'Trailblazer' Tatepo to lead Square Peg as publishing director

Vintage has appointed Ebury’s Marianne Tatepo in the newly created role of publishing director for Square Peg, starting in January. 

Tatepo will be responsible for publishing unique non-fiction titles that “educate, empower, and entertain” across narrative and memoir, food and drink, wellbeing and nature, pop culture and activism. She joins the imprint on 24th January 2022. 

She joins Square Peg in the newly created role from Ebury, Penguin Random House, where as commissioning editor her publishing included Michaela Coel’s debut Misfits: A Personal Manifesto, TikTok sensation Burn After Writing by Sharon Jones and neuroscience manual The Instant Mood Fix by Dr Olivia Remes, among others. She has also worked with authors such as Philippa Perry, Dr Rangan Chatterjee and Julia Samuel at Penguin Life, following editorial roles at Fourth Estate and William Collins. 

Tatepo was part of The Bookseller’s 150 most influential list in 2020, is a Bookseller Rising Star 2021, Printing Charity Rising Star Award 2021 winner and the founder of publishing community and mentoring network the Black Agents' & Editors’ Group (BAE).   

In April, she made history as the first guest editor of The Bookseller, curating The Black Issue on behalf of BAE. The issue recently won the Best Content Piece of the Year at the Independent Publisher Awards 2021. In addition to her freelance writing and editing, she has been a reader for organisations such as Spread the Word and the Literary Consultancy, judged the inaugural Morley Prize for Unpublished Writers of Colour 2021 and is a Mslexia Novel Competition 2021 judge. 

“Having admired Vintage for years, I am overjoyed to be joining the division at this exciting time of change and growth,” Tatepo said. “With its unique boutique approach, I’ve always regarded Square Peg as one of the most original non-fiction imprints in the industry, with an eclecticism and verve that reflect my own taste and ambition.

"I greatly look forward to leading it into the future and publishing an array of books that not only speak to our current moment but can also pave the way for a better tomorrow.  I’ve had the best start to a strange decade at Ebury, working with a genuinely creative, forward-thinking, and supportive team. I will sincerely miss my excellent co-workers and authors, although I won’t be far and am pleased to remain part of the wider Penguin Random House family.” 

Hannah Telfer, m.d. at Vintage, said: “Marianne is a trailblazer in publishing: the combination of her wide-ranging interests, entrepreneurial spirit and publishing nous is the perfect catalyst for Square Peg’s future growth. In addition to her Square Peg role, I’m delighted that Marianne will also join the Vintage Leadership Team and play a critical part in shaping and achieving our creative, cultural and commercial ambitions. We can’t wait to welcome her to Vintage."

The announcement follows the news that Mireille Harper, commissioning editor at Square Peg, will join Pan Macmillan’s Bluebird and One Boat imprints as editorial director in January. Recruitment is now ongoing for an assistant editor for Square Peg, reporting to Tatepo.