You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Hodder & Stoughton's former deputy m.d. Lisa Highton will launch a new imprint, Two Roads, in January 2011. Two Roads will focus on "stories from the heart about extraordinary lives". Highton will publish between 10 and 12 fiction and non-fiction books per year.
Among the books already acquired are a new novel, Ape House, by Sara Gruen, whose bestselling Water for Elephants is being primed for a movie adaptation; The Vet, "stories of a very 21st century vet" by Luke Gamble; Farangi Girl by Ashley Dartnell, a memoir of growing up Western in Tehran under the Shah; and Signs of Life by Natalie Taylor, described as a "luminous story of love and loss". Other books include The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe and The Puppy Diaries by New York Times editor Jill Abramson.
Highton said: "Two Roads will be the home of fabulous storytelling; stories from the heart about extraordinary lives, told in strong voices about lives lived. I intend to provide a bespoke service for each book, recognising its individuality and ensuring that every book on the list is brought to the attention of as many readers as possible through thoughtful, innovative and handcrafted campaigns.
"Two Roads books come from everywhere. They could be books which are too often overlooked in modern publishing, yet with the luxury of attention could be nurtured and published with originality and flair to become the iconic books of their time. They could be curious or quirky, or be bestsellers in other countries or in other languages which require particular focus and personal attention to find their audience."
The imprint's website, http://www.tworoadsbooks.com" target="_blank" title="www.tworoadsbooks.com">www.tworoadsbooks.com">www.tworoadsbooks.com, will feature blogs and news about forthcoming books and authors. Highton will continue to publish her existing authors at Hodder.
Highton worked in Australian publishing for many years before returning to the UK to her current role at Hodder & Stoughton, and has published bestsellers including Tuesdays with Morrie, Reading Lolita in Tehran and The Color of Water.
Jamie Hodder-Williams, chief executive of Hodder & Stoughton and Headline, said: "Lisa Highton is a publisher whose huge talent for spotting the original, the unusual and the best story-telling is well recognised in international publishing circles. Two Roads will give us the opportunity to showcase this talent. It will be an outstanding independent list with a flexible and entrepreneurial spirit, backed by the resources of Hodder and Hachette."