Ashwin Khurana Email & Phone Number

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Informed by data and insight, the Penguin Publishing Lab seeks out, commissions, and develops trend-driven titles.

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

With more than 14 years experience in London creating highly illustrated books as an editor, writer, and project manager, I am now based in Sydney and taking on new projects. Here's how I can help you achieve your goals...- Commission creative staff to help on projects, from authors, celebrity foreword writers, and fact-checkers to photographers, artists, and sensitivity readers.- Generate gold standard sales metadata for both frontlist and backlist titles, leading to improved product discoverability online and greater revenue.- Instill a clear creative vision with every title, always set within a realistic timeline and budget.- Look for new sales channels – for example, working alongside educators to align backlist trade titles with different curricula in order to sell into schools worldwide.- Manage colleagues around the world, from formulating realistic schedules to maintaining a high standard of output.- Collaborate closely with graphic designers, producers, printers, publicists, marketers, operational and finance colleagues, salespeople, and data analysts.- Present titles to sales and rights teams, often in the lead up to product and book fairs.- Engage with publicity and marketing teams to ensure they understand the product and are able to promote it effectively.- Help create – or amend existing – operational workflows and guidelines for best company practice.- Negotiate pay and write up contracts.- Take an active role to improve representation, from the commissioned authors and illustrators who make the books to the models photographed.- Research new title and series ideas, both individually and in teams.- Mentor new starters to ensure they get off on the right foot and have somebody to turn to, be it professional challenges or personal problems.- Write catchy and age-appropriate book spreads, punchy blurbs, and consumer-facing copy.

London, England Metropolitan Area

London, Greater London, United Kingdom

• Make award-winning books on a range of subjects, from science to the arts, in both quirky and traditional styles. • Work alongside talented graphic designers, editors, and a host of celebrated household names such as Carol Vorderman and Robert Winston.• Select authors and consultants, research new book ideas, prepare contents pages, and write book spreads. • Pen snappy copy for sales documents and punchy blurbs for our books, as well as scripts for video tutorials that appear on DK's YouTube channel. • Liaise with the management team to ensure targets are being met, including budgets. • Manage a small team in our Delhi office to create workflows and maintain quality control. • As a "Publishing Superuser", I look after the metadata that is fed out to Amazon and other sales channels. • Train editorial colleagues how to write the best possible sales copy that leads to higher rates of discoverability for our books. • Work in the Diversity and Inclusivity team, looking at issues surrounding content and recruitment.

London, United Kingdom

• Meet regularly with internal partners, from production editors, producers and technical professionals to the sales and marketing teams. • Build relationships with a number of third parties, from photographers to packagers.• Work with iconic institutions, such as the Smithsonian. • Pitch ideas for fast turnaround publications outside of mainstream avenues, such as WH Smith and Costco.

London, United Kingdom

• Assist the Senior Editor and Art Editor to create books for children aged 9 and over. • Work alongside out-of-house experts, from authors and consultants to proofreaders and indexers. • Brief colleagues, such as graphic designers and vital third parties, including picture researchers, so we can always generate the best possible product with a clear, unique vision. • Use various software systems, including Biblio, SAP, and Basware. • Agree budgets with freelancers. • Draw up contracts.

London, United Kingdom

• Maintain a website for Dorling Kindersley: this site was made for a series of encyclopedias, and was sponsored by Google. • Write and edit my first books for children, working alongside fellow editors, graphic designers, authors, and consultants.• Prepare and present new ideas for current and forthcoming titles.

London, United Kingdom

At this small, one-entry school I was in charge of English as an Additional Language (EAL). In a multicultural city, the students attending Saint Agnes of course mirrored the society of its surrounding East London. I was responsible for creating literacy programmes for new and continuing students. I was also the physical education teacher for reception to year 6, taught students in the lead up to entrance exams for secondary school, helped produce a school play, and attended staff meetings and professional development seminars in the literacy and science curricula.

London, United Kingdom

I worked in several boroughs in and around London as a primary school teacher. The nature of this kind of work involved teaching from one day to several months at a time. I excelled in all the places I taught at, forming a quick bond with the students to ensure minimal disruption to their education. During this time, I branched out also as a physical education instructor, and enjoyed teaching from reception to year 6 (children aged 4 to 11).

Woodend, Australia

For two years, I worked in this rural school just outside of Melbourne. As a grade 5 teacher, I was responsible for the pastoral care and education of 28 boys and girls aged 10. This included teaching English, Mathematics, Science, and General Studies. I had an excellent grasp of curriculum and was always inspired to create interesting, creative, and challenging lessons. I also worked in the secondary school, assisting teenagers in a wide variety of co-curricular competitive sports, from the Tournament of the Minds and Debating to the Solar Car Challenge. Although I was given an award by the University of New South Wales as an Outstanding Teacher of Gifted Children, my main goal was to help all children achieve their maximum potential, from the classroom to the sports field.

Master'S Degree, Publishing

Masters (Publishing)

Bachelor Of Teaching, Primary Education

Activities and Societies: Amnesty International; Contemporary Book Lovers Society; Tennis Club Education (Primary)

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Psychology

Psychology and Children's Literature