Maisonneuve publisher Derek Webster moves to be ME at Reader's Digest

[This post has been updated]Derek Webster, the founder and publisher of the highly respected and award-winning Maisonneuve magazine, has joined Reader's Digest as its managing editor. A release from the company today said that Webster will be in charge of daily operations of the magazine and will work with Robert Goyette, editor-in-chief, magazines and vice-president.

It's not known who will replace Websterat Maisonneuve or what the long-term implications are for the quarterly; there is no question that it is a major leap from running a smallish literary quarterly to managing the content of Canada's largest circulation magazine.

[Update: Derek Webster tells us:

Maisy stopping? Rumours of the old girls' demise are greatly exaggerated! Or more accurately, no more or less exaggerated than usual for a small Canadian arts magazine. My co-editor and colleague of seven years Carmine Starnino is going to continue to produce the magazine, with young talent Drew Nelles as associate editor. Same award-winning time, same award-winning channel.]

RD publishes 5 magazines, including Reader’s Digest and Sélection, Canada's most read magazines with 7.6 million readers a month. It has recently launched Best Health, a healthy lifestyle magazine for Canadian women and More of Our Canada, a companion magazine to Our Canada magazine, one of the most robust launches in recent years. It operates 4 branded web sites and publishes books, music and video products.

Webster founded Maisonneuve seven years ago and under his leadership it won numerous awards, including, magazine of the year (2005) at the National Magazine Awards. It was also named magazine of the year in 2006 by the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors, and newsstand magazine of the year in 2007 at the Canadian Newsstand Awards.

[Maisonneuve press release re Webster's departure.]