Sarah Jessica Parker Is Starting Book Imprint SJP Lit

Sarah Jessica Parker is launching a book imprint, SJP Lit, with independent publisher Zando, reports Deadline. The imprint will publish “sweeping, expansive, thought-provoking, and big-hearted literary and commercial works that are inclusive of international and underrepresented voices.” According to the article, Zando will utilize the And Just Like That… and Sex and the City actress’s “far-reaching celebrity to connect both emerging and established authors with new and eager readers.” SJP Lit will publish four to six books over a three-year time period, though the initial titles have not yet been announced.

Of the collaboration, Parker said in a statement, “It is with tremendous pride and delight that I announce the launch of my new imprint, SJP Lit. I’m thrilled to be back in the business of books, in partnership once again with the great Molly Stern and the brilliant team she’s built at Zando. I make no secret of my devotion to books, the necessary role they play in my life and my endless admiration for authors and storytellers. So it’s simply a dream come true to have the opportunity to participate again in the discovery and support of extraordinary new voices. I feel especially fortunate to take part in the process of helping readers uncover their new favorite books and authors, a task I don’t take lightly and will tend to fiercely.”​ On Instagram, paired with a photo of her reading The Catcher in the Rye, Parker called it a “very special day” and said SJP Lit will be “dedicated to publishing books that capture the public imagination.”

Zando is headed by publishing executive Molly Stern, CEO, who said in a statement, “Sarah Jessica’s authentic passion for and commitment to books has long been a source of deep inspiration to me, and a guiding light for Zando’s mission. Reading, discovering, and discussing exciting new voices with her is one of life’s great pleasures. Sarah Jessica is an essential part of Zando’s DNA, and I’m so proud to be able to build and publish with her again.”

Parker previously launched the SJP for Hogarth line for the Hogarth imprint of Penguin Random House’s Crown Publishing Group, which published titles such as A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza and Golden Child by Claire Adam. With SJP Lit, Parker will be working with Stern under her former role as SVP and Publisher. Publishers Weekly reports that Parker and Stern had also collaborated on Parker’s book club. Zando also said in a statement the publisher will be “heavily involved in the publishing process, from selection and acquisition to cover design and the book’s release into the marketplace.”

Zando’s website describes the company as an independent publisher “connects aspiring authors to the audiences they deserve—and helps readers find new books to love.” According to Publishers Weekly, this is the latest in Zando’s celebrity lines, including “John Legend’s Get Lifted, Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Productions, and the Gillian Flynn Books imprint.”

Stern started Zando in October 2020, and told Publishers Weekly at the time that she saw an opening to try something new in book publishing, saying, “I thought there was something missing. Right now, we have lots of possibilities to explore.”