The UK's second largest book publisher has opened a new national office in Manchester as part of a national expansion programme set to create five new sites.
Hachette UK said the new Manchester site at Blackfriars House will be the first of five new offices set to open over the next three months - with the other four set to be in Newcastle, Bristol, Edinburgh and Sheffield.
The office openings will see nearly 60 London-based staff relocate across the UK, after earlier plans were put on hold as a result of the pandemic.
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Those relocating will be from a variety of roles and divisions across the publishing group, with the aim of having at least 100 staff having moved by 2022.
Hachette has also started recruiting locally as part of its commitment to "forging close links with local talent and diversifying the workforce".
Emma Layfield, a picture book development director, will lead the Manchester office, and said: “Relocating back to the North has made me realise that you need to be in a place to truly understand a place.
"There’s a hugely vibrant Northern arts scene here in Manchester and the city has so much to offer the creative industries. The more we work together and shout about Manchester, the better for a world where creativity is at its heart.
"Now that our office has opened, I’m looking forward to opportunities for creatives to celebrate achievement, share new ideas, or just have a good old natter.”
The Manchester office opened its doors on July 19, with 11 members of Hachette UK staff taking space in a flexible co-working environment at Blackfriars House.
Spoken-word poet Tony Walsh is the first Manchester-based author that Layfield has acquired since starting her new role. Other local authors that Hachette UK publishes include Jenn Ashworth, Andrew Michael Hurley and Okechukwu Nzelu.
Hachette, part of the French Lagardere Publishing group, is the UK's second largest book publisher behind Penguin Random House.
The Bristol office will also open this month, with the Newcastle site in August - and Sheffield and Edinburgh following in September.
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David Shelley, CEO of Hachette UK, said: “‘I am really excited about our national offices, which I hope will provide a gateway into creative talent - authors, illustrators, translators, publishing professionals - around the UK.
"We are ambitious for these offices’ growth and development over the coming years, and we really look forward to working closely with bookshops, libraries, arts organisations and charities in all the cities in which we will be based.
"I hope it will be a transformative venture for our publishing and widen our horizons in all sorts of exciting new ways.”
