Dennis Lehane Gets His Own Book Imprint at William Morrow

Posted on October 11, 2011

HarperCollins announced today that bestselling author Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Shutter Island, The Given Day) is getting his own line of books at William Morrow. The line will bear his name and will publish an undetermined number of fiction titles each year. Lehane is known for helping nurture new talent, and he will be in charge of identifying and acquiring literary fiction with a dark urban edge. Lehane and his longtime Harper editor, Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Claire Wachtel, will work together on the line

Liate Stehlik, Senior Vice President and Publisher of William Morrow, said in a release: "Dennis is a treasured house author, who embodies that definition in every way; and William Morrow is proud to have been his publisher since almost the very beginning of his career - a relationship spanning 17 years. In a world where computer algorithms and screen placement often replace in-store recommendations, having a line of books with a talented and highly regarded writer like Dennis is a great way to help readers discover what to read next. The list will be made up of the kind of high-quality writing that Dennis most admires and that readers would associate with his name. We are thrilled to work with him on this line of books, giving voice to a new generation of authors and showcasing some great unheralded talent."

Lehane had this to say about why he's taking on this new challenge: "I'm one of those people who buys ten copies of a book I like and sends it to people I think would enjoy it. My goal is to call attention to worthy writers, who for some unknown reason aren't as popular as they deserve to be. That's a reason to get out of bed every morning. My background -— where I grew up in Boston, the kinds of novels I like to read and write, my time spent as a writer on 'The Wire' -- will influence the kinds of books I acquire. But I just want to publish good work -- an enthralling story gracefully told."

We'll be quite interested to see what authors the new line will feature. No doubt he's already being pummeled with new manuscripts.