Wayne Brookes joins Oneworld

Wayne Brookes, the former fiction associate publisher at Pan, has joined Oneworld in the newly created role of publishing director of commercial fiction.

Brookes will take responsibility for Point Blank — Oneworld’s crime and thriller imprint — as well as commissioning titles for Oneworld’s upmarket women’s fiction list, Magpie, working alongside publisher Juliet Mabey and editor-at-large Jenny Parrot. He will start on the 4th March, working at its offices in Bloomsbury.

"I am in awe of what Juliet, Novin and their amazing team have achieved over the years they have been in business," Brookes said. "Their entrepreneurial skill has taken Oneworld to dizzying heights, winning multiple literary prizes and becoming Independent Publisher of the Year in 2023."

The newly appointed publishing director added: "It is an honour and a privilege to join such a prestigious team and to be tasked with building the crime and thriller imprint Point Blank, a destination list for the best talent in the genre. I cannot wait to grow the list and support Juliet and Jenny on Magpie. After two very challenging years on a personal level it feels so exciting and invigorating to start a new professional chapter with Oneworld."

Mabey commented: "We are delighted Wayne has accepted our invitation to head the commercial fiction team at Oneworld. He brings a wealth of experience in both crime and commercial fiction, along with old-fashioned editorial expertise and a great commercial eye. This is exactly what we need to steer the development of these two lists, Point Blank and Magpie, and to support our ambitious plans for the future."