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Helena Sutcliffe has joined New River Books as editorial director, leaving her role as senior commissioning editor at Octopus.
In her new role, Sutcliffe will work with the team to commission accessible health, popular science and self-development books. Sutcliffe started her career at Short Books, which was founded by ex-journalists Rebecca Nicolson and Aurea Carpenter in 2001, before being sold to Hachette in 2019. The pair went on to found New River Books in 2022, which now boasts a six-strong team.
In the five years that Sutcliffe worked at Hachette, she edited books by Dr Michael Mosley and Dr Clare Bailey (4 Weeks to Better Sleep and The Fast 800 Treats Recipe Book, respectively) and acquired titles by Ben Carpenter, Emma Porter and Dr Federica Amati.
Carpenter said of Sutcliffe’s appointment: “Helena is a hugely talented editor. She has a natural connection with authors and a brilliant eye and ability to identify that magic ingredient that will make the difference. She did a fabulous job of growing the Short Books list at Hachette and we are very excited to have her back working for us in her new role.”
Sutcliffe added: “The New River team has a kind of alchemy with books – they can spot a trend or an author and know just how to help them on the best path to success, creating titles that are conversation-starting and long-lasting. Nimble, ambitious and endlessly creative, New River embodies all the best things about independent publishing...I am delighted to be joining them and cannot wait to be a part of their growth.”