UK sales and marketing head of DK Catherine Bell will become co-managing director and head of publishing, marketing and trade sales for Scholastic UK, as of September 10. Currently managing director of book fairs for Scholastic UK Steve Thompson will become co-managing director, operations, and “together they will be responsible for management of Scholastic UK.” Reporting to Bell will be group heads Hilary Murray Hill for trade, Julie Randles, for school based marketing and product acquisition, including domestic and international clubs and UK fairs, and Gordon Knowles, head of Mary Glasgow.
Scholastic ceo and Chairman Richard Robinson notes in the announcement: “This past fiscal year has seen a significant turnaround for Scholastic UK, which attained a strong operating profit for the year based on cost reduction and our outstanding children’s trade list, including The Hunger Games trilogy. After a period of focusing on reducing costs, we are now ready to resume our drive for profitable growth.”
Nigerian Rotimi Babatunde has won the Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story ‘Bombay’s Republic’ that was published in the Mirabilia Review.