Nancy Conescu, most recently publisher at Australia’s Berbay Books, will join FSG Books for Young Readers as editorial director. She’s expected to start her role at FSG in the coming months after relocating back to the U.S from Australia.

Conescu began her publishing career in 2002 as an assistant at Penguin Books for Young Readers, and moved to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in 2004, where she was eventually promoted to senior editor. She returned to Penguin in 2010 as executive editor of Dial Books for Young Readers before moving to Australia in 2016, where she joined Walker Books Australia as executive commissioning editor. Included in the titles Conescu has published are The Mostly True Story of Jack, the debut novel by Kelly Barnhill, and Ghost Girl by Tanya Hurley, both acquired while she was at Little, Brown, and The Robbery by Joaquín Camp, published during her time at Berbay. At Walker Books, Conescu acquired the bestselling middle grade novel Front Desk by Kelly Yang for the Australian market.

“I am thrilled to welcome Nancy to our FSG BYR team,” said Allison Verost, SVP and publishing director, to whom Conescu will report. “She’s renowned for her ability to discover and nurture new talent, as well as her compassionate and enthusiastic approach to editorial feedback, which elevates every project she touches. Nancy is a visionary leader, a creative collaborator, and a truly exceptional editor.”

Conescu said she will bring her international experience to bear in her new role. “In Australia and in other smaller markets like Canada and New Zealand, there is a real embrace of local talent,” she said, which allows “young readers to see their lived experiences in the books that they read alongside the vast number of imported titles from both the U.S. and the U.K.” At the same time, while in Australia, she bought in picture books from around the world, having them translated into English, allowing readers to “be introduced not only to the stories, but to the different art styles that are favored in other markets.”

In her new role, Conescu hopes to share stories from across cultures. “I feel as though we’ve only scratched the surface in terms of truly reading and publishing across markets. I’m biased, but I’d love to see more Australian creators getting attention in the U.S., a greater investment in translated children’s fiction, and more representation of the talented illustrators from Indonesia, South Korea, and Japan.”

In terms of her publishing philosophy, Conescu said that she’s always on the lookout for books “that could only be written by the author who shares them and that the team and I could publish in a distinctive way.” She added that while it’s ideal when a book is embraced by booksellers, teachers, parents, and librarians alike, the real goal is to create books with “genuine kid appeal.” She said she views the children’s market as “the crucial starting point for developing engaged readers who will define the health of the adult market in years to come.” The onus is then on publishers to identify “voices that surprise us” and “explore new ways to capture young readers’ attention.”

While in recent years Conescu has been more focused on picture books, she said she’s also “keen to lean into” the kinds of successes FSG Books for Young Readers has had with middle-grade fiction such as Barbara O’Connor’s Dream and Wish, and Pari Thomson’s Greenwild trilogy, as well as YA titles including Dashka Slater’s The 57 Bus, George M. Johnson’s All Boys Aren’t Blue, and Libba Bray’s Under the Same Stars.

“I’m so excited to return to the children’s community where I feel like I grew up and was mentored by so many industry leaders,” Conescu said. “My author and artist wish list is overflowing, and I’m greatly looking forward to reconnecting with old friends and colleagues as we work on more fantastic books together. I want FSG Books for Young Readers to be the imprint where every agent wants to place their top clients.”