Random House Children’s announced a number of promotions in its production department. Mary Ellen Owens has been promoted to production manager, while Shameiza Ally and Natalia Dextre move up to production supervisor. Claribel Vasquez also joins the department as production supervisor, moving over from corporate reprints.
F+W Media announced a number of staff hires. Jamie Wilkinson has joined the company as group publisher/community leader, Automotive/Outdoors. Previously she was senior director of operations and business development at ESPN outdoors. Paul Dinas joins as business editor, arriving from Alpha Books where he was a senior editor. In addition, Simone Parham joins as director of special markets, India Amos has been named digital production ePub QA associate, Bethany Carland-Adams has been named senior publicist, and Lauren Rouleau has joined the company as special sales manager.
David Parrish is moving to Hong Kong as part of his new role as Random House Group Sales and Marketing Director, East Asia.
Sarah Dickman is leaving the Nicholas Ellison Agency after seven years working as director of foreign rights and a literary agent to join Odyl, a social media marketing startup, that specializes in audience development using Facebook. Chelsea Lindman will replace her as director of foreign rights while continuing to work as a domestic agent.
Jane Starr Literary Scouts has been appointed U.S. scout for Brazilian publishing house Editora Sariva.
Patrick Ness has won the Carnegie Medal for his novel MONSTERS OF MEN (Walker Books) and Grahame Baker-Smith won the Greenaway Medal for FArTHER (Templar).
Release
Kim Scott has won the Miles Franklin Award for THAT DEADMAN DANCE (Picador Australia), the second time he has won the prize.
Newton Thornburg, the author of many acclaimed crime novels including TO DIE IN CALIFORNIA (1973) and CUTTER & BONE (1976) died May 9 at the age of 81 in Bothell, WA. Thornburg had suffered from many ailments over the last few years, and news of his death did not emerge until Thursday.
Guardian obit
Canadian novelist and poet Robert Kroetsch was killed in a car crash Tuesday afternoon near his home in Leduc, Alberta, a week shy of his 84th birthday. He was considered to be Alberta’s foremost literary voice and had received the Golden Pen Award from the Writers Guild of Alberta on June 11 for his lifetime achievements.
Edmonton Journal obit