Hassett to join Pantera Press; Hirst on parental leave

Pantera Press is thrilled to announce that Katherine Hassett will join our fast-growing team as Publisher.

Hassett brings with her a wealth of trade publishing experience across a variety of commissioning and editing roles, most recently Associate Publisher for Non-fiction International at Harper Collins, as well as Senior Editor and Fiction Publisher at the same company.

As Fiction Publisher at Harper Collins, Hassett worked with commercial fiction authors including Dervla McTiernan, Jessica Dettmann, Nicola Moriarty, Caroline Overington, Belinda Alexandra, Tara Moss and Vanessa McCausland. Some of the notable books and brands on Hassett’s list as Associate Publisher include Hillbilly Elegy, Mind-Gut Connection, Everything is F*cked, Trick Mirror, Well-Gardened Mind, 5am Club, Simon Winchester, Jay Shetty and James Smith.

As Publisher at Pantera Press, Hassett will be commissioning and acquiring a mix of commercial fiction and non-fiction, as well as looking after Pantera titles acquired by Publisher Lex Hirst, who will be on parental leave from mid-July and returning in February 2022. Hassett joins a rapidly growing acquisitions team, including Commissioning Editor Tom Langshaw who joined the company in January this year.

‘I am thrilled to join the creative and passionate team at Pantera, one of Australia’s fastest growing and impressive independent publishers,’ Hassett said. ‘The industry has watched with interest over the last few years as Pantera has grown their list significantly through Publisher Lex Hirst and CEO Alison Green, so it’s a very exciting time to come on board. I look forward to working with the great authors already on the Pantera list and to publishing books that fit into the company’s ethos to spark imagination and contribute to the cultural conversation. A small press with a big heart, Pantera’s growth is testament to the depth and strength of the Australian publishing industry, and I can’t wait to be a part of what they do.’

Publisher Lex Hirst said, ‘I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Katherine to Pantera Press. This year we’re supercharging our mission to publish books that make a real impact on the cultural conversations that matter in our nation, and with her vision, talent and passion for finding and developing great writers, Katherine is the perfect addition to our dynamic, growing publishing team.’

CEO Alison Green said, ‘This new Publisher role speaks to our continued strategic growth plans. Together we look forward to shaping and having a greater impact on Australian writing culture. Katherine’s passion backed by her deep market knowledge and years of editorial, curatorial and commissioning experience makes her the perfect addition to our growing team. We are incredibly excited to welcome Katherine to the Pantera Press family.’

Pantera Press was recently named the #1 2020 Nielsen BookScan Heatseeker, an award recognising short-term and long-term growth, and shortlisted for the Australian Book Industry Awards Small Publisher of the Year 2021. 2020 was the fourth consecutive year of Heatseeker recognition for Pantera Press and also Pantera’s debut on the BookScan Top 10 Australian Indie Publishers list.

Hassett will start at Pantera Press on 17 June 2021.

 

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For further information please contact Léa Antigny

T: 02 8096 5192 E: lea.antigny@panterapress.com