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People: Alexievich Wins Nobel, and More

October 8, 2015
By Sarah Weinman

Belarus journalist and author Svetlana Alexievich won the Nobel Prize for Literature on Thursday, cited by the Swedish Academy for “her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time.” Though Alexievich had been installed as the bettors’ favorite over the past few weeks, she is another instance of an under-translated Nobel winner in the English language: her oral history Voices From Chernobyl (1997) was published in 2005 by Dalkey Archive Press and then in paperback the next spring by Picador — and the book (with Keith Gessen’s translation) won the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Earlier, Zinky Boys: Soviet Voices from the Afghanistan War, was published by Norton and Chatto & Windus in 1992 with a translation by Robin Whitby. Norton announced they are “quickly reprinting” the book in hardcover and paperback, with paperbacks shipping as soon as Monday, October 12. Other books include War’s Unwomanly Face; The Last Witnesses: The Book of Unchildlike Stories; and Enchanted with Death. And UK-based Fitzcarraldo Press will publish Alexievich’s most recent work, Second-hand Time: The Demise of the Red (Wo)man (2013), next year.

Penguin Random House announced a number of appointments for their centralized adult library and academic marketing efforts. Skip Dye will lead the newly unified cross-company Penguin Random House Adult Library Group, reporting to Jaci Updike, in addition to his role as vp, library sales. Jennifer Childs is now vp, library marketing; Michael Gentile moves up to vp, director, academic marketing for Random House, Crown, Penguin Random House Publisher Services; and Alan Walker moves up to vp, director, academic marketing for the Penguin Publishing Group.

Bookselling
Amazon has been rumored to be opening a retail store for years, but it appears to be closer to doing so in Seattle’s U-Village neighborhood, according to Shelf Awareness. Apparently “work is underway on a newly vacant spot in U-Village formerly occupied by Blue C Sushi, a storefront that, according to city work permits, will be occupied by a retailer named ‘Ann Bookstore.’ Other major independent bookstores, including Elliott Bay Company and Third Place Books, said they aren’t opening a new store, while “a management office employee who was asked when the Amazon bookstore would open said only that she didn’t know the date.” Amazon has also apparently reached out and interviewed independent booksellers but the process has been “unusually secretive,” with prospective hires asked to sign “very restrictive nondisclosure agreements.”

Enhanced digital editions of all seven Harry Potter titles are now available exclusively through iBooks, the first time the enhanced ebooks, which sell for $9.99, are available for sale through a platform outside of Pottermore. “I’m thrilled to see the Harry Potter books so beautifully realised on iBooks for the digital world; the artwork and animations in these enhanced editions bring the stories alive in a delightful new way,” JK Rowling said in the announcement. Pre-orders also begin today for French, German and Spanish versions, and will be available on November 9 in 18 additional countries.

Acquisition
Keen Communications has acquired Adventure Publications and the companies “have merged publishing imprints and interests,” now operating as AdventureKEEN. Adventures is known for their birding books, as well as color field guides for animals, constellations, trees, rocks and minerals, plus many children’s books, with a backlist of over 400 titles. Adventure co-founder Gerri Slabaugh is helping to lead the integration of operations and “will remain in an active consulting role before transitioning into retirement, along with Gordon Slabaugh.”

Distribution
As of January 1, 2016, Consortium takes over distribution for 2dcloud, ChiZine, Publications, Daylight Books, Fabled Films Press, Garnet Publishing, and NubeOcho, and began distributing Unfiltered Media this past August.

Hachette has announced further information about its Rapid Replenishment Program. The offering is “specifically for independent retailers in good standing within the Continental 48 States, and normal small pack, stock availability and freight rules apply.” Participating publishers include Hachette divisions as well as distribution clients Abrams, Chronicle, Disney, Gildan Media, Marvel, Octopus, Paula Deen Ventures, Peterson’s, Phaidon, Quarto, Quercus, Time Inc (including Liberty Street and Oxmoor House. (HUK, Moleskine US, and Moleskine Canada are unable to participate.)

Filed Under: Awards, Bookstores, Distribution, Free, Personnel

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