After last week’s staff announcements at HarperCollins Canada and Simon & Schuster Canada, it’s Penguin Random House Canada’s turn for a major staff restructuring. Monday, the publisher announced that Lynn Henry, who has been with Doubleday Canada since 2010, will take on the newly created role of publishing director of Knopf Canada, now reporting to PRH Canada publisher Anne Collins.
“Lynn will work closely with Anne to further shape the Knopf Canada list, building upon its incredible legacy,” said Kristin Cochrane, president and publisher of Penguin Random House, in a statement. “Lynn is known, both internationally and in Canada, for her keen eye in spotting debut talent as well as her strong reputation for her editorial work with established writers, and I have every confidence that these gifts will be of great benefit to her work with Knopf Canada.”
At Doubleday Canada, Amy Black will take on the role of associate publisher, reporting to Cochrane. Cochrane said that Black will work closely with her as a partner running Doubleday Canada, “building upon the critical and commercial success we have achieved and further shaping the list going forward.”
Martha Kanya-Forstner, who resigned as editor-in-chief of Doubleday Canada in 2010 after 12 years with the company, will return to that same role. Kanya-Forstner, who remained involved on a freelance basis while she was away, has worked with authors such as Anthony De Sa, Camilla Gibb, and Vincent Lam.
Also announced yesterday, Tara Walker, who has been with children's imprint Tundra Books since 2011, has been named editorial director of newly combined Tundra and Doubleday Canada Young Readers. Walker was the acquiring editor of Mélanie Watt’s bestselling Scaredy Squirrel series when she worked at Kids Can Press. As a result of the restructuring, Tundra Books publisher Alison Morgan and Knopf Random Canada Publishing Group senior editor Paul Taunton will be leaving the company.
In a separate statement, PRH Canada president and CEO Brad Martin announced the creation of the Penguin Random House Canada Children’s Literature Board, chaired by Penguin Canada president and publisher Nicole Winstanley. Joining her on the board will be Martin, Walker, Black, Cochrane, and Penguin Canada Young Readers publishing director Lynne Missen.
“This Board will shape and direct the future for children’s publishing at Penguin Random House Canada,” wrote Martin. “It will look across the Puffin Canada, Razorbill, Tundra and Doubleday Canada Young Readers imprints to further shape these lists, while maintaining and building upon the strong editorial identities and long traditions of each imprint to publish award-winning and best-selling books.”
