Tamar Brazis, Publisher

Tamar Brazis joined Viking Children’s book in 2018 as Editorial Director of Illustrated Publishing, specializing in children’s picture books. Her background in poetry led her to acquire the debut picture book Change Sings, by presidential inaugural poet and #1 New York Times bestselling author Amanda Gorman, as well as Gorman’s first full-length poetry collection for adults Call Us What We Carry. Other New York Times bestselling picture books at Viking include Tomatoes for Neela by Padma Lakshmi and Juana Martinez-Neal, Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective by Elizabeth Olsen and Robbie Arnett, and Just Because by Matthew McConaughey.

Brazis began her career at HarperCollins two weeks after graduating from Sarah Lawrence College. She then moved to Abrams, where she worked for nearly fifteen years and during which time she completed an MFA in creative writing at the New School. She was promoted to Editorial Director of Abrams Books for Young Readers, where she cultivated her passion for illustrated publishing and fine bookmaking. There, she acquired and edited the #1 New York Times bestselling I Am series by Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds, Princesses Wear Pants by Savannah Guthrie and Allison Oppenheim, and the Caldecott Honor– and Coretta Scott King Medal–winning Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews and Bryan Collier. Other titles acquired and edited by Brazis received the Pura Belpré, Coretta Scott King, Sibert, and Schneider Honors. She loves Italian film, stories of sunken treasure, and “Baby, It’s You” by the Shirelles.

Viking celebrated its ninetieth anniversary in 2023 with Brazis becoming its eighth Publisher.