Obituaries
Longtime Knopf editor, translator, and director of foreign rights Carol Brown Janeway, 71, died early Monday morning at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, two weeks after being diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Janeway joined Knopf in March 1970 and over 45 years at the publishing house she was, as Sonny Mehta noted in the announcement, “an esteemed figure here and abroad, and central to our publication of great international works of literature Authors loved her. Agents respected her. And foreign publishers trusted her. I hasten to add — she was also a formidable dealmaker. She leaves behind an enduring legacy as an editor and translator. All of us will miss her dearly.”
Novelist and longtime literary commentator for NPR Alan Cheuse, 75, died Friday from injuries sustained in a car accident in California two weeks ago. Cheuse worked for NPR for more than 25 years. Bookseller Mitchell Kaplan said: “He became a friend and a mentor, and someone I admired so greatly. So willing to promote other writers. So involved and appreciative of the work that anyone was doing. He always took so much pride in what others were doing.”
Co-founder and vice president of Stein & Day Publishers Patricia Day Stein, 88, died July 16 in Sleepy Hollow, NY, after some years of declining health. Stein co-founded the publisher in 1962 with her then-husband Sol Stein shortly after their marriage, and over the next 25 years they published authors including Budd Schulberg, Leslie Fielder, Sir Edward Heath, David Frost, and Patrick O’Brian. After Stein & Day’s 1987 bankruptcy and permanent closing in 1989, Stein co-founded creative writing software company WritePro Corporation.
In personnel news, Raquel Avila has joined Abrams as gift rep sales manager, special markets. She was formerly sales, inventory and promotions manager at the New Press. In addition, Mamie VanLangen has joined the adult marketing department in the newly created role of digital and social media marketing associate. Previously she was a marketing coordinator at Simon & Schuster for Gallery, Pocket and Threshold.
Karin Snielson has joined Shelf Awareness as children’s editor, based out of the company’s Seattle office. Snielson has worked as an editor, bookseller, and book reviewer for publications including Shelf Awareness and Kirkus.
Initiatives
HarperCollins will support the Seaport Culture District initiative in their new downtown neighborhood. From mid-September through late October, the publisher will convene the HarperCollins BookLab inside of Seaport Studios, an event space and reading lounge that will host various programs, launch events, readings, panels, talks and receptions.
Distribution
Legato has added Maven House Press and Zakka Workshop as distribution clients as of July 15, and will add the Cornell Lab Publishing Group on January 1, 2016.