Richard Scrivener has left Scholastic U.K., where he had been children's publisher since 2000. He was made redundant following the recent announcement of a restructuring of the company, which is now being directed by Kate Wilson, who was named group managing director in September, after 10 years as managing director of Macmillan Children's Books.
Scrivener's departure comes after the announcement last month of the launch of two eponymous imprints, Marion Lloyd Books and Alison Green Books. Lloyd and Green are previous colleagues of Wilson's at Macmillan, where Lloyd has been associate publisher closely associated with the fiction successes of Peter Dickinson, Georgia Byng, Eva Ibbotson and Elizabeth Laird. Green, who was also associate publisher at Macmillan, working with the award-winning author/illustrator team of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, will develop Scholastic's picture book and novelty lists.
Alyx Price has been appointed group PR director, a new role that will project the entire Scholastic brand. Wilson is planning for further expansion in the New Year with the appointment of four new senior posts, including publishing directors for both fiction and nonfiction. "I'm increasing the strength and focus of the lists," Wilson said. "I think that Scholastic has tended to punch a little below its weight in the U.K., and, given the great editorial talent here and the terrific authors including Philip Reeve, Eleanor Updale and Terry Deary, there's much to build on."
