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Random House Announces Inaugural List for Labyrinth Road Imprint; Q&A with Vice President and Editor in Chief Liesa Abrams
Today Random House Children’s Books announces the inaugural Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 lists for Labyrinth Road, a new imprint led by Vice President and Editor in Chief Liesa Abrams. SLJ shares the full press release and an exclusive Q&A with Abrams.
Today Random House Children’s Books (RHCB) announces the inaugural Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 lists for Labyrinth Road, a new imprint led by Vice President and Editor in Chief Liesa Abrams. Read our exclusive Q&A with Abrams about the imprint below, followed by the full press release with the titles.
SLJ: Congrats on the launch of Labyrinth Road! Can you tell us a bit more about the imprint?
Abrams: Thank you! Labyrinth Road is a home for books about epic journeys—both fantastical and emotional—that allow readers to explore our world and imagined worlds. Featuring works from both debut and well-known creators, the imprint will publish primarily middle grade series as well as select high-concept literary YA novels. You can recognize a Labyrinth Road series because the stories are built on foundations of deeply relatable characters where the stakes are as intensely emotional as they are epic and urgent. In other words, expect to see a kid trying to save the world from demons while also grappling with complicated family life. Labyrinth Road is committed to publishing a diverse range of voices and inclusive stories, with an emphasis on representation of LGBTQIA+ and intersectional identities.
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Liesa Abrams |
What was the inspiration behind the name?
The imprint’s name represents the idea of how books can be a way to get safely lost, as well as a path that brings you on an emotional journey to your center and then back out again. The books on this list will be those in which readers can escape where they are, while feeling seen for who they are. The “easter egg” added layer to the name is that I grew up in Baltimore, in various apartments that were all within a certain radius of a street called, yes, Labyrinth Road. I was that kid who needed books to survive trauma, so it’s meaningful to tie the imprint name back to the childhood experiences that formed my mission as an editor.
What are you hoping to accomplish with Labyrinth Road?
One of our Random House sales reps told me that they can already recognize a Labyrinth Road book from the manuscript description, because there’s a clear brand to the feel of the books. I’ve heard similar from agents and authors, too. That’s the goal for any imprint, and I hope that only continues. I’m hopeful to see the Labyrinth Road series grow passionate fandoms the way I had the pleasure of seeing happen for many series I’ve edited in my career. I’m also aiming to continue pushing boundaries with the stories I publish and to widen the lens of many more readers being able to see themselves in books. I’m known for having a huge soapbox about destigmatizing female and queer desire, a theme you’ll see in many of my titles. The imprint’s focus on queer voices and stories feels especially (sadly) crucial right now, and I want to signal to the world that we will not back down from centering LGBTQAI+ kids—both the fictional characters on the page, and the readers who need to feel our support.
What are you most excited about?
I’m truly excited about every detail of this imprint, from the small to the large. Seeing copyright pages makes my heart flutter! I am wild about the logo, which was designed by our talented designer, Carol Ly. But what I’m most excited for is when these books land in the hands of readers who can find what they need—whether it’s to laugh, to be distracted, to be swept away in fantasy, or to feel seen. I’ve had authors share reader feedback with me for past books I’ve edited that range from a reader telling an author of an intense YA novel about rape, “After reading this, I finally understand it wasn’t my fault that I was raped,” to a young reader telling an author of a fun escapist middle-grade fantasy series that the anticipation to discover what would happen in the next installment of the series helped her combat suicidal level depression. Books can save lives; I don’t believe that’s hyperbole. Personally, I find it deeply healing to know that the hard times I went through when I was young can now be transformed into an imprint publishing books to help other kids feel less alone.
Some interesting titles have been announced—what else should readers and librarians expect going forward?
In middle grade, you can certainly expect to see a lot of fresh takes on fantasy and a wide range of viewpoints centered in these fantasies. An author of multiple ALA Rainbow List Top Ten titles in YA will be publishing his debut middle grade series tackling themes of toxic masculinity and the way “hurt people hurt people” within a cool fantasy-based framework. Another award-winning author has a contemporary realistic stunner of a YA novel about abortion, bodily autonomy, and the deep historical roots of our cultural shaming of women. Generally speaking across the board for future Labyrinth Road books, there will be more dragons, more secret portals, and more characters finding the path toward self-acceptance and pride in being exactly who they are.
The full press release is below. A PDF version is available here.
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LABYRINTH ROAD IMPRINT, LED BY LIESA ABRAMS AT RANDOM HOUSE CHILDREN’S BOOKS, TO LAUNCH INAUGURAL LIST IN FALL 2022
New York, NY (September 9, 2022)—LABYRINTH ROAD, a new Random House Children’s Books (RHCB) imprint led by Vice President and Editor in Chief Liesa Abrams, will launch its first list in Fall 2022, it was announced today by Mallory Loehr, Executive Vice President and Publisher, Random House Books for Young Readers.
LABYRINTH ROAD’s publishing will focus on middle-grade and young adult titles, particularly contemporary middle-grade fantasy series and high-concept literary YA novels. Featuring works from both debut and well-known creators, the imprint is committed to publishing diverse voices and inclusive stories, with a focus on LGBTQIA+ representation.
