Literary agent Wendy Lipkind passed away on May 9 from cancer at the age of 68. She founded the Wendy Lipkind Literary Agency in 1977, representing a diverse group of non-fiction writers including Ross Greene, Barry Sears, Cynthia Fuchs Epstein and Constance Hale. A private funeral will be held on Friday May 13, and donations in Wendy’s memory may be made to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids or The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation. She is survived by her husband, Hillel Black, and her son, Harry Black. Legacy.com guestbook
Abby Levine will retire in June after 28 years of editorial work at Albert Whitman. She will continue to work on “select projects” for the company.
Kevin Smokler has been named vp, marketing for Byliner, responsible for overseeing marketing initiatives, community management and social media projects. He co-founded and served as ceo for Booktour.com.
BEA has announced the roster of author-focused events around New York City during the same week as the convention, known as New York Book Week. Joining traditional venues such as the NY Public Library and Barnes & Noble is the Apple store in Soho, which will host Meet the Author sessions all week. Also participating Borders at Columbus Circle, The Brooklyn Public Library, Bryant Park Reading Room, The Center for Fiction, Greenlight Bookstore, McNally Jackson Bookstore, powerHouse Arena, Symphony Space, and WORD Books. The full roster is posted here.
Also spreading the word on reading around New York the week is a joint effort between Penguin Classics and the NYPL. 25,000 copies of a new limited-edition book KNOW THY PAST, FIND THE FUTURE, will be distributed free across the city starting May 19. The book comprises photos and essays from “over 100 luminaries discussing items from The New York Public Library’s vast collection.” It commemorates the 100th birthday of the NYPL’s building at 42 Street and Fifth Avenue, and Penguin Classics’ 65th anniversary.
Chris Fabry’s ALMOST HEAVEN won the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Christian Fiction Book of the Year award.
In Canada, a gift from MP Hilary Weston will make the newly renamed Writers Trust Hilary Weston Prize the largest award for factual writing, with winners to receive $60,000.
Globe & Mail
Charlaine Harris has become the fourth author to sell over 1 million Kindle books, Amazon announced.
Book and multimedia developer Vaughn Street will work with Vook as their exclusive creative development partner for publishers and authors in the Christian genre.