Ira Silverberg will join Simon & Schuster’s adult trade imprint as Senior Editor, it was announced today by Jonathan Karp, Publisher of Simon & Schuster. Silverberg will report to Editor-in-Chief Marysue Rucci. His appointment is effective October 1.
In 2011, Silverberg was named Literature Director of the National Endowment for the Arts. He has held numerous positions in publishing, including Editor in Chief of Grove Press and Publisher and Founding Coeditor of High Risk Books, an imprint of Serpent’s Tail. He was the owner of a public relations company focused on independent literary presses and not-for-profit literary institutions. Silverberg spent fifteen years as a literary agent and Foreign Rights Director at Donadio & Olson and Sterling Lord Literistic. He most recently served as Strategic Advisor, Author Brands for Open Road Media.
“We are delighted to welcome Ira Silverberg to Simon & Schuster,” said Jonathan Karp. “Again and again, Ira has proven his keen eye for literary talent and a commitment to works that push boundaries and open new vistas. His knowledge, experience, and international perspective will deepen our commitment to publishing works of high quality.”
Throughout his career as an agent, publisher, and editor, Silverberg has worked with acclaimed authors such as bestsellers Neil Strauss, Ishmael Beah, Sam Lipsyte, and Jacqueline Susann (Estate); National Book Award nominees Adam Haslett, Christopher Sorrentino, and Rene Steinke, as well as Dennis Cooper, Sapphire, Kathy Acker, Shelley Jackson, David Bezmozgis, and design gurus Kate Spade and Amanda Brooks; and has helped reissue the works of many notable writers, including Nobel Prize winners Elfriede Jelinek and Kenzaburo Oe.
Silverberg has served on the boards of various organizations, including PEN American Center, the MFA in Creative Writing program at the New School, Bomb magazine, and others. He has also been a grant panelist for the Mellon Foundation, the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund, and the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. Silverberg is a longtime advisor to the William S. Burroughs estate, and was the recipient of the Publishing Triangle’s 2013 Leadership Award. He currently serves on the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee at the New York State Council on the Arts and as an adjunct faculty member in the MFA Writing Program at Columbia University’s School of the Arts.
“I am thrilled to join the great team at Simon & Schuster. Jon Karp and Marysue Rucci have, in a relatively short period of time, organized a sharp and vibrant staff, put together an intelligent and varied list, and published strategically and creatively, with a notable string of successes to show for it. It’s an honor to be a part of this tremendous imprint. I’m already sharpening my pencils.”
Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.
