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| Judy Clain (photo: Nina Subin) | |
Judy Clain is leaving her position as editor-in-chief of Little, Brown, and moving to Simon & Schuster. She will be senior v-p and publisher of Summit Books, which she will be in charge of reviving and refocusing, and will "take on a leadership role" in S&S's international publishing operations. She joins S&S January 16.
From 1976 to 1991, Summit Books published what S&S called "an extraordinary list of authors of international stature such as Elie Wiesel, Marilyn French, James Baldwin, and Oliver Sacks, and the new Summit will build on that legacy for a 21st century audience."
Clain began her career in the rights department at Farrar, Straus and Giroux and then spent a decade in the movie business, first as an agent at Triad Artists, selling film rights of books, and then as a production executive at Sony/Mandalay Entertainment. In 1998, she joined Little, Brown as executive editor and became editor-in-chief in 2011.
Among titles she has edited and published are Room by Emma Donoghue, I Am Malala by Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, Homeland Elegies by Pulitzer Prize winner Ayad Akhtar, Going There by Katie Couric, Julie and Julia by Julie Powell, Chaos by Tom O'Neill, When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin, and Left on Tenth by Delia Ephron.
S&S president and CEO Jonathan Karp called Clain "one of the most highly esteemed and successful editorial leaders at work today. Having worked alongside Judy in the past, I know what a great colleague she is and how much we will benefit from her perspective, experience, spirit, and creativity. Summit Books has a distinguished history, and there is no better person than Judy to lead this revival of such a storied publishing brand. I look forward to working directly with Judy on this exciting relaunch."
Clain said, "I am thrilled to be joining Simon & Schuster as publisher of Summit Books. I've long admired Jon Karp as he has led Simon & Schuster to spectacular success.
"It's very exciting to start a new chapter of my career with the reinvention of the Summit Books imprint. I love the ambition and spirit it promised. Its illustrious literary history embodies a diversity and broadminded thinking that aligns with the books I'd like to publish in the future. The new Summit has limitless potential to publish bold and international fiction and nonfiction. I hope to build a platform that will give readers an expansive view of the world.
"I will cherish my 25 years at Little, Brown and the many close relationships I've enjoyed with beloved colleagues and authors. I will be forever grateful to Michael Pietsch, Hachette and the entire Little, Brown team."
Little, Brown senior v-p and publisher Bruce Nichols called Clain's tenure at the company "extraordinary," adding, "We will miss Judy's warmth, vitality, and brilliance enormously, and we wish her enormous success in this new endeavor."