Razorbill

Razorbill_penguin
Twitter X

Overview

Razorbill was an imprint of Penguin Random House from 2004 to 2023. As an imprint, it was committed to taking risks and exploring new ways to tell stories.

Razorbill was best known for its broad-ranging young adult hardcover fiction list that included the New York Times bestselling An Ember in the Ashes series, an epic high fantasy by Sabaa Tahir; All My Rage, Sabaa Tahir’s National Book Award winning novel; the Falling Kingdoms series by New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes; and Richelle Mead’s #1 internationally bestselling Vampire Academy,Bloodlines, and The Glittering Court series. It was also home to New York Times bestsellers They’ll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman, Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor, House of Marionne by J. Elle, and Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain.

Razorbill published nonfiction as well, including the young readers edition of the instant New York Times bestselling One Life by Megan Rapinoe and Glimmer of Hope by the founders of the March for Our Lives movement. Also on the Razorbill list were a variety of picture books and graphic novels like There’s A Rock Concert in My Bedroom by Kevin and Danielle Jonas; viral YouTube sensation Tiny Chef Productions’ The Tiny Chef and da mishing weshipee blook and its sequel, The Tiny Chef and da nighttime bladventure, by creators Rachel Larsen, Adam Reid, and Ozlem Akturk; and a heartwarming graphic novel series PAWS, written and illustrated by Nathan Fairbairn and Michele Assarasakorn.

Meet the Team

Jennifer Klonsky, President & Publisher

Jen joined Penguin Young Readers in 2018 and is the Publisher of G. P. Putnam’s Sons and Dial Books for Young Readers. Her select list includes authors Max Greenfield, Josh Gad, Ben Falcone, Sara Shepard, and Sloan Harlow. She previously held positions at HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Scholastic.

Casey McIntyre, Vice President and Publisher

Casey McIntyre was the Publisher of Razorbill and oversaw each title’s publication with vision and passion.

Rūta Rimas, Senior Executive Editor and Publishing Director

Rūta Rimas is a senior executive editor and publishing director for GP Putnam’s Books for Young Readers, acquiring and editing middle grade and young adult, fiction and non, and graphic novels. At Penguin Random House, she has the honor and privilege of working with the most talented authors and illustrators in the industry, including Sabaa Tahir, J. Elle, Jessica Goodman, Diana Urban, Ginny Myers Sain, Shifa Saltagi Safadi, and more. Her tastes are quirky and sharp, boundary-pushing, with a dash of darkness and a whole lot of heart.

Christopher Hernandez, Senior Editor

Chris Hernandez is a senior editor, acquiring picture books, middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels. Chris especially enjoys working on illustrated books as well as stories with heart, multi-layered humor, well-crafted mystery, thrilling adventure, a witty voice, and/or a unique twist on something familiar. Prior to joining Penguin, he was an editor at HarperCollins, where he had the pleasure of working with such bestselling and award-winning creators as Katherine Applegate, Thanhhà Lai, Lisa McMann, Tahereh Mafi, and Cori Doerrfeld. When he’s not editing children’s books, Chris goes home to write them—whenever his dog and cats give him a moment of peace. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisMakesBooks.

Gretchen Durning, Editor

Gretchen Durning is an Editor at G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. She works primarily on young adult and middle grade fiction. She’s edited titles such as the New York Times bestseller Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor, the internationally bestselling Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou, and These Deadly Prophecies by Andrea Tang. Gretchen is looking for middle grade and young adult titles, primarily in the fantasy, mystery/thriller, or horror genres. She’s especially drawn to stories with a strong hook, an immersive voice, and an escapist plot. When not reading, you can probably find her planning a trip to somewhere new or watching a BBC nature documentary. Follow her on Twitter: @gretchendurning.

Simone Roberts-Payne, Assistant Editor

Simone Roberts-Payne (she/her) is an Assistant Editor at G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers. She came to PYR in 2021, after previously working for Jacqueline Woodson as a research assistant. Simone has assisted on YA projects by Sabaa Tahir, J. Elle, Jessica Goodman, and Sloan Harlow. She has always loved books from a teen perspective and feels like young voices and concerns tell us so much about the current state of the world. She is currently looking to build a list that includes commercial and literary young adult fiction and picture books from BIPOC voices.  She is drawn to dynamic and diverse fiction, with complicated familial or romantic relationships, a hint of mystery, a touch of heartbreak and all things adorable.