Penguin Group (NZ)
Publishing industry promotional and sales support team of the year
News Release
4 December 2003
For immediate release
Finlay Macdonald moves to book publishing
Current NZ Listener editor Finlay Macdonald is to move from magazine to book publishing, joining Penguin as
Commissioning Editor from February next year.
Macdonald’s brief will be to help develop Penguin’s non-fiction publishing list across a broad range of subjects with an
emphasis on lifestyle subjects and current affairs. Penguin’s stable already includes such bestselling authors as
Michael King, James Belich, Maurice Gee, Julie Le Clerc, Ruth Pretty, Witi Ihimaera, Patricia Grace, Lloyd Jones and
Tessa Duder.
‘Finlay will bring new strengths to our New Zealand publishing list. He’s an ideas man. Anyone who can come up with a
fresh Listener cover story and cover design each week will be a terrific asset to a book publisher,’ says Penguin
Publishing Director Geoff Walker.
In his new job Macdonald will be working closely with Walker and Associate publisher Bernice Beachman.
‘Working with words and with writers has always been the best part of any job I’ve had. To take on the challenge of a
new industry but also to employ and build on the skills and experience I’ve gained in magazines and other media is a
wonderful opportunity. That I’m also joining a distinguished publisher with such a stable of luminary talents is a
privilege, and I’m really looking forward to working with Geoff and the team at Penguin, says Macdonald.
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Penguin New Zealand currently publishes over 60 books a year across fiction, non-fiction and children’s books.