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Venetia Butterfield has been promoted to the newly created role of publisher at Penguin General Books.
Previously the publishing director of Penguin Life, Viking and Portfolio, Butterfield has taken up the position with immediate effect.
Butterfield joined Penguin General 14 years ago as publishing director of Viking and “has led the team through a great deal of change and shaped the list into the award-winning, best-selling and profitable ‘Imprint of the Year’ it is today,” Joanna Prior, m.d. of Penguin General, said. “Viking has benefitted from Venetia’s focus and clear strategic vision as she has reshaped the editorial structure, diversified the list, and lured an impressive number of authors from elsewhere to Viking where they have flourished thanks to her publishing acumen.”
Butterfield launched Penguin Life in 2016 alongside her work at Viking. Prior said: “Seeing a clear opportunity in the market, Venetia set up this new list with a well-defined brief to publish authoritative, intelligent self-help and personal development written by experts. In just three years, Penguin Life has become a thriving business and has ambitious plans to continue to grow.”
The list features authors such as Ruby Wax to Dr Rangan Chatterjee, Julia Samuel and Philippa Perry. The third area of Butterfield’s responsibility is the business list, “which has seen steady growth since it began as Portfolio in 2010 and is now flourishing as newly branded Penguin Business”.
Prior added: “Together these three lists comprise over 70% of Penguin General’s revenues and on the back of a stellar 2018 for the division and this year already beginning so strongly, it is a good moment to acknowledge Venetia’s exceptional contribution.”
In addition to the newly created role of publisher at Penguin General, Butterfield will support the publishing of Penguin Ireland titles that have a strong readership outside of Ireland and she will work alongside Prior on strategic growth initiatives.