Congratulations, William Morrow!
With the support of the publisher, Shelf Awareness celebrates the 100th anniversary of William Morrow.
Also published on this date: Indies Open in Kan. & Calif.; Robert Gray on the Nibbies Indie Bookshop of the Year Finalists; RIP Michael Silverblatt
February 19, 2026 Dedicated Issue: William Morrow's 100th Anniversary
Editors' Note
Books & Authors
A Century of Publishing Influential and Popular Works
William Morrow's first logo
Congratulations to William Morrow, the HarperCollins Publishers imprint that is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year! Founded in 1926 by William Morrow, a Harvard graduate born in Dublin, and a part of HarperCollins since 1999, the imprint over the past century has published some of the country's most influential and popular works of fiction and nonfiction, books that have shaped the literary and cultural life of America and achieved enduring commercial success.
1945 logo
William Morrow has always had a commitment to authors—discovering, developing, and championing distinctive voices across generations. Its authors are Pulitzer Prize–winners, National Book Award winners and finalists, National Book Critics Circle Award honorees, and winners and honorees of many other prizes and awards. William Morrow has published hundreds of New York Times bestsellers, nearly 50 of which reached the #1 position, as well as books selected by major book clubs and national reading communities. This record reflects the imprint's ability to identify books with lasting appeal that resonate with readers and perform well in the marketplace. The balance of cultural impact and commercial strength remains central to William Morrow's publishing identity.
1967 logo
Consider some of the outstanding titles that have marked William Morrow's impact on the political, social, and cultural history of the country. They include such iconic works and masterpieces as The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig, Made in America by Bill Bryson, Baking with Julia by Julia Child, Profiles in Black Courage by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, All About Love by bell hooks, Marley & Me by John Grogan, American Sniper by Chris Kyle, Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum, The Summer of '49 by David Halberstam, The Chez Panisse Café Cookbook by Alice Waters, Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett, Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni, Lost Horizon by James Hilton, The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond, Healing After Loss by Martha W. Hickman, and Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly.
Current logo
To mark the anniversary, William Morrow has created a list of 100 books drawn from its catalog that reflect the imprint's editorial range and contribution to literary culture. The list includes the works above as well as titles by authors such as Ray Bradbury, Ian Fleming, Lucy Foley, Paulette Giles, Greg Iles, Joe Hill, John Irving, R.F. Kuang, Elmore Leonard, Laura Lippman, J.A. Vance, Gregory Maguire, Brad Meltzer, Kate Quinn, James Rollins, Karin Slaughter, Neal Stephenson, and Don Winslow. It's an amazing list.
William Morrow's 10th anniversary spread in PW in 1936.
At HarperCollins, William Morrow is the flagship imprint for the Morrow Group, which includes Avon, publisher of romance and romantic comedy; Harper Voyager, which focuses on science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction; Mariner, which publishes literary fiction, upmarket nonfiction, and an enduring backlist of classics; Dey Street Books, which is focused on pop culture and celebrity authors; and Harvest Books and Harper Wave, which specialize in lifestyle, wellness, and cookbooks.
'Carrying on the Tradition of Exceptional Publishing'
Key editorial executives are understandably proud of William Morrow's century of distinction.
Jessica Williams, VP, Editorial Director of Fiction at Morrow, notes, "For the past 100 years, William Morrow has excelled at discovering an extraordinary array of fiction voices and publishing them to the widest possible audience. It's been an honor to grow up here and absorb so much of that legacy and spirit, the idea that we should celebrate the unique and singular, the unconventional, the hard-to-categorize novel, or the manuscript that's unlike anything we've ever read before, to generally embrace and uplift great storytelling across all genres. This way of thinking defines much of what continues to drive our success as an imprint today. I'm so proud to play even a small role in the history of this imprint."
Emily Krump, VP, Editorial Director of Fiction at Morrow, adds, "It's thrilling to be celebrating the 100th anniversary of William Morrow, and carry that tradition of exceptional publishing into the next one hundred years. I feel privileged to be part of this team publishing stories with real impact—stories that bring joy and escape, encourage dialogue, and expand world views. At Morrow we have a long history of publishing well across categories to build authors' careers into household brands, and in turn shape the cultural conversation. I'm proud to have a small part in this important work."
And Mauro DiPreta, SVP, Editorial Director of Nonfiction at Morrow, observes, "Looking back at 100 years of William Morrow's nonfiction is like taking a time-traveling adventure where you see the authors and books that not only reflected their eras, but also helped define them. We're proud to continue that tradition today."
