Further to our news brief about Sarah Crichton leaving FSG at the end of the year to pursue other opportunities, when we queried the publisher about it last week they said there was no announcement. Now they have issued a statement, in which FSG publisher and president Jonathan Galassi says, “With her unique blend of enthusiasm, discernment and publishing talent, Sarah has been a beloved and energizing presence at FSG. She will be missed.”
Crichton adds, “My almost-fifteen year run at FSG has been a joy. I am leaving with great fondness for my colleagues, my wonderful authors and their splendid books. This has been one of the most exciting and rewarding chapters in my life. I look forward to discovering what the next chapter holds.” The imprint itself will continue to publish books though December 2019.
Elsewhere,Juan Milà Valcárcel has joined the Harper One group as executive editor, based in New York and reporting to Judith Curr, responsible for building the fiction list as the group “expands beyond its eponymous imprint. He was at Salamandra in Spain for the past 13 years. Valcárcel will be hire a senior editor, and he will also acquire Spanish-language titles, in coordination with the team at Harper Iberica, and others.
Sarah Lazin Books will become part of Aevitas Creative Management, and Sarah Lazin will become an agent with Aevitas, starting June 1. Also former managing editor of Time magazine (and recently a contributing editor to Vanity Fair) Jim Kelly has joined Aevitas as an agent.
Jennifer Abel Kovitz has been promoted to vice president and associate publisher, sales & marketing at Catapult/Counterpoint/Soft Skull.
Bill O’Brien has joined Outsell as director of business development. He was director of development at Copyright Clearance Center, where he worked for almost 13 years.
Ashley Towne will move up to director of the Journals division at the University of Chicago Press as of June 1. Most recently, she was interim director and publishing operations manager in that division.
London Book & Screen Week has announced a US version of their Creativity Across Media: Entertainment and Originality Awards, opening for entries in September 2018. They will give awards for book to film; book to game; book to stage; book to TV; and book to audio.