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Kate Manning has joined award-winning independent children's publisher Magic Cat as publicity and marketing director.
Formerly the children’s sales, marketing and publicity director at Bonnier Books UK, Manning has also worked at HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Pan Macmillan and Random House during her 24 years in the children’s book trade.
She said: “It’s so exciting to be a part of Magic Cat’s journey from this early on. The atmosphere in the office is unparalleled, and we all feel the books are too.”
Manning joins on the second anniversary of Magic Cat, a company set up by publishers Jenny Broom and Rachel Williams. The pair launched their list 18 months ago during the first lockdown and have published books in 30 languages. The press most recently won the IPG Nick Robinson Newcomer Award and was highly commended in the Small Press of the Year category at the British Book Awards 2021.
Williams said: “Kate is one of the best in the business — we are so pleased she’s joined to help us build our digital and trade presence. I couldn’t think of anyone better to take us into our next phase.”
The team has been expanding rapidly in their east London office, growing from three to 16 staff members. Manning follows hot on the heels of other recruits including former Laurence King operations director Maria Treacy-Lord and sales director Adrian Greenwood.
“To build a team of this quality and experience in such a short timeframe is one of our greatest achievements and we have some more fantastic hires in the pipeline,” added Broom.