Prior to joining RHCB in November 2020, Abrams was Vice President, Editor at Large, at Simon & Schuster, following her time there as Editorial Director of the Simon Pulse imprint. Over the course of her career, Liesa has worked with a wide array of talented creators, helping to grow established authors and break out new voices. With her keen eye for talent, Abrams acquired many now-bestsellers in the middle-grade category when they were debuts, including Rachel Renée Russell (Dork Diaries), James Riley (Story Thieves), and Shannon Messenger (Keeper of the Lost Cities). In young adult, Abrams acquired and edited bestselling works by Tracy Deonn, Scott Westerfeld, Kiersten White, and Lynn Weingarten, among others. During Abrams’s time at Simon and Schuster, the Simon Pulse imprint gained a reputation for its dedication to pushing and redefining boundaries and amplifying a diverse array of voices—and that same emphasis is at the heart of LABYRINTH ROAD.
In Abrams’s words: “Labyrinth Road is a home for books about epic journeys—both fantastical and emotional—that allow readers to explore our world and imagined worlds. Labyrinths offer a way to get safely lost; they have twists and turns, but they don’t have dead ends. The books on our list will be those in which readers can escape where they are, while feeling seen for who they are.”
The imprint’s inaugural lists (Fall 2022 and Spring 2023) will include two young adult novels and three middle-grade books by a varied list of both debut and award-winning authors.
The Epic Story of Every Living Thing by Deb Caletti (on sale 9/13/2022 | Ages 14 and up)—A fiercely feminist young adult novel about a teen who travels to Hawaii to track down her sperm donor father, from the award-winning author of A Heart in a Body in the World. The book has received five starred reviews to date, including a review from Kirkus calling it, “[a] gorgeous coming-of-age novel.”
Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith (on sale 11/8/2022 | Ages 8-12)—A thrilling middle-grade series opener that explores identity and gender, set in a magical medieval world filled with dragons, shape-shifters, and witches. Nonbinary debut author Esme Symes-Smith wishes to equip queer kids with the best tools to navigate their gender identity.
Heroes of Havensong: Dragonboy by Megan Reyes (on sale 1/24/2023 | Ages 8-12)—A timeless fantasy debut following four unlikely heroes bound together by the Fates themselves to save their world from being destroyed, from a debut author with a fresh take on magic and an accessible, contemporary voice.
Dear Medusa by Olivia A. Cole (on sale 3/14/2023 | Ages 14 and up)—An intimate, fourth-wave feminist novel-in-verse that follows a sixteen-year-old girl coping with sexual abuse as she grapples with how to reclaim her story, her anger, and her body in a world that seems determined to punish her for the sin of surviving. Olivia A. Cole is a trusted voice on key issues. She has a strong social media presence and has been praised for her modern feminism and the way she tackles racism in her work.
Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind by Misa Sugiura (on sale 4/4/2023 | Ages 8-12)—An exhilarating middle-grade fantasy series about a girl who sets out to save her Shinto goddess mother—and the world—by facing down demons intent on bringing chaos, from the award-winning author of three young adult novels who is making her middle-grade debut.
Additional titles slated for release at a later date include the heartwarming queer love story The Rules of Us, written by Jennifer Nissley; a middle-grade fantasy novel, Spellbinders: The Not-So-Chosen One by acclaimed author Andrew Auseon; Blood City Rollers, a graphic novel by debut writer V. P. Anderson, illustrated by illustrator-by-day and roller-skater-by-night Tatiana Hill; bestselling author/illustrator Emma Steinkellner’s new graphic novel series Tales from Gumbling; and middle-grade fantasy series launch Alex Wise vs. the End of the World by Terry J. Benton-Walker.
Liesa Abrams has been an editor of books for tweens and teens for more than twenty-five years. She began her career at the company now known as Alloy Entertainment, where she worked on long-running franchise series such as Sweet Valley High, before becoming a founding editor of the Razorbill imprint at Penguin Young Readers, and then moving to Simon and Schuster. In her years at Simon and Schuster, Liesa launched the blockbuster #1 bestselling Dork Diaries series from then debut author Rachel Renée Russell. Other debut authors whose books Liesa edited and helped build into New York Times bestsellers include James Riley (Story Thieves), Shannon Messenger (Keeper of the Lost Cities), and Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe Award winner Tracy Deonn (Legendborn). Liesa also edited bestselling titles from Brandon Mull, Lisa McMann, Jodi Lynn Anderson, Suzanne Young, Lynn Weingarten, and Scott Westerfeld. Her focus on editing timely stories revolving around themes of identity and self-discovery in the YA space is reflected in the Michael L. Printz Honor Book A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti, the Sydney Taylor Honor Book The Last Words We Said by Leah Scheier, the Amelia Bloomer List title The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed, and the multiple books she’s edited that have been named ALA Rainbow List Top Ten selections, including Shaun David Hutchinson’s Brave Face and Sarah Gailey’s When We Were Magic.
Labyrinth Road is a home for middle-grade and young adult books spanning a range of genres, focusing on series and accessible fantasy. Abrams is focused on bringing high-concept, commercial stories built on foundations of deeply relatable characters where the stakes are as intensely emotional as they are epic and urgent. Labyrinth Road is also dedicated to publishing authors, not just books, supporting and launching debut voices as well as growing the careers of established writers. Representation is a priority for the imprint, especially LGBTQIA+ and intersectional identities. Labyrinth Road books will offer young readers an escape from life’s challenges, allowing them to get lost in the story while knowing they are safe and seen and that there’s a road back out to the other side.
Random House Children’s Books (rhcbooks.com) is the world’s largest English-language children’s trade book publisher. Creating books for toddlers through young adult readers, in all formats from board books to activity books to picture books, novels, and nonfiction, the imprints of Random House Children’s Books bring together award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series. Random House Children’s Books is a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
Media Contact: Mary McCue Senior Director, Publicity & Strategic Communications mmccue@penguinrandomhouse.com / Tel: 212-782-9317 |
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