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September 11, 2015
By Sarah Weinman

Lorena Jones has rejoined Ten Speed Press as vp, publisher of a yet-to-be-named imprint focused on cooking and lifestyle books, reporting to Aaron Wehner. Jones was publisher of Ten Speed Press when she left in 2008 after fourteen years with the company and spent the past six years at Chronicle Books, where she was publishing director, food & drink and lifestyle. In her new role she will also serve as editor-at-large for Crown’s larger illustrated publishing program. In the announcement Wehner called Jones a “force in illustrated publishing, having developed and edited some of the most seminal books and authors in the lifestyle space over her twenty-five years in the business. Lorena has earned an enviable reputation with authors, agents, and colleagues alike for her superlative editorial skills, nurturing and collaborative approach, entrepreneurial spirit, and tenacity.”

Separately, Hannah Rahill has been promoted to vp, publishing director at Ten Speed Press. The imprint’s editorial, design, marketing and publicity departments all continue to report to Rahill.

HarperCollins’ longtime director of domestic and foreign rights Brenda Segel “has decided to leave the company, her last day being Friday, November 6,” Josh Marwell writes to employees. As of November 9, Juliette Shapland will move up to svp, domestic and foreign rights for general books.

Segel began at J.B. Lippincott in 1969 and became part of Harper & Row when it acquired Lippincott. Marwell notes: “Throughout her 46-year career, Brenda has been involved in numerous landmark rights deals – both domestic and foreign – and became the face of HarperCollins to publishers all over the world. Brenda’s combination of principled business ethics, enduring passion for books and just plain delight in the publishing process and the people she has met along the way has contributed to an outstanding career that will be long and fondly remembered.”

Simon & Schuster’s top counsel David Hillman is moving over to serve as general counsel of parent company CBS’s television stations, sports and broadcast operations. In turn, CBS svp, assistant general counsel, litigation and chief compliance officer Hazel-Ann Mayers has joined Simon & Schuster as evp, general counsel. S&S ceo Carolyn Reidy says in the announcement: “From her position within CBS she has developed a familiarity with the unique requirements and different challenges we face, and in working with her over the years I have been struck by her impressive command of the issues and solution-oriented approach. Hazel will provide the counsel we need to accomplish our day-to-day and long-term goals in an increasingly complicated business environment.”

Sandy Harding has joined Spencerhill Associates as an agent. She spent the past fifteen years at Penguin, most recently as a senior editor at NAL. Harding will focus on representing upmarket commercial and literary fiction for adults– especially women’s fiction, mysteries of all sorts (cozies, historical, traditional), smart suspense and thrillers, and romance.

The WSJ commemorates the launch of start-up publisher Catapult‘s first title, Padget Powell’s Cries For Help, Various, by focusing on the company’s backer, ceo Elizabeth Koch. The company “has an annual budget in the high six figures.” The piece overlooks Koch’s role in founding Black Balloon Publishing in 2010. (Black Balloon has become an imprint of Catapult.)

Agency News
Missed during the quiet days of late August, The Agency Group — which focuses on representing music artists and employs 95 agents — was sold to UTA. United Talent bought N.S. Bienstock in early 2014 and caused a stir earlier this year when they took on a dozen agents from CAA. The Agency Group’s literary agents — Marc Gerald and Sasha Raskin in New York, and Juliet Mushens and Diana Beaumont in London — are all part of UTA now.

Awards
LA’s PEN Center USA announced their Literary Awards winners, who include:

Creative Nonfiction: Meghan Daum, The Unspeakable
Fiction: Robert Thomas, Bridge
Poetry: Claudia Rankine, Citizen
Research Nonfiction: McKenzie Funk, Windfall
Young Adult/Children’s: Leslye Walton, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

Separately, poet Joy Harjo has been named the recipient of the Academy of American Poets’ $100,000 Wallace Stevens Award for “proven mastery.”

Filed Under: Awards, Free, Personnel

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