Editor, author, and literary translator Lawrence Schimel will take on the role of senior editor at NorthSouth Books, the U.S. division of Swiss picture book publisher NordSüd Verlag, effective March 1. Schimel’s focus will be on developing the company’s Spanish-language publishing efforts. In addition to overseeing NorthSouth’s current list of Spanish titles, he will also shepherd a select roster of Spanish originals by Latin American authors and illustrators, along with translations.
NorthSouth associate publisher Andrew Rushton said in a statement, “Expanding our Spanish-language program has long been a goal, but it hasn’t made sense to do so without having the deep knowledge and understanding that only somebody like Lawrence can bring. Meeting the challenges of international publishing and reaching children in a variety of languages is in our DNA, but this only works if we have people on board who understand the subtleties and nuances of each individual market. This is a very exciting step for NorthSouth.”
Schimel said, “I'm thrilled to further develop our ongoing collaboration by joining the NorthSouth Books team, as the company makes this strong commitment to Spanish-language publishing in the U.S. I look forward to helping augment and strengthen their existing programs and making sure the best of their original titles in English and German also find Spanish readers, in addition to finding and nurturing incredible new projects and voices from across the Spanish-speaking Americas.”
