Hachette Book Group hosts the 25th Anniversary of the Publishing Certificate Program

On September 27th, 2023, CCNY’s Publishing Certificate Program celebrated its 25th Anniversary amongst industry luminaries at the Hachette Book Group’s headquarters in New York City. CCNY President Vincent Boudreau joined PCP co-founder and novelist Walter Mosley to mark this achievement and underscore the important role the PCP has played in increasing diversity in the publishing industry. Notable guests included Division of Humanities & the Arts Dean Renata Miller, MFA Director Michelle Valladares, and publishers Lisa Lucas (Pantheon & Schocken Books), Krishan Trotman (Legacy Lit), Judith Curr (HarperCollins), Paul Coates (Black Classic Press), Tracy Sherrod (Little, Brown), Dawn Davis (Simon & Schuster), Erika Goldman (Bellevue Literary Press), and Brian Tart (Viking Penguin). Other notables included Publishers Weekly‘s Calvin Reid, Linda Duggins (previously from HBG), former PCP Assistant Director Retha Powers (Henry Holt), and Adrienne Ingrum (Broadleaf Books), as well as prominent agents including Marie Brown, Gloria Loomis, and Ayesha Pande. Though HBG CEO Michael Pietsch was unable to be there, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Carrie Bloxson emceed the event and delivered Mr. Pietsch’s personal remarks praising Walter Mosley, whom he published first in 1990 and then again this year with his new novel Every Man a King, and insisting on the importance of diversity in publishing. PCP Director David Unger discussed the pivotal role that Mosley played in securing initial support from publishers like Scholastic, Harcourt, Inc., Little, Brown, and Bantam Doubleday Dell, and the value of mentoring and internships to “level the playing field” for individuals previously deterred from careers in publishing. Assistant Director Christina Marie Castro gave an overview of program and student successes and impact over the past 25 years, proving that PCP students succeed when given the opportunity to, and relayed firsthand accounts from recent graduates who have shared with her how valuable they feel the PCP classes were in giving them the opportunity to enter a field of meaningful work in which their love of books will be rewarded. Alumni, faculty, colleagues, and longtime supporters, many of whom were also in attendance for the PCP’s 1st year anniversary celebration, mingled and shared memories and plans for future partnerships in diversity building. The evening was beautifully choreographed and for that we thank Hachette Book Group for their unwavering support in helping the PCP commemorate such an important milestone in The City College of New York’s history.