The Turnaround marketing department has gone through a few changes recently, and we are very happy to have started 2017 with a complete dream team. So happy that we decided to write a post to properly introduce ourselves and tell you a bit about what we do here. Whether you are one of our publishers, readers, authors or just a human who has stumbled across us, it’s very nice to meet you!
Sarah Wray
I’m an American expat, but I feel more comfortable describing myself as a citizen of the world (thanks to my travel agent mama who showed me the world from a young age). I’ve always been into the written word, so I studied Technical Writing and Creative Writing during my undergrad. I studied abroad in London in 2008 and fell in love with a lovely Brit, so I moved back for my MA in Publishing and the Creative Economy at Kingston University in 2010. I joined Turnaround in 2012 after being won over by its radical roots, independent spirit and phenomenal variety of books (as well as by my excellent manager and mentor, Claire Thompson). Since 2014, I’ve been the manager of this awesome team – we’ve gone through several changes since then, but I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to be working with! Nowadays you’ll mostly find me getting weirdly excited about good data and clean spreadsheets, harping about deadlines, or being really OCD about the exact placement of things on my desk. When I’m not working, I’m probably furthering my wannabe-yuppie lifestyle (a.k.a. moving up to £8 wine and owning 4 jazz records) or bothering my incredibly fluffy cat. Tweets, glorious tweets @sarahdubbleyew
Leo Sutherland
I have always wanted to be a professional nerd and – so far – I think I’m doing pretty well. Comics are my everything from whatever avenue they come from! Grew up on a healthy diet of Marvel (Spider-Man, Daredevil, X-Men etc), Asterix, Batman and Naruto along with most things geeky be it video games, animation, wrestling and other stuff. Writing is my main interest and studying English and American Literature at UEA pretty much cemented that. Turnaround has been a natural fit for me as I stubbornly wanted to work in the comic industry in some capacity and I think this covers that (I mean look at our comic publishers line up). I started as an intern in 2011 before joining fulltime in 2012. My role is a combination of data and all things comic related which ranges from skirting our database to maintaining the comic output on our blog and out comic themed twitter account (@turnaroundcomix) whilst trying to avoid knocking over the home away from home environment I have created on my desk. I count myself lucky there’s more than a bit of crossover between my profession and my hobbies. Hear me ramble about comics, cartoons, video games and more at @leosutherland.
Jenn Thompson
I started working at Turnaround in 2014, after a year of freelance copywriting. Before that, I wrote trashy financial junkmail for a living, and before that, I was a bookseller in the fiction department at Foyles. I did a BA and an MA in creative writing, so the trashy junkmail job seemed fitting. But I really missed working with books (I never had a talent for finance), and was thrilled when Turnaround gave me a job. I’m Promotions and Publicity Executive, which means I get to work with books and write. I manage a really excellent list of publishers and do a long list of things including shouting about books on the internet and IRL. Reading interests include: fiction, Maggie Nelson, comic books, feminism, Love & Rockets, Mary Gaitskill, queer theory, longform journalism, Julia Wertz, true crime, Frank O’Hara literary criticism, Elena Ferrante, The Price of Salt, Bitch Planet, Eileen Myles, queer pulp fiction. Other interests include living on a boat, all kinds of dogs, Justin Vivian Bond, camp discos, The Gilmore Girls, Transparent, Berlin, The Cure, walking along the canals of East London, 90s cinema, and drinking beer in pubs. @hoppers4ever
Rachel Darling
In the early days of studying literature at university I started working in bookshops. Eleven years, an MA and PhD later, I was still working in Foyles, Charing Cross Road and having much more fun (and learning a lot more!) there than I was in an academic setting. I came to Turnaround – as a Publicity & Promotions Assistant, in November 2016 – because of sheer the breadth of publishers the company works with and the focus on independent and often radical presses. This role gives me chance to work with an incredible array of books and the scope to promote titles and look after publishers I really care about. When I’m not reading I’m usually roaming around London looking at architecture, cooking, or sleeping. When I’m reading it’s usually literary fiction or something with a dash of meta or magical realism. Tweets at @doctor_darling
Sarah Mather
Being a massive book worm from a young age, it wasn’t too surprising when I chose to study a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Portsmouth in 2009. When I finished my degree, I explored various avenues, working for a few PR and marketing agencies in the process; however, nothing seemed to feel quite right until I discovered the world of publishing. From there onward, it was my mission to be part of the industry and so I explored a number of publishing houses. When I came across Turnaround however, I was deeply impressed by their engaging marketing approach (the publicity bulletin was a big thumbs up), their astounding diversity of books, and the welcoming and friendly atmosphere which seems to be at the very heart of the company. Currently, I am now a Publicity and Promotions Assistant, looking after a fascinating range of publishers, devising publicity campaigns and generally handling promotional work, such as, banners, advertisements and social media posts. It’s been a wonderful feeling to be part of the Turnaround team, who have welcomed me with open arms (especially my kind and supportive manager, Sarah) and I continue to look forward to many more incredible days in the future. In my spare time, you will most likely find me making moon eyes at cute and fluffy animals, eating everything that exists (namely chocolate) and scouring the pages of fantasy, psychological crime thrillers, YA and graphic novels, sometimes all at once but I do try to space these things out; everything in moderation as they say. Oh, and let’s not forget my beautiful chestnut horse, Jasper, who’s cheeky nature keeps me amused for hours on end. Tu-whit tu-Whoo me @sarah_mather_15
Clare Holloway
I’m fairly new to publishing – before joining Turnaround in December I was working as a data analyst, reporting to alcohol companies as an expert on the Beer market. Before this, I studied English Literature at the University of Exeter, where I also played 3rd Violin in the Symphony Orchestra, excelled at Beginners’ Tap and worked in a smoothie bar. I love travelling – I have worked laying bricks in France, interrailed to 7 European countries and spent a month in Japan, where I learned how to cycle while holding an umbrella. Reading for pleasure returned after graduation, when Jonathan Swift became a distant memory. I really wanted to work at Turnaround because the variety of books is endless – my role lets me get up and close with a handful of especially juicy titles each month – and I love its fiery, radical spirit. Here I oversee the social media marketing (give us the thumb xo), and put together the weekly publicity bulletin. And yes, these are the famous hands from our Youtube previews. Ask me about Lana Del Rey @whatsittoclare