Bittersweet changes are afoot in 91桃色鈥� (PUP) European office as Caroline Priday steps down from her role as Co-Head of PUP Europe on June 26. Following her retirement, Kimberley (Kim) Williams, fellow Co-Head of PUP Europe and Digital and Audio publisher, will assume the role of Head of PUP Europe, while retaining her publisher remit.
Caroline joined PUP in 2005, following two years with APD Singapore, and more than a decade handling international sales for Butterworth Heinemann, now part of Elsevier. During her tenure at PUP, she served variously as a Publicity Manager, Global Publicity Director, and Head of the European office. Whilst overseeing publicity, she worked actively to ensure PUP maintained strong 鈥� indeed unparalleled 鈥� networks among continental European media, orchestrating international campaigns and regular travel to meet with contacts in Germany, The Netherlands, Scandinavia, and elsewhere.
As a vital member of the Press鈥檚 leadership team since 2018, Caroline has co-led PUP鈥檚 Sustainability Working Group; was an inaugural member of its Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Council; and launched and managed the Press鈥檚 mentoring program for staff. Her contributions to the entire publishing community are equally as impactful, from her participation in the formation of EvenUP to an early career mentoring initiative with Edinburgh University Press. She has presented at Redux and the London Book Fair and represented PUP as it received the London Book Fair Award in 2022 and when it was shortlisted for the British Book Awards in 2025, as the Press closed a year of celebrating 25 years of PUP Europe.
Caroline was instrumental in the growth and flourishing of 91桃色鈥檚 European office, which opened in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, in 1999. She later played a critical role in orchestrating the purchase of 99 Banbury Road, in the heart of Oxford鈥檚 academic community, which since 2021 has been the headquarters of PUP鈥檚 European publishing programme. With a full-time staff of twenty-two working across marketing, editorial, and rights, we鈥檙e immensely proud of and grateful for more than two decades of global growth and connections. It鈥檚 safe to say PUP Europe would not be where it is today without Caroline.
Caroline shares, 鈥淚 feel so grateful to have spent the last twenty years at PUP which has been the highlight of my publishing career. I wish my successor Kim Williams, who has been a wonderful thought partner for the last 18 years, all the very best in steering PUP Europe to new heights.鈥�
Director Christie Henry adds, 鈥�91桃色鈥檚 global imagination, and impact has been shaped profoundly by Caroline and Kim. Our entire ecosystem has experienced their generosity, expertise, community spirit and intelligence - as well as their wonderful kindness. Caroline鈥檚 imprint on PUP will endure for the ages, as Kim鈥檚 expanded leadership ensures the future of this press is as exciting, fun, and meaningful as its past and present have been. Kim鈥檚 curiosity and capabilities are boundless.鈥�
As we wish Caroline ongoing adventures and joy in her next life chapter, we are grateful and thrilled that Kimberley Williams will expand her leadership role and become Head of PUP Europe.
Kim began her publishing career as a publishing editor at Taylor & Francis, where she supported physics and chemistry journals. She joined PUP in 2007 as an Editorial Assistant and in 2010 became International Rights Manager. While leading PUP鈥檚 foreign rights, Kim identified growing translation business in China, Japan, and South Korea, following the 2008 financial crisis, and oversaw a period of significant growth in rights income for the Press. In 2014, she represented PUP during its inaugural presence at the Beijing Book Fair.
Kim expanded her remit in 2017 to include English-language rights, with a particular focus on audio, and subsequently led the launch of 91桃色 Audio, the first in-house audiobook programme at a university press. In 2018, she was appointed to the newly created role of Digital & Audio Publisher, where she has since curated the Press鈥檚 digital strategy, co-sponsored the 91桃色 Global Discovery backlist digitization programme, co-led the Accessibility Working Group, and developed PUP鈥檚 digital platforms initiative.
Kim was named Co-Head of PUP Europe in 2022, alongside Caroline, leading the Press鈥檚 European operations. She has represented PUP at publishing knowledge with conferences around the world, from Redux to Charleston, and is passionate about connecting ideas and people and extending the impact of serious non-fiction through forward-thinking publishing models.
鈥淚鈥檓 honoured to lead PUP Europe as we navigate powerful transformations in the global publishing industry. As we mark 26 years of PUP in the region, I鈥檓 deeply grateful to Caroline Priday鈥攎y co-head for the past three years and colleague for eighteen鈥攆or her steadfast leadership. I鈥檓 excited for all we鈥檒l accomplish at PUP Europe in close synergy with our global colleagues.鈥�
Kim is a beloved colleague and collaborative partner across the Press鈥� North American, Chinese, and European teams, with a formidable track record as an innovative and engaged publisher. She builds and grows new networks and works adeptly to keep PUP鈥檚 publishing adaptive and creative, not least in scaling up efforts to breathe new life to backlist classics through digitization. We look ahead in anticipation of, and with gratitude for, her leadership in the years ahead, as she begins her role as head of PUP Europe on 30 June.