Bloomsbury Children's Books is opening an office in New York City to capitalize on its publishing success in both the U.K. and the U.S. The new list, run by a staff of three, will begin publishing in 2002.
Headed by Sarah Odedina, editorial director of Bloomsbury Children's Books in the U.K., it will initially publish hardcovers and license paperback rights. The new list will take almost all of the titles published by Bloomsbury in the U.K. as well as adding some U.S. authors, who will then be published by Bloomsbury in the U.K.; the company plans to publish about 40 books per year in the U.S. Bloomsbury will hire an editorial director and marketing staff to run the U.S. office, and sales and distribution will be handled by St. Martin's Press, as the Bloomsbury USA adult line is.
This does not include the forthcoming Harry Potter title, for which Bloomsbury has U.K. and worldwide English-language rights, excluding the U.S. Rowling's agent, Christopher Little, will continue to handle U.S. rights for future titles.
Bloomsbury launched its adult list in the U.S. three years ago and has hit bestseller lists with such titles as Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. Bloomsbury Children's Books in the U.S. will work more closely with the U.K. division than its adult counterpart.
