Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand would like to announce that Jenny Hellen will be retiring from her role as Publisher at Large in December 2026. Jenny has had a long and hugely successful publishing career of over 35 years, working with such authors as Chelsea Winter, Al Brown, Ruby Tui, Nadia Lim, Helen Clark, the Topp Twins, Ruth Shaw, Abbas Nazari, Tom Scott, Gwendoline Smith, Rachael King, Mat Tait and many more of New Zealand’s best writers and illustrators.

A&U is pleased to announce that Rachel Nobilo has been promoted to the role of Commissioning Editor and will lead our children’s publishing list.

Rachel is a highly regarded publishing professional who has previously spent the last decade at award-winning independent UK publishing houses Profile Books and Swift Press, most recently as their Marketing and Publicity Director working across fiction and non-fiction. She has been shortlisted for a PPC Bookseller Award and directed multiple Sunday Times bestselling marketing campaigns. Her freelance work for publishers and organisations across the UK and Aotearoa included Sort of Books, HarperCollins Aotearoa New Zealand and The Coalition for Books among others.

Jenny Hellen says, ‘It’s bittersweet to be retiring and leaving the world of publishing — I absolutely love it and it will be very hard to stop thinking like a publisher! It’s been an absolute privilege to work with so many talented people and to help them create wonderful books, and I will miss it deeply. I will also miss the amazing team of glorious, clever, funny women at Allen & Unwin Aotearoa. But it’s time to move on to other exciting things. I’m delighted to be able to pass on my list to Rachel Nobilo and I look forward to seeing where she takes it.’

Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand Managing Director Melanie Laville-Moore says, ‘What an absolute privilege it has been to work alongside Jenny for the past 12 years. Her publishing and impact to the Allen & Unwin Aotearoa NZ business have been profound, but her legacy stretches far beyond. Jenny is a titan of the wider book industry with many writing and publishing careers made all the better because of her direct care and influence. I am thrilled that the multi-talented Rachel Nobilo will re-join the team and continue the very strong children’s publishing that Jenny so quickly established.’

Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand Publishing Director Michelle Hurley says, ‘Jenny is without doubt the most successful publisher in New Zealand, with her string of award-winning books and bestsellers literally too numerous to count. In a very short time, she has built the Allen & Unwin Aotearoa NZ children’s list into a hugely successful and well-regarded list. More than that, she has been an extraordinary mentor to both myself and many others in the industry. We will deeply miss her expertise, leadership and her humour.

‘I am delighted that Rachel Nobilo is joining the publishing and editorial team as Commissioning Editor. She has deep industry experience and I know will apply her drive and intelligence to further cement our children’s publishing list.’

Rachel will start in the role in mid-October.