Reagan Arthur’s new imprint at Grand Central Publishing has formally launched, announcing its name, Cardinal, and its inaugural list of 10 titles publishing through winter 2027. The boutique imprint was established last July following the former Little, Brown publisher’s return to the Hachette Book Group after a three-year stint as publisher of Knopf.
The imprint aims to publish six titles a year, starting with The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey this fall. Other forthcoming titles include Rebecca Armitage’s The Heir Apparent and Patricia Finn’s The Golden Boy, set for winter 2026; Jess Gibson’s Good Eye, Elisa Faison’s Skin Contact, and Justin Halpern’s Get Lost, in summer 2026; Ian Rankin’s The Rise, coming fall 2026; and Marya Hornbacher’s Solo, C.J. Green’s Record Lows, and Alex Mar’s Fortune, slated for winter 2027.
Cardinal’s mission, per Hachette, is to “publish books that entertain and enlighten, across genres and across borders,” in both fiction and nonfiction, prizing “excellent writing and brilliant storytelling.” Joining Arthur at the imprint is editorial assistant Emily Chen, and the duo will work closely with Grand Central’s marketing and publicity teams on their titles.
“It's been really fun to start something new, to have the support of all my Hachette colleagues, and to think about kind of what the list will look like, and who's going to be on it, and how we're going to publish them,” Arthur told PW. “I've spent the last more than 10 years as a publisher, and that was an amazing role. But now I'm kind of back to my roots.”
Arthur said that the name for the imprint came to her after she became “very fond of cardinals” during the pandemic. “I loved their cheerful red presence in an often bleak time,” she explained, adding that the bird is often seen as symbolic, “according to various belief systems, [of] good luck, love, hope, and renewal.” The word can also be used to describe something “‘of great importance,’ which is how I regard the books and writers we’ll publish," she said.
In a statement, HBG and Hachette UK CEO David Shelley said the he “couldn’t be more excited" about Cardinal, and that he’s “really enjoying reading my way through the launch list.” He added: “Reagan is an exceptional talent-spotter and tastemaker and I know that Cardinal books will entertain and enlighten millions of readers in the years to come.”
