Simon & Schuster’s Atria Books imprint has entered into a trans-Atlantic co-publishing agreement with UK indie publisher Short Books.

Under this new partnership, Atria intends to bring “the best in contemporary British writing” to North American readers. The new imprint, Marble Arch Press, will launch in fall 2012. Each year, 12 titles from Short Books’ UK list will be selected for publication within the US and Canada in both print and digital format.

Here’s more from the release: “This is the first international co-publishing agreement for Atria. Under the Marble Arch banner, British authors including Justin Webb, Emma Craigie, Betsy Tobin, Sofka Zinovieff and Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall will now see their titles appearing in the US market. The name Marble Arch Press refers to the well-known London landmark near Hyde Park, and is also a nod to Atria’s own Washington Square Press imprint (Washington Square having its own “marble arch” monument).”

Throughout the years, Atria Books publisher Judith Curr has been hailed as one of the most “creative minds” in the US publishing industry. Back in November 2010, Atria signed on to handle the marketing and distribution of Cash Money Content Books.