David Shelley (publisher)
David Shelley | |
---|---|
Nationality | British |
Alma mater | University of Oxford |
Occupation | Publisher |
Years active | 1997–present |
Employer | Hachette UK |
Known for | CEO of Hachette UK |
David Shelley is a British publisher who is Chief Executive Officer of
Biography
Education and career
David Shelley grew up living above the second-hand bookshop in Lewes, East Sussex, that his parents ran, and after a state education he became the first in his family to attend university, graduating from Oxford, where he read English (1994–97).[1][7]
In 1997 he began his career in the publishing industry by working at
In 2009 Shelley joined the Little, Brown Book Group as Deputy Publisher, and was Publisher from 2011 to 2015,[9] subsequently becoming Chief Executive Officer of the Orion Publishing Group and the Little, Brown Book Group, and in 2018 taking on the role of Group CEO of Hachette UK.
Diversity initiatives
Shelley has been outspoken about the need for inclusivity and diversity in leadership roles in the publishing industry as well as in the books published.
Following the murder of George Floyd on 25 May 2020, Hachette UK donated £10,000 to The United Families and Friends Campaign (a grouping of families and friends of those who have died in the custody of police and prison officers), and £10,000 to The Inclusive Indies Fund, to help diversity-led independent publishers survive the coronavirus crisis. Shelley said: "...there is a more urgent need than ever for us to stand together and educate ourselves, become better allies and offer financial support where we can. These events highlight the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement and, closer to home, they underpin the vital work of THRIVE, Hachette's network for BAME employees, Changing The Story, our strategy to make the company more inclusive at all levels, and Dialogue Books, our imprint focused on illuminating voices often excluded from the mainstream."[11]
After the publication on 15 June 2020 of an open letter from the newly formed Black Writers' Guild, calling for change in the UK publishing industry to address inequalities in output and personnel,[12][13] Shelley was quoted in The Guardian as saying that "the industry could and should do a lot more – and that we could and should do a lot more at Hachette".[14][15]
Shelley has also expressed a commitment to regional diversity, with plans for Hachette to open new offices in Sheffield, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester and Bristol, so as "to forge closer links to the brilliant pool of creative talent outside the 'London bubble' and connect more closely with readers, authors and booksellers around the UK to enrich our publishing."[16]
Recognition
Shelley was on the Progress 1000 list of "London's most influential people 2016 – Literati".[17]
In 2017 and subsequent years, he was named in the Financial Times annual OUTstanding list of LGBT+ executives,[18][19][20] becoming the second senior executive from Hachette UK to be listed, after his predecessor Tim Hely Hutchinson.[21]
References
- ^ a b c Ashton, James (14 April 2019). "Hachette UK boss: 'Writers come first, even before business'". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ "Our Board". Hachette.
- ^ a b c d Misra, Sonali (2018). "Interview: David Shelley". The Selkie.
- ^ "Governance". Publishers' Association.
- ^ a b Bhattacharya, Bibek (19 February 2018). "Publishing's remarkable resilience is amazing: Hachette UK's David Shelley". Live Mint. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Changing the Story". Hachette.
- ^ Wood, Heloise (22 February 2019). "Publishers and chief executives respond to class survey findings". The Bookseller. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ Dawnay, Caroline, and David Shelley (23 July 2014). "Peter Day: a man of unerring human and literary insight". BookBrunch.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Dilworth, Dianna (12 January 2015). "David Shelley Appointed CEO of Little, Brown". GalleyCat. Adweek Network. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ Wood, Heloise (30 November 2018). "Futurebook: Shelley urges against 'complacency' in publishing on diversity". The Bookseller.
- ^ Cowdrey, Katherine (1 June 2020). "Hachette donates £20k as trade supports Black Lives Matter". The Bookseller. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ Cain, Sian (15 June 2020). "Black Writers' Guild calls for sweeping change in UK publishing". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ Cowdrey, Katherine (15 June 2020). "Black Writers' Guild tells UK publishing how to get its own house in order". The Bookseller. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ Flood, Alison (17 June 2020). "'Change is not happening fast enough': UK publishers promise to tackle inequality". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ Cowdrey, Katherine (17 June 2020). "We could and should do more: publishers reply to the Black Writers' Guild". The Bookseller. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ "The Progress 1000: London's most influential people 2016 - Literati". Evening Standard. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ Cowdrey, Katherine (26 October 2017). "David Shelley makes 'top 100 LGBT leaders' list". The Bookseller. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ "The OUTstanding lists: LGBT leaders and allies today". Financial Times. 26 October 2017.
- ^ "The OUTstanding lists 2018: LGBT+ leaders and allies". Financial Times. 25 October 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ Cowdrey, Katherine (18 May 2017). "Hely Hutchinson to retire, Shelley to take Hachette UK c.e.o. role". The Bookseller. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
External links
- John Bond, "Q&A with David Shelley, CEO of Little, Brown and Orion", whitefox, 14 October 2016.
- "David Shelley - Thoughts on building inclusivity in the publishing industry…". London Book Fair video, 30 November 2016.
- "David Shelley talks all things publishing...". London Book Fair video, 9 April 2018.
- "David Shelley on consumer publishing in the UK". The Publishers Association video, 25 June 2019.