GINA GAGLIANO
Publishing director
Random House Graphic, New York City
G
agliano started her career
in 2005 at First Second,
Macmillan’s graphic novel
imprint, at a time when
graphic novels were relegated to the
subculture of comics, rarely available in libraries and never in book-
stores or schools. Gagliano was determined to change that: “I made
a plan to reach out to new readers and new audiences, to new spaces
and new interests, with each book campaign.” Her work paid off
when Random House scooped her up in 2018 to launch its graphic
novel imprint, where her mission is “to put a graphic novel on every
bookshelf, in every home,” she says. One means she employs is to be
omnipresent as a speaker at industry and academic conferences from
Comic-Con to ALA. “There has been no stronger or more passionate
advocate for comics and graphic novels than Gina Gagliano,” says
Julian Yap, 2018 Star Watch honoree and cofounder of Serial Box
Publishing. “She has consistently pushed the genre as something
bigger than just blockbuster superhero entertainment.”
NAOMI GIBBS
Senior editor
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,
New York CityS
ince joining HMH in 2013
as an assistant editor, Gibbs
has quickly risen to the
position of senior editor. A
look at her accomplishments explains why. After reading a
number of blog posts by house author Ursula K. Le Guin, Gibbs
suggested they be compiled into No Time to Spare. It went on to
win the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the
Essay. She worked closely with Alexander Chee on his novel The
Queen of Light, and then she acquired his critically acclaimed and
multiple award–winning essay collection, How to Write an
Autobiographical Novel. But her most noteworthy achievement,
according to her manager, Helen Atsma, is the acquisition of
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s debut collection, Friday Black. It
garnered a starred PW review, received front-page coverage in
the New York Times Book Review, became an instant bestseller, and
won numerous prizes including the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award.HONOREES
Thomas & Mercer congratulates our
Grace Doyle
Editorial Director, Thomas & Mercer
PW Star Watch Honoree