Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group named Richard Brown its senior executive editor for religion, effective April 18. Brown is currently the director of the University of South Carolina Press, and his background includes serving as director of both Georgetown University Press and Westminster John Knox Press.
In the new role, Brown is tasked with reviving R&L’s Sheed & Ward imprint, which focuses on books for Catholic readers, while also forming new partnerships similar to R&L’s agreement with Alban at Duke Divinity (formerly the Alban Institute)—R&L bought Alban’s book publishing program in 2014 and maintains a co-publishing partnership with the faith-based organization. Brown will also work to expand R&L’s offerings in areas including general interest titles, church leadership books, textbooks, and scholarly titles, according to the press.
Commenting on the hire, R&L’s senior v-p and publisher Julie Kirsch cited Brown’s “impressive range of publishing experience and a deep understanding of the field of religion” in a statement. In addition to running three presses, Brown is a former board member of the Association of University Presses and served on the executive committee of the Association of American Publishers/Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division.
"I'm honored to join the Rowman & Littlefield team," Brown said in a statement. "I've long admired the depth and breadth and quality of their publishing program, and I look forward to helping RLPG continue its ascent."
