Deputy CEO of DK John Duhigg will step up to global CEO of the publisher at the beginning of April, and will join the Penguin Group Board as well. Current ceo Peter Field is preparing to retire from Penguin at the end of the year after a 35-year career at the company. Between April and the year-end, Field “will retain his current responsibilities for Penguin in Australia and New Zealand and take on a range of international projects across the company.”
F+W Media will launch Prologue Books, a new imprint devoted to reissuing out-of-print hardboiled and pulp novels originally published between 1940 and 1970. The company has acquired the right to publish more than 250 novels by authors including William Campbell Gault and Peter Rabe. “I envision Prologue Books not simply an e-book publisher for out-of-print titles, but as a living record of the crime, science fiction, and fantasy genres,” said Tyrus Books publisher Benjamin LeRoy, who is spearheading Prologue Books. “There’s a great opportunity to shine the spotlight on authors who may have been significantly influential on the current state of publishing, but who have never really received their due for one reason or another. With the help of luminaries in the genres — authors, readers, reviewers — we are excited to find and share those stories.”
Courtney Fischer has joined McGraw-Hill Professional as senior marketing manager for the business group. She was formerly account manager at Sullivan and Partners.
Anna deVries has left Scribner to pursue freelance editorial projects. She can be reached at: anna.devries@gmail.com.
In the UK, Verso Books has hired Leo Hollis as senior editor, “responsible for acquiring and publishing a central part of Verso’s list.”
Michal Shavit will join Harvill Secker as editorial director on April 10. She is currently an editor at Granta Books.
BEA show director Steve Rosato reports his blog that they are “finalizing the details” to live-stream over the internet “the Book & Author Breakfasts, the Buzz Panels and the majority of the programming from the main Author Stage” at this year’s convention.
A memorial service for John Sargent Sr., who passed away on February 5, will be held on Friday, March 23 in New York at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, 325 Park Avenue (at 51 Street).
Running Press tells us that yesterday’s Hollywood Reporter account was in error and in the press release they neglected to provide us, their Comedy Central deal is called a “joint publishing relationship” but will not comprise an imprint. Spokesman Craig Herman says “the program will feature two to three titles a year.”