YMU Hires Briony Gowlett As Global Literary Chief & Promotes For UK MD

EXCLUSIVE: YMU has found its new literary chief and promoted an exec for its new UK boss.

Briony Gowlett has been named Global Managing Director, Literary, while Anna Dixon is upped to UK Managing Director.

Gowlett comes from a background in publishing, which includes overseeing the recently launch of Octopus Publishing’s non-fiction imprint Radar.

She replaces Amanda Harris, who is exiting to launch her own business in 2025, as Deadline revealed in July.

“I’m thrilled to join YMU and channel my 18 years of publishing experience into a new challenge. Helping people uncover and share unique stories has always been my greatest joy, and now I have the opportunity to do that from the very start of the process,” said Gowlett. “YMU’s reputation is formidable, and to work with talented colleagues like Anna, Millie, and Elise to further the agency’s success is a unique and exciting opportunity.”

Gowlett will work closely with YMU’s worldwide roster ofauthors authors, digital creators and entertainment and sport strars to help them shape, develop and launch book projects. She will also work with YMU’s global teams to expand the agency’s talent roster. 

Her career began in 2006 in the contracts department at Penguin Books before she took roles at Century, Random House and later at Simon & Schuster, Hodder & Stoughton and the Octopus.

She has published bestsellers from the likes of James Middleton, Denise Welch, Zoe and Joe Sugg, Robson Green, Adam Hills, Emma Gannon and actors Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish, who simultaneously reached No.1 on the New York Times bestseller list with their debut book ‘Clanlands’. 

Dixon, meanwhile, joined YMU in November 2021 and has gone on to represent books from the likes of Rob Rinder and Julia Bradbury. She will work alongside Gowlett as they look to sign new talent.

“I’m excited to take this step up into a leadership role alongside Briony, who is a fantastic addition to our team,” said Dixon. “I’m looking forward to continuing to deliver quality projects with writers from all over the entertainment industry, while supporting our clients and publishing partners across the world in reaching bestselling success”. 

Mary Bekhait, CEO of YMU added: “‘I’m really thrilled to welcome someone of Briony’s calibre and experience to lead YMU’s literary division – her success, over the past two decades, working with some of the biggest non-fiction authors in the UK and leading an imprint of best-sellers speaks for itself. Our clients have always understood the importance and value of books and have enjoyed huge successes over the past few years. We look forward to many more in the future with Briony at the helm.

“I am equally excited about Anna Dixon’s much deserved promotion to U.K. Managing Director – she has been, rightly, named a Bookseller rising star this year, and her brilliant editorial instincts, commercial acumen and strategic thinking has contributed hugely to our clients’ literary success. 

“Finally, I would like to thank Amanda Harris for her excellent contribution to YMU these past few years and to wish her every success for the future.”