Grace Layer, Associate Editor
Grace Layer joined Dutton in January 2021 and acquires both fiction and nonfiction. She’s looking for smart narrative nonfiction, including investigative journalism, popular science, travel/food narratives, and character-driven stories that bring an unknown piece of history to light or dive into a propulsive mystery. On the fiction side, she’s interested in upmarket, voice-driven novels with…
Read MoreLauren Appleton, Executive Editor
Lauren Appleton has been at Tarcher since 2012, where she acquires a wide range of self-improvement titles, mainly for Millennials and Gen-Z. She is particularly interested in the areas of inspiration/motivation, pop-psychology, creativity, social justice, female empowerment, and anything that will improve your life or simply make you smile. A large portion of her list…
Read MoreTalia Benamy, Editor
Talia Benamy is the editor and backlist manager at Philomel. She holds a BA in English literature from Cornell University and edits books for young readers of all ages, including the She Persisted chapter book series, based on the bestselling picture books by Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger; Morris Award winner The Life and Crimes…
Read MoreJill Santopolo, Vice President & Publisher
Jill Santopolo is the vice president and publisher of Philomel. After seven years at HarperCollins, she joined Penguin Random House in 2009 and became Philomel’s publisher in 2023. She holds a BA in English literature from Columbia University and an MFA in writing for children from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Jill is best known…
Read MoreAneeka Kalia, Editor
Aneeka Kalia is an editor at Viking Children’s Books, where she primarily focuses on picture books and graphic novels for all ages. The books that she works on often explore themes of home and community, and she’s worked with creators like Anoosha Syed, Bianca Xunise, Frank Morrison, and Scott Magoon. She loves a story with good…
Read MoreGretchen Durning, Editor
Gretchen Durning is an editor at G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers. While at Penguin, she’s worked on titles such as the instant New York Times bestsellers Hotel Magnifique and The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor, the internationally bestselling Threads That Bind duology by Kika Hatzopoulou, and the critically acclaimed novel The Curse of Eelgrass Bog by Mary…
Read MoreMichelle Lee, Editor
Michelle Lee (she/her) received her M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the New School before joining Dial and is a an active mentor with the Representation Matters Mentorship Program and POC in Publishing. She acquires picture books, novels, and graphic novels, and is looking for stories that present the world through a…
Read MoreJoJo Lee, Editorial Assistant
JoJo Lee (she/her) received her B.A. in English and Philosophy from Tufts University, where her long-held fascination with gender dynamics, women writers, and children’s literature culminated in her senior thesis “Reading Little Women and Anne of Green Gables Queerly.” Prior to joining Dial in 2024, she interned at Astra Books for Young Readers, W. W.…
Read MoreEllen Cormier, Senior Editor
Ellen Cormier (she/her) is an editor at Dial Books for Young Readers, acquiring picture books, novels, and graphic novels with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ stories and creators. She is always on the lookout for voicey, character-driven books, especially ones that explore universal themes through the lens of hyper-specific experiences. She has a soft spot…
Read MoreJessica Dandino Garrison, Executive Editor
Jessica Dandino Garrison (she/her) is an alumna of Emory University and joined Dial in 2004. She has edited bestselling authors, including Jandy Nelson and her Printz Award–winning I’ll Give You the Sun, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and her Newbery Honor–winning Fighting Words, Deborah Underwood, author of The Panda Problem, and David Soman and Jacky Davis, creators of the Ladybug Girl series. Newer to…
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