Q&A: The Heads of Fiction and Nonfiction on William Morrow
Responding to Shelf Awareness questions, Mauro DiPreta, Jessica Williams, and Emily Krump discuss the many qualities that distinguish William Morrow, its numerous notable authors and titles, and plans for William Morrow's next century.
What is the focus of your publishing program?
Mauro DiPreta
Mauro DiPreta: The nonfiction program looks to both anticipate and reflect society's interests and concerns with a list of leading and diverse authors whose work offers provocative perspectives in a broad range of categories. Backlist staples include Freakonomics, Marley & Me, American Sniper, The One Minute Manager, Hidden Figures, The Pioneer Woman and the Magnolia Table series. Recent bestsellers include The Greatest Beer Run Ever, The Boys, One Damn Thing After Another, Feeding the Soul, and Strange Planet.
Jessica Williams and Emily Krump: The fiction list is distinguished by its depth and range, quality writing, immersive storytelling, and wide appeal. It reflects the rich, nuanced complexity of our world while also providing escapist entertainment. Including world-renowned classics by Ray Bradbury, Agatha Christie, Ian Fleming, Nikki Giovanni, bell hooks, Elmore Leonard, and J.R.R. Tolkien, and current bestselling and award-winning authors such as Tessa Bailey, Alyssa Cole, Lucy Foley, Jenna Bush Hager, Joe Hill, Greg Iles, J. A. Jance, Paulette Jiles, Christina Baker Kline, Rebecca F. Kuang, Jean Kwok, Laura Lippman, Brad Meltzer, Kate Quinn, James Rollins, Karin Slaughter, Neal Stephenson, Peter Swanson, Brad Taylor, Susan Wiggs, Don Winslow, and many more.
Jessica Williams
What areas and genres are you especially strong in?
MDP: Narrative nonfiction, memoir, pop culture, politics, and cookbooks.
JW/EK: We particularly excel at book club fiction, suspense, women's fiction, and genre-bending stories.
What plans do you have for your part of Morrow as it begins its second century?
MDP: Some things will never change: for instance, finding writers whose work you fall passionately in love with and want to share with the world. What has changed is how they consume that work across physical and digital formats, and the ways in which we help connect readers with authors. Of course, there are challenges in an increasingly fractured media and news landscape, but they also present exciting opportunities that we are constantly testing, exploring, and evaluating with each title we publish.
JW/EK: We believe it's vitally important that the books we're publishing reflect the world we live in now in all of its richness and diversity in experience and point of view.
Emily Krump
What current reading and publishing trends stand out and how will your part of Morrow adapt and thrive in connection with them?
MDP/JW/EK: With the changing media landscape, we're thinking more strategically about ways to connect directly with readers to better support our authors.
Please describe Morrow's important series.
JW/EK: Being asked to identify our most important series is sort of like being asked to choose a favorite child; it's impossible. All of our series are important to us and we're proud to be the publishing home of world-renowned classics by Ray Bradbury, Agatha Christie, Ian Fleming, Nikki Giovanni, bell hooks, Elmore Leonard, and J.R.R. Tolkien, along with current bestselling and award-winning authors such as Lucy Foley, Joe Hill, Rebecca F. Kuang, Kate Quinn, Karin Slaughter, Philippa Gregory, Neal Stephenson, Don Winslow, and many more.
What are the highlights of Morrow's history?
MDP: Established in 1926 by William Morrow. Scott, Foresman & Co. acquired it in 1967 and then sold it to Hearst Corp. in 1981. News Corp. acquired it in 1999, and it has been a thriving division within HarperCollins ever since. But the story of William Morrow is better told through the books it has published. Look at the top 100 in nonfiction and you will find books that had a huge impact and influence on the industry and readers, among them: Freakonomics, Marley & Me, The One-Minute Manager, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, American Sniper, The Summer of '49, Influence, Mommie Dearest, Black Elk Speaks, The Chez Panisse Café Cookbook, Understanding Comics, Hidden Figures, and much more. And writers such as David Halberstam, Bill Bryson, Margaret Mead, bell hooks, Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, Lidia Bastianich, and a who's who of others.
JW/EK: And on the fiction side, in addition to some of the franchises noted above, we've been proud to publish an extensive list of titles that have made a lasting cultural impact like Paulette Jiles's News of the World, Dennis Lehane's Mystic River, Christina Baker Kline's Orphan Train, Gregory Maguire's Wicked, John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany, as well as launching beloved and bestselling recent debut novels like Nikki Erlick's The Measure, Kate Elizabeth Russell's My Dark Vanessa, Kate Quinn's The Alice Network, and so many more.
