Tracy Sherrod, v-p and editorial director of Amistad, will leave the HarperCollins imprint after nearly a decade to "pursue a new endeavor," announced Judith Curr, president and publisher of HarperOne, Amistad, and HarperCollins Español, in a letter to staff on April 7. Sherrod's last day is April 11, and a search for a successor has begun, with Curr assuming oversight of the imprint during the transition.
Sherrod was named ED at the imprint in 2013, succeeding Dawn Davis, who left Amistad at the time to head Simon & Schuster's 37 Ink imprint and is now editor-in-chief at Bon Appétit. Previously, Sherrod had held a variety of editorial roles at different publishers, and came to Amistad from Tracy Sherrod Literary Services, which she established in 2002.
At Amistad, Sherrod published such authors as Katrina Adams, Ursula Burns, Dick Gregory, Steve Harvey, Katherine Johnson, Cicely Tyson, and Jacqueline Woodson, among others, and also published books in collaboration with the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Zora Neale Hurston estate.
"With Tracy’s support and vision, Amistad has continued to amplify and advance Black authors, providing readers with opportunities to expand the narrative of the past, present, and future of Black people throughout the diaspora," Curr wrote. "Her commitment and dedication to advancing Black authors and content has elevated and grown the imprint and been a huge asset to our publishing program."
