New London-based independent press Akoya has appointed Kate Harvey as publishing director, ahead of its October launch.

Harvey will commission literary fiction and non-fiction in English and translation and develop Akoya’s publishing strategy, completing the editorial team of Camilla Hagen, founder and publisher, managing editor Hannah Boursnell, and assistant editors Charlotte Grønbech and Elle Woodfield.

Harvey brings 20 years of experience in international publishing to the role, having worked at AP Watt, Picador and Vintage, where as deputy publishing director for Harvill Secker she also oversaw the imprint’s translation list.

She has published numerous prize-winning and internationally bestselling authors including Tommy Orange, Sunjeev Sahota, Edward St Aubyn, Rachel Yoder, Karl Ove Knausgård, Elaine Feeney and JM Coetzee.

She said: “I’m happy and honoured to join the talented team at Akoya, whose clarity of purpose and sense of fun make every day and every book feel full of possibility. We’re publishing visionary writers and translators with ambition and beautiful design. This is a special opportunity to be a part of something new and truly independent-minded and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”

Hagen, founder and publisher, said: “Kate’s arrival as publishing director marks the exciting next chapter for Akoya. Her remarkable record of championing exceptional authors, combined with her editorial insight and deep understanding of the international literary landscape, makes her an extraordinary addition to our team. We are thrilled to embark on this next chapter together and grow Akoya into a true home for outstanding literature.”

Akoya will launch in October with Bolivian writer Liliana Colanzi and her award-winning short-story collection You Glow in the Dark. This will be followed by best-selling Spanish writer Marta Sanz’s first translation into English of My Clavicle: And Other Massive Misalignments in November.

Article as appears written in The Bookseller on 22/09/2025

Written by Lauren Brown

Published on 22/09/2025