Editors' Note
Books & Authors
A Century of Publishing Influential and Popular Works
|
|
| William Morrow's first logo | |
Congratulations to William Morrow, the HarperCollins Publishers imprint that is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year! Founded in 1926 by William Morrow, a Harvard graduate born in Dublin, and a part of HarperCollins since 1999, the imprint over the past century has published some of the country's most influential and popular works of fiction and nonfiction, books that have shaped the literary and cultural life of America and achieved enduring commercial success.
|
|
| 1945 logo | |
William Morrow has always had a commitment to authors—discovering, developing, and championing distinctive voices across generations. Its authors are Pulitzer Prize–winners, National Book Award winners and finalists, National Book Critics Circle Award honorees, and winners and honorees of many other prizes and awards. William Morrow has published hundreds of New York Times bestsellers, nearly 50 of which reached the #1 position, as well as books selected by major book clubs and national reading communities. This record reflects the imprint's ability to identify books with lasting appeal that resonate with readers and perform well in the marketplace. The balance of cultural impact and commercial strength remains central to William Morrow's publishing identity.
|
|
| 1967 logo | |
Consider some of the outstanding titles that have marked William Morrow's impact on the political, social, and cultural history of the country. They include such iconic works and masterpieces as The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig, Made in America by Bill Bryson, Baking with Julia by Julia Child, Profiles in Black Courage by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, All About Love by bell hooks, Marley & Me by John Grogan, American Sniper by Chris Kyle, Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum, The Summer of '49 by David Halberstam, The Chez Panisse Café Cookbook by Alice Waters, Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett, Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni, Lost Horizon by James Hilton, The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond, Healing After Loss by Martha W. Hickman, and Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly.
|
|
| Current logo | |
To mark the anniversary, William Morrow has created a list of 100 books drawn from its catalog that reflect the imprint's editorial range and contribution to literary culture. The list includes the works above as well as titles by authors such as Ray Bradbury, Ian Fleming, Lucy Foley, Paulette Giles, Greg Iles, Joe Hill, John Irving, R.F. Kuang, Elmore Leonard, Laura Lippman, J.A. Vance, Gregory Maguire, Brad Meltzer, Kate Quinn, James Rollins, Karin Slaughter, Neal Stephenson, and Don Winslow. It's an amazing list.
|
|
| William Morrow's 10th anniversary spread in PW in 1936. | |
At HarperCollins, William Morrow is the flagship imprint for the Morrow Group, which includes Avon, publisher of romance and romantic comedy; Harper Voyager, which focuses on science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction; Mariner, which publishes literary fiction, upmarket nonfiction, and an enduring backlist of classics; Dey Street Books, which is focused on pop culture and celebrity authors; and Harvest Books and Harper Wave, which specialize in lifestyle, wellness, and cookbooks.
'Carrying on the Tradition of Exceptional Publishing'
Key editorial executives are understandably proud of William Morrow's century of distinction.
Jessica Williams, VP, Editorial Director of Fiction at Morrow, notes, "For the past 100 years, William Morrow has excelled at discovering an extraordinary array of fiction voices and publishing them to the widest possible audience. It's been an honor to grow up here and absorb so much of that legacy and spirit, the idea that we should celebrate the unique and singular, the unconventional, the hard-to-categorize novel, or the manuscript that's unlike anything we've ever read before, to generally embrace and uplift great storytelling across all genres. This way of thinking defines much of what continues to drive our success as an imprint today. I'm so proud to play even a small role in the history of this imprint."
Emily Krump, VP, Editorial Director of Fiction at Morrow, adds, "It's thrilling to be celebrating the 100th anniversary of William Morrow, and carry that tradition of exceptional publishing into the next one hundred years. I feel privileged to be part of this team publishing stories with real impact—stories that bring joy and escape, encourage dialogue, and expand world views. At Morrow we have a long history of publishing well across categories to build authors' careers into household brands, and in turn shape the cultural conversation. I'm proud to have a small part in this important work."
And Mauro DiPreta, SVP, Editorial Director of Nonfiction at Morrow, observes, "Looking back at 100 years of William Morrow's nonfiction is like taking a time-traveling adventure where you see the authors and books that not only reflected their eras, but also helped define them. We're proud to continue that tradition today."
Q&A: The Heads of Fiction and Nonfiction on William Morrow
Responding to Shelf Awareness questions, Mauro DiPreta, Jessica Williams, and Emily Krump discuss the many qualities that distinguish William Morrow, its numerous notable authors and titles, and plans for William Morrow's next century.
