Judith M. Curr Named President and Publisher of Pocket Books

Posted on March 9, 1999

Judith M. Curr has been appointed President and Publisher of Pocket Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, Inc., effective April 12. The announcement was made today by Jack Romanos, President and Chief Operating Officer of Simon & Schuster, to whom Ms. Curr will report.

In her new position, Ms. Curr will be responsible for all the editorial, marketing, and sales functions of Pocket Books. She will also be a member of Simon and Schuster's Executive Committee. Pocket Books and its imprints include MTV Books, Pocket Star, Archway and Minstrel Paperbacks for young readers, Star Trek, Washington Square Press and Sonnet Books.

Ms. Curr joins Pocket Books from the Ballantine Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc, where she has been Senior Vice President and Publisher since 1997. In that position, she oversaw the activities of many of its imprints, including Ballantine, Fawcett, Ivy, One World, and House of Collectibles.

"Judith Curr is truly one of the bright lights of today's publishing world," said Mr. Romanos. "Over the course of her career, she has shown not only an ability to publish successfully and effectively on a day-to-day and season-to-season basis, but also demonstrated a strategic vision for leading companies to new levels of accomplishment. There is no better person to grow this company through expanded hardcover and trade paperback publishing, as well as building on its mass market strengths."

Ms. Curr commented: "The opportunity to lead Pocket Books is irresistible. It is one of the true brand names of the industry, with a great history, a rich tradition, and an ability to anticipate and respond to the marketplace in an instant. I look forward to working with the talented professionals who are already there to find creative and innovative ways to tackle the many challenges of today's publishing world."

Ms. Curr arrived in the United States in 1996 as Senior Vice President and Editor in Chief of the Ballantine Publishing Group. She began her publishing career in her native Australia, where she was a member of the original team that founded Transworld Pty in 1981, the Australian subsidiary of Bantam Doubleday Dell, and was initially responsible for publicity and marketing. Promoted to Publisher and Executive Director in 1986, she oversaw publication of an international list of titles, and created a successful local publishing list in Australia, consisting of both international and Australian authors.