Pan makes two promotions in editorial

Pan today announces two editorial promotions as the division continues to grow, with Michael Beale and Ríbh Brownlee both stepping up to commissioning roles. 

‘It is a total joy to see our editorial talent grow and develop.’

— Lucy Hale, Managing Director at Pan

Following Tor’s most successful year to date (2025), Michael Beale has been promoted from editor to commissioning editor. Tor celebrated 34% growth (value) last year, with nearly 600,000 books sold through TCM and 1.44m copies sold in all formats internationally. 

Since joining the science fiction and fantasy imprint from Titan Books in 2023, Beale has become a highly valued member of the commissioning team, acquiring standout authors including Tori Bovalino, Ben Shepherd, and Joseph Eckert. 

Beale’s promotion follows a period of exceptional growth for Tor UK, which has seen sales grow more than fourfold in five years. In his new role, Beale will continue to expand his list and seek out bold voices across science fiction, fantasy, and horror.

‘Michael has done such great work over the last year, acquiring fantastic authors and proving himself to be a committed, knowledgeable, and passionate SF/F editor.’

— Bella Pagan, co-publisher at Tor

At Pan Non-Fiction, Ríbh Brownlee has also been promoted from editor to commissioning editor. Pan Non-Fiction grew 5.9% (value) last year, following the success of no.1 Sunday Times bestseller and cultural phenomenon Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams.

After joining the company in early 2024, Brownlee’s maiden acquisition, Why Nobody Understands Quantum Physics, was one of Waterstones' best-performing popular science books in 2025. She also signed The Emergent Mind by Gaurav Suri and Jay McClelland, which was named a top book of 2025 by The New Scientist.

‘Ríbh is rapidly building an eclectic and important list across a number of categories... has a great eye for publishing books that matter in a commercial way.’

— Mike Harpley, Publisher in Non-Fiction at Pan

Bella Pagan, co-publisher at Tor UK, said: 'Michael has done such great work over the last year, acquiring fantastic authors and proving himself to be a committed, knowledgeable, and passionate SF/F editor. I can’t wait to see what’s next as he continues to develop his list. I’m delighted to see him take this well-deserved step up to Commissioning Editor as we continue our ambitious plans for Tor UK'.

Beale added: 'It's been a privilege to be part of Tor's incredible year and I couldn't ask for better people to work alongside. I'm thrilled to be stepping into this new role and to be part of the team representing some of the best in SFFH. I'm eager to acquire visceral, gritty epic fantasy, mind-bending horror, and high-concept science fiction from authors writing fierce and inventive fiction with a genre-defying edge'.

Mike Harpley, Publisher in Non-Fiction at Pan, said: 'Ríbh is a talented editor who has a brilliant career ahead of her. She is rapidly building an eclectic and important list across a number of categories, from history to popular science and has a great eye for publishing books that matter in a commercial way.'

Brownlee commented: 'I have loved building my list of talented authors at Pan Macmillan over the last couple of years. I'm excited to publish their brilliant books and expand my list even further. I'm so privileged to be part of the stellar Pan team and looking forward to discovering new talent, commissioning with passion and helping to shape our Non-fiction list in exciting new ways.'

Lucy Hale, Managing Director at Pan added: 'It is a total joy to see our editorial talent grow and develop. Both Michael and Ríbh have been instrumental to Pan’s growth, building their respective lists with acumen and flair. My warmest congratulations to them both!'

Michael Beale will continue to report to Bella Pagan, while Ríbh Brownlee will continue to report to Mike Harpley, with both promotions coming into effect on 1 April 2026.

Pan grew 6% globally last year (value) in a challenging market, and celebrated 113 appearances in the Sunday Times bestseller chart, up 10% from last year.