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Hachette UK will open a new office in Manchester early next year, with Hachette Children’s Group leading the way.
Emma Layfield, currently group picture book publisher, will be based there in a new developmental role scouting for regional talent for the group’s picture book list.
Layfield will begin in her new role as picture book development director, North, on 2nd January. Initially working from home until the new office space is ready, she will be responsible for networking and building relationships in the North of England and Scotland, with a remit to acquire even more northern and Scottish talent for the HCG list.
The new northern office will be opening in Manchester in February 2020, where Layfield will be based, and the company has said it has future plans for additional Hachette UK staff to be based there. The company did not disclose which divisions or functions of the company would follow or when.
Layfield said she looked forward to bringing more talent from the north of England and Scotland to HCG and was "really excited to be working in Hachette UK’s first northern office", building on two decades' experience of publishing at Hachette in London.
The London-based role of picture book publisher will be replaced. Layfield and the London picture book team will report to the new picture book publisher.
HCG c.e.o. Hilary Murray Hill said: "Emma is a great publisher and I am excited by the opportunity to enhance our successful picture book business. Emma has wide experience and has demonstrated that she can spot talented authors and illustrators. This new role will bring her creativity and ambition to the North of England and Scotland, giving us even greater focus on acquiring talent from the broadest possible creative sources. Over the past 20 years, Emma has been instrumental in developing our picture book business, stepping into the group picture book publisher role for HCG in 2018 and we are looking forward to seeing what new talent she can bring to our industry-leading picture book list."
The news follows confirmation from Hachette UK at the end of last year that it was "actively looking" to open more offices outside of London, and the Manchester office will be the first of a number of new regional offices to open under the publisher, with Shelley calling this "a significant priority for us".
The locations of other new offices to open outside of London have not yet been decided on but staff within HUK's diversity and inclusion network, Changing the Story, have been consulted for their views. Already Hachette UK has an education company in Banbury and Hodder Gibson in Scotland.
David Shelley, Hachette UK, c.e.o. said: “Hachette UK is committed to expanding its regional publishing activity and helping to discover new voices and new audiences around the country. So, I’m thrilled Hachette Children’s Group is developing its picture book list from the North of England. HUK already has several bases outside London, and both growing these and establishing new publishing centres in other areas of the country is a significant priority for us. I wish Emma and the team at HCG a huge amount of success in this new business initiative and in launching Hachette UK’s first office in the North of England."