CC’ing Kristina Hall

December 11, 2025 | jordan bascom | consortium corner

Kristina Hall, Consortium’s manager of marketing services, discusses graphic novels, fantasy recs, and library contests.

Welcome to Consortium Corner, a Q&A series with staff and reps to celebrate Consortium’s 40 years of independent book distribution.

Tell us a little about yourself and what you do at Consortium.

I’m the Marketing Services Manager at Consortium—I coordinate various marketing opportunities on behalf of our publishers, write Consortium’s children’s and graphic novel newsletters, attend certain conferences, and give marketing feedback and advice to our publishers (among other things!). Outside of the book world, I love drawing and making art, going to concerts, biking around the Twin Cities, playing tabletop games with friends, cooking, and watching trashy TV shows.

What are 5 Consortium titles you love and why?

The Grumpy Ghost Upstairs by Mamiko Shiotani, trans. Polly Lawson (Floris Books)
The illustrations in this picture book are so charming—and the grumpy ghost himself is a top-tier Little Guy.

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, trans. Ros Schwartz (Transit Books)
Reading this was the first time in years I’ve finished a book in one sitting. Incredibly compelling, and I love how much of the setting and its history are left up to your imagination.

Banned Book Club by Sook Kim Hyun and Ryan Estrada, illus. Ko Hyung-Ju (Iron Circus Comics)
An inspiring and (unfortunately) relevant YA graphic novel.

The Jellyfish by Boum, trans. Robin Lang (Pow Pow Press)
Another graphic novel I really enjoyed—expressive art that conveys life with disability in a really unique way.

The Full-Moon Whaling Chronicles by Jason Guriel (Biblioasis)
I had to rewire my brain (in a good way) to read this book—I loved the weird futuristic setting and many bizarre details.

Next book on deck (pun unintended): Vampires at Sea from Creature Publishing.

Outside of Consortium titles, what books have you enjoyed recently?

I tend to enjoy fantasy, speculative fic, or generally weird books—recent reads include Metal from Heaven by August Clarke, The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera, A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon, and N. K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy. Next on my list is R.F. Kuang’s Katabasis.

Can you share any special or formative experiences you’ve had with bookstores and libraries?

Yes! I spent a ton of time at the library growing up. One favorite memory is when I was a teenager, the Twin Cities regional public library system (shoutout to MELSA) held a short film competition with the requirement that films take place in a library. Our local librarians were kind enough to let me and my friends stage an entire spy thriller in their branch (librarians are the best). I also have fond memories of working as a cataloging assistant at my college’s library, a job to which I owe my introduction to title management systems and ability to quickly 10-key ISBNs (a useful skill in publishing).

In your time at Consortium, what memorable or meaningful moments stand out?

It’s always wonderful when I get to see and talk to our publishers in person. Most recently I was able to do so at the American Library Association Conference in Philly, which several of our publishers also attended. It’s also fun to meet the authors our publishers bring to these shows; having folks involved in a book’s creation, production, and distribution all together in one place reminds you just how many people are involved in the life of a book and getting it into readers’ hands.

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