HarperCollins has announced that Kate Morgan Jackson will be retiring from her role as senior v-p, editor-in-chief, and associate publisher of HarperCollins Children’s Books. Jackson’s last day at the company will be June 29, after which she will turn to working full-time on food writing, photography, and her website, Framed Cooks.
Jackson joined the company as senior editor in 1991; previously she had worked as an acquisitions editor in textbook publishing. She was promoted to editor-in-chief in 1996. During her career at HarperCollins, Jackson helped lead the children’s division in its expansion, and oversaw the integration of Morrow Junior Books into HCCB and the launch of imprints including Katherine Tegen, Balzer + Bray, and HarperTeen. She also played a role in the company’s IP development program.
Jackson led the editorial group that is home to many bestselling titles, including A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Graveyard Book, The One and Only Ivan, Divergent, Before I Fall, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, the Red Queen series, and The Hate U Give. She has worked with and edited acclaimed authors such as Walter Dean Myers, Aliki, Stan and Jan Berenstain, Garth Williams, Jenna Bush Hager and Laura Bush, Ree Drummond, and Emeril Lagasse.
Jackson said in a statement, “Nine years ago, I started Framed Cooks as a bit of a lark in an effort to focus on my photography and writing. It’s been incredibly exciting to take the experience I’ve had working with writers, artists, and editors, and putting that towards my own writing and art. The site has grown in ways I never could have imagined—it is now time for me to give it my full attention, along with my regular columns in the Bergen Record and 201 Magazine, and whatever else lies ahead in this cooking adventure of mine.”
Suzanne Murphy, president and publisher of HarperCollins Children’s Books, said of Jackson in a statement, “Under Kate’s steady editorial guidance, HarperCollins Children’s Books has consistently published outstanding books that have stood the test of time. She has worked with some of the most iconic authors in children’s publishing, and has helped grow the division into the successful organization it is today.”
Following Jackson’s departure, Murphy will oversee the HarperCollins Children’s editorial groups and imprints through a transition period.