International Literary Properties Hires Kent Nicholson and Jessica Mariani

International Literary Properties announced two new appointments to its staff. Kent Nicholson has been named SVP of Global Franchise Management and Jessica Mariani will serve as VP, Business & Legal Affairs. Nicholson and Mariani officially joined the ILP team on June 3 and are based out of ILP’s New York offices.

International Literary Properties is a global company that invests in, acquires, manages, and enhances literary and theatrical estates. With a team based across New York, London, Los Angeles and Austin, ILP works closely with book authors, playwrights, lyricists and composers, along with their representatives, heirs and estate managers to protect legacies and bring classic works to new international audiences. Since its founding in 2020, ILP has built a diverse portfolio of iconic creators, including Damon Runyon, Somerset Maugham, Langston Hughes, Alfred Uhry, Cornell Woolrich, Ann Rule, Georges Simenon, James M. Cain, Joseph Kesselring, and Georgette Heyer. ILP partners with leading creatives and media producers to develop new adaptations across publishing, television, film, theatre, and digital platforms.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kent Nicholson and Jessica Mariani to our rapidly expanding team,” said CEO of ILP Theatrical Michael Barra. “They both bring years of experience and expertise with them, including Kent’s extensive experience in theatrical licensing and publishing and Jessica’s previous cross media roles at NBC Universal.”

CEO of ILP Literary Scott Hoffman said “Adding seasoned professionals like Kent and Jessica to the ILP team allows us to expand on our best-in-class literary and theatrical legacy management. What Kent and Jessica bring to the table in expertise and creativity will be a tremendous asset as we continue introduce our authors, illustrators, and playwrights to a whole new generation.”

Kent Nicholson was most recently the Senior Vice President of Artistic Services and Acquisitions at Broadway Licensing Global, and brings to ILP nearly 30 years of experience developing new theatrical work across the United States. At BLG he led the strategic acquisition of titles and development initiatives across the company’s imprints: Broadway Licensing, Dramatists Play Service, and Playscripts, as well as overseeing industry partnerships and relationships with preeminent creatives and producers globally.

Jessica Mariani joins ILP directly from NBC Universal, where she served as Senior Director of Legal Business Affairs for UDX – Universal Creative. In her nine years with Creative, Jessica lead global business affairs and legal clearance for Universal’s new theme park developments. Prior to NBC Universal, she spent nine years at Electronic Arts, focused on business affairs, licensing, and rights management for a multitude of titles under EA SPORTS production and development.