Lea Beresford – Editor

I edit accessible literary fiction and non-fiction. Most recently I was a senior editor at Bloomsbury; I have also worked at Random House and the Irene Skolnick Literary Agency, and I’m a graduate of Cornell University and the Columbia Publishing Course. I have a reputation for giving the highest level of author care, providing as many rounds of hands-on editing as a book needs, tenacious advocacy, and emotional support.

SELECTED PROJECTS:

· I’m particularly proud of editing two-time Booker Prize finalist Deborah Levy’s Hot Milk, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year; her recent non-fiction projects The Cost of Living and Things I Don’t Want to Know; and The Man Who Saw Everything, which was longlisted for the Booker, shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize, and named one of 2019’s best books of the year by the New York Times, the New York Public Library, The Washington Post,, and Publishers Weekly (top ten), among others.

· Light from Other Stars by Erika Swyler, author of the bestselling novel The Book of Speculation, received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, BookPage, and Shelf Awareness. Kirkus Reviews called it “grand in scope and graceful in execution . . . profound.”

· The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon debuted on the New York Times bestseller list and was an Amazon Book of the Month and a Library Reads pick.

· Adrienne Celt’s Invitation to a Bonfire was an Indie Next pick and an Amazon Book of the Month; was named one of the best books of the summer by Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Parade,, and; and was called “nothing less than an exhibition of stylistic virtuosity, a pyrotechnic display of fine writing” by the Financial Times.

· Briallen Hopper’s essay collection, Hard to Love, garnered lavish praise from Leslie Jamison, Rebecca Traister, Jami Attenberg, Alice Bolin, Esmé Weijun Wang, Ada Calhoun, Gregory Pardlo, and Anne Fadiman. called it “daring,” “brilliant,” and “ingenious.”

· Here Is Real Magic, a memoir about the importance of wonder in everyday life by magician Nate Staniforth, was an Amazon Book of the Month and received glowing blurbs from Lev Grossman, Chris Guillebeau, and Glen David Gold.

· Holy Lands by Amanda Sthers, the author’s English language debut, was said by to have “the timing, wit, and warmth of a screwball screenplay that isn’t allowed to idle for more than a beat . . . [she] captures her characters’ distinct voices and dueling positions with practiced concision and obvious relish.” It is now a major motion picture starring James Caan, Rosanna Arquette, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

· Rebecca Dinerstein’s debut novel, The Sunlit Night, was called “exuberant,” by the Wall Street Journal, “an original work of gentle irony counterpoised by delightful sincerity, which offers distinct turns of phrase with precision and beauty.” The film, with a screenplay written by the author, stars Jenny Slate, Gillian Anderson, and Zach Galifianakis, and debuted at Sundance.