Simon & Schuster Australia managing director Lou Johnson has resigned from the company in order to “seek challenges in her career outside of Simon & Schuster, and potentially beyond the traditional publishing environment,” the company said in the announcement, though she will stay “for the foreseeable future” to ensure a smooth transition as a search for her successor begins. Johnson joined S&S Australia in 2008 and has been managing director for the past four years, during which time responsibility for Australia shifted from the US to Simon & Schuster UK. CEO of S&S UK and International Ian Chapman said: “Lou and her team have handled that transition and all its attendant changes without missing a beat, while maintaining the strong editorial and operational connections with both entities that are necessary when facing the challenges of publishing on the other side of the world. Just as importantly, Lou has more than capably led Simon & Schuster Australia through a time of tremendous change both within the business and within the local publishing industry. Always strategically minded and consumer focused, Lou has been quick to identify and exploit new channels and new opportunities as online bookselling and digital publishing have had a greater impact on the Australian marketplace.”
John Kramp has joined HarperCollins Christian as svp, Bible Group, overseeing the Bible publishing and study resources business for both Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. Most recently he was vp, Church Resources Division at LifeWay, where he worked the past 19 years.
Alison Folino has joined Random House Children’s as managing producer, content development & marketing. She spent 6 years at Sesame Workshop and was most recently an executive producer at an EdTech startup.
Joshua Machat has joined Yale University Press as publicist, focusing on art & architecture. Previously he was a publicist at the Getty Research Institute.
Associate publisher at Twelve and Grand Central Brian McLendon will take on additional responsibilities as vp, marketing director for both imprints.
The Lannan Foundation has provided a grant to the National Poetry Series that will enable them to re-institute the NPS Open Competition, which will now award $10,000 each, along with publication of their books, to the five competition winners. NPS director (and Ecco publisher) Daniel Halpern said in the announcement: “Over the years, the Lannan Foundation has been one of the most significant literary forces in this country, contributing in ways that have had a huge impact on our literature and the lives of writers. Their unfailing support of NPS has made it possible to ensure the publication of many worthy collections of poetry—which in turn has kick-started the careers of numerous poets who have gone on to establish themselves as important voices.”
Finally, we listed Jenica Nasworthy’s new title at Simon & Schuster Children’s incorrectly. She was promoted to associate managing editor.