Krystle Appiah

Children’s & YA Fiction Editor

Krystle began her career at Walker Books, working with New York Times-bestselling author Angie Thomas, Carnegie Medal-longlisted and YA Book Prize-shortlisted author Wren James, and on the Carnegie Medal-longlisted poetry collection Somebody Give This Heart a Pen by Sophia Thakur. She also worked on a range of successful picture books and middle grade, including Thomas Taylor’s Malamander, Hayley Chewins’ The Turnaway Girls, as well as on iconic brands like Judy Moody and The Princess in Black.

After leaving Walker Books, Krystle spent time writing, freelancing, working with book packagers, developing IP and managing the launch of new children’s book brands. Though she dabbled in editing literary and historical fiction for adults, children’s books remained her true passion.

During her time at Macmillan, Krystle acquired the lead YA horror title The Changing Man and worked on a broad range of middle grade and young adult fiction, from Sir Lenny Henry’s The Boy with Wings to Padraig Kenny’s The Shadows of Rookhaven. As an in-house editor, Krystle gained valuable insights into the children’s book market and developed a keen eye for the books that make sales teams, publishers, and editors sit up and pay attention. She has an unmatched ability to identify current and emergent trends and is always eager to help writers hone their novels until they have all of the ingredients needed to succeed.

She loves working on smart and groundbreaking YA, plot-driven contemporary stories, and anything with romance, darkness or magic. In middle grade, Krystle works across every genre, but loves funny, high-octane stories, mysteries, adventures, fantasy, magic and stories that pull on your heartstrings. In new adult, Krystle adores stories grounded in the real world just as much as she loves ones steeped in fantasy, with vivid world-building. She loves complexity and has a soft spot for complex, misunderstood or unlikeable characters. Whatever age or genre a novel is, Krystle is on hand to help create unforgettable characters and help shape your novel into an unputdownable book.

Over her career, Krystle has established herself as an editor focused on collaboration and vision. She approaches each round of editing as both a champion and coach for the writer, seeing not only what is on the page but also envisioning what else is possible. She has a passion for working with writers who are eager to push their ideas further and create novels that are a cut above the rest.

‘An instinctive and creative approach to editing’

“Krystle has such incredible editing 'bedside' manner. It's such a delicate dance. Her golden aim is always to draw out the very best parts of the book for its glory, and she does it with such grace, gentleness and precision. What has the potential to be a tragic process for the writer became something amazing. I watched myself develop with such joy and strength, thanks to Krystle.”  – Sophia Thakur

"I think writers make the best editors. Krystle is a perfect example. She has an instinctive and creative approach to editing, and she's a joy to collaborate with." – Padraig Kenny

“Krystle is an engaged, detail-oriented editor with a meticulous eye and broad knowledge of the YA and children’s space.” – Wren James

Krystle brings her experience as an author and her flair as a publishing editor to our authors’ books to ensure the highest publishing standards.

Editor by day, contemporary fiction author by night

"One of Britain's best new young writers”  – HARPER'S BAZAAR

‍Krystle is a British-Ghanaian writer and screenwriter, born and raised in London. She was one of 40 writers selected for the London Library’s Emerging Writers Programme.

As an editor and an author, Krystle brings a depth of knowledge from both sides of the publishing process. In-house, she gained meaningful insights into the publishing industry and learned to identify what agents and editors were looking for.

She applied this knowledge to her own writing. As a result, Krystle’s first novel Rootless was sold as a six-figure, two-book deal to The Borough Press in the UK, and sold in another six-figure deal to Ballantine Books in the U.S. It was published in the U.K., the U.S, the Netherlands and many other territories all over the world in English, as well as in translation.She is represented by Mushens Entertainment.

"Krystle’s writing is gorgeous, and I found the exploration of love and motherhood very moving—I’m so excited to see The Borough Press launch what I’m sure will be a long and successful writing career.” —Juliet Mushens

Krystle’s Genres

• Children’s Fiction (Middle-Grade)
• Young Adult Fiction
• New Adult Fiction