Random House will try to beat the celebrity imprint jinx in a new partnership with Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner for a Lenny imprint. Overseen by editor-in-chief Andy Ward and launching in late 2017, the line will feature the “emerging voices…that Lena and Jenni Konner are already attracting and publishing so successfully in their newsletter and on their popular site.” Ward says in the announcement, “Working with Lena, Jenni and the editors of Lenny, we plan to publish a select number of titles each year to build a varied, compelling, and voice-driven list.”
Dunham adds, “Jenni and I are both voracious readers (of books and book reviews) who are constantly trading titles and allowing them to stir us creatively. Our friendship often doubles as a book club. We feel like the Lenny voice lends itself to a diverse list of authors and we are so excited to work with Random House – they get our mission completely.”
At Canada’s Transatlantic Agency, founder and president David Bennett has announced that day-to-day management will now be handled by a management committee, to be chaired by Samantha Haywood, who is named vice president of the agency. Bennett “wishes to reduce his administrative workload,” according to the announcement, saying that “Samantha Haywood has always led by example, and will contribute the energy and vision necessary for the company’s continued success.”
At Crown, Emma Berry and Meghan Houser have both been promoted to associate editor, continuing to report to Amanda Cook and Rachel Klayman, and Claire Potter is now associate editor, continuing to report to Domenica Alioto.
Andy Dudley has been promoted to imprint sales director for the Penguin Publishing Group, Penguin sales.
At William Morrow, Margaux Weisman has been promoted to associate editor.
Nora Heneghan has joined Rizzoli Publications as publicist. Previously she was a publicist at Macmillan, overseeing publicity for 34 scientific journals including Nature.
Meika Hashimoto has joined Random House Children’s licensed editorial department as associate editor.
Alia Almeida will join Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s as a marketing associate on April 11, out of the company’s New York office. Previously she was an integrated marketing operations assistant at Harper Children’s.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt culinary vp and publisher Natalie Chapman is leaving the company, Publishing Trends reports.
Susan Morrissey has joined Open Road as designer. Previously she was a digital designer at Counterspace. In addition, Itzy Ramirez has been hired as marketing design associate. Previously he was a digital designer at YouBeauty.
In the UK, Alison Hennessey will join Bloomsbury as editorial director of Bloomsbury Crime. She was most recently senior commissioning editor for Harvill Secker’s crime books.
And Sarah Savitt will become deputy publisher at Virago at the end of June, reporting to Lennie Goodings. She is currently publishing director of Headline and Headline Review.
Awards
The European Union Prize for Literature has been awarded to “new and emerging authors” in 12 EU countries.
Re/announced
Former baseball star and convicted felon Lenny Dykstra‘s memoir, first announced in late 2014 for fall 2015 publication as LENNYBALL, has been announced again as if newly-acquired, now due in July 2016 under the title HOUSE OF NAILS.
Newly-announced for publication, also in July 2016, is Gay Talese‘s THE VOYEUR’S MOTEL, about a motel owner’s shocking look at the private lives of Americans (excerpted this week in the New Yorker). In addition to the excerpt, Talese made news this week for his appearance over the weekend at a Boston University conference on narrative writing, where he “struggled to answer a question about female writers who inspired him.”