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| Sarah MacLachlan | |
Sarah MacLachlan, president and publisher of House of Anansi Press, will leave the company at the end of June after 16 years at the helm. She joined the Canadian publisher as president in 2003, not long after Scott Griffin bought House of Anansi out of the General Publishing bankruptcy.
"Sarah has done an outstanding job as president and publisher of Anansi over many years and we are most grateful to her," Griffin said. "I am confident that the newly expanded team who are replacing her will take Anansi and Groundwood into the next phase of literary excellence."
"When I arrived at Anansi we had five employees and three titles on the coming forward list," MacLachlan recalled. "With the exception of our tremendous backlist we were to all intents and purposes a start-up."
Since then the company has grown significantly, acquiring Groundwood Books in 2005. MacLachlan became president of both companies, and in 2010 was appointed publisher of the Anansi list. Currently Anansi and Groundwood publish between 80 and 90 new titles per year, with an office of 37 employees. "I am so proud of what we've been able to achieve here at Anansi and Groundwood," said MacLachlan, "Over the years I have had the privilege of working with the most talented creators and the best people in the business. I have been truly blessed in my career, and I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this exceptional publishing house."
Groundwood publisher Semareh Al-Hillal will become president of Anansi and Groundwood. Bruce Walsh, who was most recently at University of Regina Press, will be publisher of Anansi and Karen Li, currently editorial director at Owlkids Books, will be publisher of Groundwood. Start dates for their new positions will be staggered over the next three months.