Open Road co-founder and former company ceo Jane Friedman is stepping down from her positions as board chair and executive publisher. Friedman will remain a director at Open Road, but “said in a statement that it was time for new leadership and that she looked forward to partnering with others in reviving classic books for the digital market.” Paul Slavin took over as ceo of Open Road last May.
Shannon Welch, executive editor at Scribner, is leaving to pursue freelance editorial and writing opportunities.
Martha Bucci will move over to become executive director of chain sales at Hachette Book Group USA, also serving as Little, Brown sales liaison. She has been with HBG Canada for nine years, most recently as executive director. Relocating to the New York office by April, she will report to Dave Epstein.
At Bloomsbury, editorial director Nancy Miller takes on the additional role of associate publisher. At Bloomsbury Children’s, Mary Kate Castellani moves up to executive editor, Hali Baumstein has been promoted to associate editor, and Nick Sweeney joins Bloomsbury as assistant production editor. Additionally, Emily Ritter has been promoted to marketing manager.
Elizabeth Ward has joined Random House Children’s as associate director of digital content strategy for the digital marketing team. Previously, she was associate director of brand and marketing for the teen category of HarperCollins.
At Grand Central, Maddie Caldwell has been promoted to editor. Morgan Hedden and Katherine Stopa both move up to assistant editor. Amanda Pritzker has been promoted to new position of associate director, marketing and brand director for Nicholas Sparks. Stephanie Sirabian moves up to associate director, advertising. Bailey Donoghue has been promoted to publicist at Twelve.
Kiele Raymond has joined Thompson Literary Agency as a senior agent. Previously, she was a freelance editor.
Feminist Press executive director and publisher Jennifer Baumgardner will leave the company on May 31, and a search is underway for her successor. Baumgardner says in the announcement: “Working for the Feminist Press at CUNY has been an honor. I am grateful for Florence Howe’s vision, the support and energy of the board, and the awesome staff. FP is the longest-running women’s press in the world, and I know that it will be around for a long, long time.”
Author of 70 books of poems and fiction Nancy Willard, 80, died on February 19 at home in Poughkeepsie, NY. Her 1982 picture book, A Visit to William Blake’s Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers, was the first book of poetry to win the Newbery Medal.
Franklin & Siegal Associates has been appointed US scout for the AdN imprints of Spain’s Anaya (Alianza de Novelas, Alianza Editorial, Algaida, and Bóveda) and for Egmont Bulgaria as well.
Awards
The National Book Foundation announced the judges for this year’s National Book Awards and opened for submissions for the prizes. Title nominations are due by midnight on May 17. The NBD indicates that in 2016, 383 titles were submitted for the fiction award, 526 for nonfiction, 231 for poetry, and 319 for the young people’s literature award.
Ross King won the RBC Taylor Prize for Mad Enchantment (published in Canada by Bond Street under its American subtitle, Claude Monet and the Painting of Water Lilies).
The finalists for the PEN/Faulkner Award were announced, featuring four debut novels (one from Amazon’s Little A), with the winner to be named April 4:
After Disasters, by Viet Dinh
LaRose, by Louise Erdrich
What Belongs to You, by Garth Greenwell
Behold the Dreamers, by Imbolo Mbue
Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist, by Sunil Yapa
Forthcoming
Viking will publish John Le Carre‘s A LEGACY OF SPIES on September 7.