The successors to Larry Kirshbaum’s former agency LJK Literary Management have formally launched their new entity, Einstein Thompson Agency. Susanna Einstein and Meg Thompson are co-directors of the new agency. They will take over representation of Kirshbaum’s clients, including Elizabeth Flock, Dorothea Benton Frank, Anita Hill, Steven James, James Kimmel, Kimberly Pauley, Austin Ratner, James Redfield, Jeremy Rifkin, Larkin Warren, and the estate of Donald E. Westlake.
Sandy Hodgman has been promoted to director of foreign rights under the new banner, and Molly Reese has been promoted to associate agent. She will continue to assist Einstein and Thompson, oversee audio rights, work with the Westlake estate, and help find new clients. The agency will relocate from the LJK offices to new space October 1.
Belinda Rasmussen will join Pan Macmillan as publisher of Macmillan Children’s Books this fall. Previously she was with Carlton Publishing Group, where she has been managing director since 2008. Rasmussen will also join the Pan Macmillan Executive Board, reporting to managing director Anthony Forbes Watson, who said in a statement: “Belinda will join a talented MCB publishing team, and a growing business faced with many exciting opportunities. I’m confident that she will bring a combination of leadership, commerciality, creativity and internationalism to the task of strengthening MCB’s position as a distinctive industry leader in both illustrated and black & white segments, and in both physical and digital spaces, and will be a terrific addition to our senior management team.”
Julia Prosser has been promoted to assistant director of publicity for the Simon & Schuster imprint, a move effective October 3, when she returns from maternity leave. In addition, Kelly Welsh moves up to to senior publicity manager, Michelle Jasmine has been promoted to publicist, and Margaret Kingsbury moves up to associate publicist.
Simon & Schuster will handle trade sales and distribution for the graphic novel titles of comic book publisher Avatar Press in the US and export markets.
Bestselling author Leslie Esdaile, who wrote as LA Banks, died Tuesday morning from late-stage adrenal cancer. A benefit to help defray Banks’ medical expenses was already planned for Saturday, August 6 at Smokey Joe’s bar on the University of Pennsylvania campus, and will go ahead as scheduled.
Benefit information