The founders and staff of KOMENAR are Habitual Readers, published writers, professional editors, successful writing teachers, as well as independent booksellers.
Charlotte Cook
Jasmine Nakagawa
Julia Tanner
Charlotte Cook, President of KOMENAR Publishing, is the daughter of one independent bookseller and serves as a consultant for her husband, owner of Sunrise Bookshop, Berkeley, CA.
Charlotte earned a Master in Fine Arts (Creative Writing) from Saint Mary's College of California and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of California at Berkeley. She has studied writing with Pam Houston, Lynn Freed, Jervey Tervalon, and Christopher Tilghman, among others.
Charlotte still teaches public writing workshops and classes. See some examples.
TOPJasmine Nakagawa is the Manager of Marketing at KOMENAR Publishing. She is a Habitual Reader and a graduate of Mills College with a BA in Painting as well as a Masters in Business Administration. She has prior work experiences in the field of early childhood education and currently volunteers with Oakland elementary and high school reading programs. At KOMENAR, Jasmine’s responsibilities include bookseller relationships, marketing strategies, and the ongoing design of the business plan for bringing new novelists to the attention of American readers.
Julia Tanner, Manager of Operations and Technology, joined the KOMENAR team in January 2007. Her responsibilities include overseeing office operations (such as inventory, warehousing, order fulfillment, and scheduling), coordinating travel arrangements, and providing office tech support. She also works closely with KOMENAR's webmaster on the development and maintenance of the KOMENAR website. Julia is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, with a Bachelor of Arts in Astrophysics.