We’re back at it, spotlighting some of the wonderful people who work here at Peachtree! Last week we heard from our Senior Editor, Vicky Holifield, and today we are excited to introduce our Special Sales Manager and Subsidiary Rights Director, Farah Gehy!
She answered some questions so that everyone could get to know her a little better.
Tell us about your history with Peachtree.
I have been working here almost 6 years, and I can’t believe that this summer will mark 21 years working in the industry. I was planning a move to Atlanta and wanted to stay in publishing, and luckily found Peachtree. I met with our publisher at BEA the year before moving, and as luck would have it, everything lined up and I started at Peachtree shortly after moving to Atlanta from New York.
What are your top three favorite books, any genre?
– The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (or as I like to call him— God’s gift to humanity)
– The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (I LOVE him!)
– Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling
– The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson
– Captain Corelli’s Mandalin by Louis De Bernieres
– To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
– Brother, I’m Dying by Edwidge Danticat
– Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken
– Lord of the Flies by William Golding
– The Basque History of the World by Mark Kurlansky
– Between Shades of Gray and Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys
– Kindred by Octavia Butler
– The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
– A Song of Ice and Fire series (AKA Game of Thrones) by George R.R. Martin
– Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
If you could be a literary character for a day, who would you be?
This is another hard one. I don’t think I can choose.
Who is your hero or role model and why?
This one is easy. My Mom is my hero. She put herself through nursing school, after her father passed away when she was 16. She always instilled in her daughters the importance of education and self-sufficiency.
What is your favorite thing about working at Peachtree?
I love that I wear many different hats. While it can be overwhelming at times, I love that I’m learning so much about the industry as a whole. I worked in subsidiary rights for 15 years before coming to Peachtree, and it will always be my first love. Although I still handle rights, I’m also handling special sales, international sales and eBooks here. I feel a lot more well-rounded in my knowledge of the industry because of this.
In your position, what do you consider to be your secret weapon?
I don’t know that it’s a secret, but I aim to be fair in all of my dealings. I hope that my reputation over the past 20+ years reflects that.
Do you have any big interests or hobbies that you focus on outside of work?
My hobby, outside of work is… reading! I know, it’s crazy. I’m surrounded by books every day, and I go home and surround myself with more! It’s not unusual to find me up until at least 12:00 reading a book.
If, in an alternate reality, you were to have gone a completely different career route, what would you have done?
Perish the thought! I’ve always worked in the field of words—my very first job in high school was at our local library. If I did not work in publishing, I would hope that I could still work with words, somehow.
Feel free to write any questions or comments for Farah below!
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