Dan Halpern, who has run the Ecco imprint at HarperCollins for almost 50 years, is stepping away from daily oversight of the imprint and transitioning from the role of president and publisher to editor-at-large. The imprint, which Halpern founded in 1971 and sold to HarperCollins in 1999, will be preserved, but will also "more closely integrated" with the overall Harper Group and general operations, HC said.
Helen Atsma, Ecco v-p and editorial director, will continue to oversee editorial acquisitions, but will now report to Jonathan Burnham, senior v-p and publisher of the Harper general books division. Ecco's existing staff will also report to various members of Burnham's team.
In a memo announcing the change, Burnham praised Halpern's leadership and noted the imprint has been known for literary excellence and integrity, including "publishing a wide range of distinguished authors of both fiction and non-fiction." Ecco’s list includes Joyce Carol Oates, Amy Tan, the late Anthony Bourdain, Russell Banks, Rumaan Alam, Richard Ford, Dennis Lehane, Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, Imani Perry, and Charles Bukowski.
Burnham added, "I am delighted that Dan will continue to work with some of the authors who have formed the backbone of
the imprint for many years. I welcome the chance to work with Helen and the team to build on Ecco’s strengths and preserve its identity as an imprint with a particular voice in the publishing world."
