The Bookseller.com

28th August 2008

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Harper rebrands Collins

01.07.08 Graeme Neill

HarperCollins has rebranded its Collins Reference division, and intends to give it a greater focus on popular non-fiction titles. The division will now be known as Collins, and acting m.d. Katie Fulford has been appointed as its permanent head.

The rebranded division will focus more on popular non-fiction, with the expectation that future titles will be similar to recent acquisitions such as Virgin Radio DJ Christian O'Connell's The Trouble With Men and Neil Morrissey's Morrissey's Perfect Pint. However, the publisher stressed that it would continue its remit of publishing natural history, DIY, Bibles and house and home titles.

Fulford had been acting m.d. of the division since December after Sarah Bailey left the company. She will continue to report to Victoria Barnsley, c.e.o. and publisher of HarperCollins UK and international.

Barnsley said she was "absolutely delighted" at appointing Fulford. "She's already made a fantastic contribution to the division and is just the right person to lead this new direction," she said. "The new focus for Collins allows us to build even further on its reputation, and to imbue the imprint with more personality and character to ensure it really stands out in the highly competitive digital future."

During Fulford's 14 years at HarperCollins, she has worked in a variety of positions including group rights director, acting managing director of children's and special projects editor. "It's an exciting time for this content-driven business with a strong digital focus and new personality-led imperative," she said.

Further changes at Collins will see Collins Geo, Collins Reference's cartography wing, become a division in its own right, with Sheena Barclay heading the imprint as managing director. Barclay will report directly to Barnsley.

Barnsley said that increasingly different business demands to Collins Reference were behind the decision to make Geo its own division. "There's some really exciting, innovative work going on in the team, especially in the digital arena, and this move will allow Geo to play to its strengths," she said.

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