s A Better Me, and many others. She has also sensitively handled some real life stories, generated multiple front-page news stories and co-ordinated a major press conference.

Prior to Bonnier Books UK, Stretch spent five years at Penguin Press working with high-profile Allen Lane authors such as Sir Ken Robinson, Robert Skidelsky and Norman Davies on books spanning politics, economics, education and narrative non-fiction.

Francesca Russell, trade publicity director at Bonnier Books UK, added: “As an ex-journalist, there is no one better to handle mad serial negotiations, stay calm in a storm and manage big personalities. Karen’s relationships are second to none and she is a favourite with key agents, journalists, events bookers, broadcasters…she is also completely beloved by her authors for her expertise, sense of fun and sensitivity.”

Andrew Sauerwine, group sales and strategy director at Bonnier Books UK, commented: “Karen is one of the most dedicated, knowledgeable and professional PR directors I have worked with across a career spanning almost 20 years. Down to earth and approachable which makes her loved by authors and in-house teams equally, but also unflappable when inevitable challenges arise, she would add huge value to any publicity team looking to be the best in the business.”