What is the focus of your publishing program?
|
|
| Mauro DiPreta | |
Mauro DiPreta: The nonfiction program looks to both anticipate and reflect society's interests and concerns with a list of leading and diverse authors whose work offers provocative perspectives in a broad range of categories. Backlist staples include Freakonomics, Marley & Me, American Sniper, The One Minute Manager, Hidden Figures, The Pioneer Woman and the Magnolia Table series. Recent bestsellers include The Greatest Beer Run Ever, The Boys, One Damn Thing After Another, Feeding the Soul, and Strange Planet.
Jessica Williams and Emily Krump: The fiction list is distinguished by its depth and range, quality writing, immersive storytelling, and wide appeal. It reflects the rich, nuanced complexity of our world while also providing escapist entertainment. Including world-renowned classics by Ray Bradbury, Agatha Christie, Ian Fleming, Nikki Giovanni, bell hooks, Elmore Leonard, and J.R.R. Tolkien, and current bestselling and award-winning authors such as Tessa Bailey, Alyssa Cole, Lucy Foley, Jenna Bush Hager, Joe Hill, Greg Iles, J. A. Jance, Paulette Jiles, Christina Baker Kline, Rebecca F. Kuang, Jean Kwok, Laura Lippman, Brad Meltzer, Kate Quinn, James Rollins, Karin Slaughter, Neal Stephenson, Peter Swanson, Brad Taylor, Susan Wiggs, Don Winslow, and many more.
|
|
| Jessica Williams | |
What areas and genres are you especially strong in?
MDP: Narrative nonfiction, memoir, pop culture, politics, and cookbooks.
JW/EK: We particularly excel at book club fiction, suspense, women's fiction, and genre-bending stories.
What plans do you have for your part of Morrow as it begins its second century?
MDP: Some things will never change: for instance, finding writers whose work you fall passionately in love with and want to share with the world. What has changed is how they consume that work across physical and digital formats, and the ways in which we help connect readers with authors. Of course, there are challenges in an increasingly fractured media and news landscape, but they also present exciting opportunities that we are constantly testing, exploring, and evaluating with each title we publish.
JW/EK: We believe it's vitally important that the books we're publishing reflect the world we live in now in all of its richness and diversity in experience and point of view.
|
|
| Emily Krump | |
What current reading and publishing trends stand out and how will your part of Morrow adapt and thrive in connection with them?
MDP/JW/EK: With the changing media landscape, we're thinking more strategically about ways to connect directly with readers to better support our authors.
Please describe Morrow's important series.
JW/EK: Being asked to identify our most important series is sort of like being asked to choose a favorite child; it's impossible. All of our series are important to us and we're proud to be the publishing home of world-renowned classics by Ray Bradbury, Agatha Christie, Ian Fleming, Nikki Giovanni, bell hooks, Elmore Leonard, and J.R.R. Tolkien, along with current bestselling and award-winning authors such as Lucy Foley, Joe Hill, Rebecca F. Kuang, Kate Quinn, Karin Slaughter, Philippa Gregory, Neal Stephenson, Don Winslow, and many more.
What are the highlights of Morrow's history?
MDP: Established in 1926 by William Morrow. Scott, Foresman & Co. acquired it in 1967 and then sold it to Hearst Corp. in 1981. News Corp. acquired it in 1999, and it has been a thriving division within HarperCollins ever since. But the story of William Morrow is better told through the books it has published. Look at the top 100 in nonfiction and you will find books that had a huge impact and influence on the industry and readers, among them: Freakonomics, Marley & Me, The One-Minute Manager, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, American Sniper, The Summer of '49, Influence, Mommie Dearest, Black Elk Speaks, The Chez Panisse Café Cookbook, Understanding Comics, Hidden Figures, and much more. And writers such as David Halberstam, Bill Bryson, Margaret Mead, bell hooks, Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, Lidia Bastianich, and a who's who of others.
JW/EK: And on the fiction side, in addition to some of the franchises noted above, we've been proud to publish an extensive list of titles that have made a lasting cultural impact like Paulette Jiles's News of the World, Dennis Lehane's Mystic River, Christina Baker Kline's Orphan Train, Gregory Maguire's Wicked, John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany, as well as launching beloved and bestselling recent debut novels like Nikki Erlick's The Measure, Kate Elizabeth Russell's My Dark Vanessa, Kate Quinn's The Alice Network, and so many more.