New Focus at Penguin Canada

by Nathalie Atkinson -- Publishers Weekly, 3/29/2004

David Davidar, who succeeded Cynthia Good as head of Penguin Canada earlier this year, unveiled a new editorial structure last week that is meant to better focus the company's publishing efforts. Penguin will be concentrating on buying books in literary fiction, crime and mystery, and general nonfiction, with editors Diane Turbide, Barbara Berson, Susan Folkins and Andrea Crozier each focusing on distinct areas.

Davidar said Penguin will publish fewer books—117 titles are scheduled for 2004, reduced to 100 in 2005. "I only want to publish books that are going to make a mark, not just in Canada but around the world. This country has writers who are brilliant, and we intend to use the considerable resources of the Penguin Group to get them published and read internationally," said Davidar.

"We've done a thorough investigation of all areas we're publishing in the last several weeks, we've looked at what I think we can publish well into, and we're just going to focus on those categories," he said. Penguin will continue to publish hardcover titles under the Viking Canada imprint, paperbacks as Penguin Canada and children's books under the Puffin Canada imprint. Penguin Group (Canada) will also continue to separate rights from both the U.K. and the U.S. market to ensure targeted distribution and marketing on international titles.