Riverhead senior publicity manager Elizabeth Hohenadel, 34, passed away on Monday, “from a medical condition that arose suddenly a few months ago.” She worked at Riverhead since 2007, starting there as a publicity assistant. Penguin Publishing Group president Allison Dobson writes, “She was beloved for her gregarious enthusiasm, her keen but kind sense of humor, and a commitment to her authors that did not diminish after publication…. She excelled in bringing smart commercial fiction to a wide readership, with her relentless messaging, her personal appeals, and that well known humor.” She is survived by her husband Brian and her son Owen. Sierra […]
Archives for September 2018
Briefs: An Eric Carle Imprint, NYRB’s Statement, and More
Imprints Penguin Children’s is launching a World of Eric Carle imprint in winter 2019, “dedicated to the works of the acclaimed and beloved author and illustrator.” Francesco Sedita leads the line, which “will focus on publishing books that are based in the core values of discovery, creativity, learning and growing.” Initiatives Penguin Random House resumes its annual “2-Day transit program” for independent booksellers for the seventh year, starting October 1 and running through March 1, 2019. Bookselling Shaw’s Book Shop in Westwood, NJ is closing at the end of September after 40 years of operation. Owner Tom Downs said Amazon […]
Awards: Kirkus Prize Finalists, Whiting Nonfiction Grant Winners
The Kirkus Prize announced its finalists in fiction, nonfiction, and children’s literature, with the winners to be announced on October 25. A modest number of nominees overlap with the National Book Awards longlists, including Lauren Groff and Nafissa Thompson-Spires in fiction; Rebecca Solnit and Sarah Smarsh in nonfiction; and Elizabeth Acevedo in young people’s literature. The complete list: Fiction Halsey Street, by Naima Coster Florida, by Lauren Groff Mourning, by Eduardo Halfon Severance, by Ling Ma Heads of the Colored People, by Nafissa Thompson-Spires Tell the Machine Goodnight, by Katie Williams Nonfiction American Prison, by Shane Bauer Heavy, by Kiese Laymon […]
People, Etc.: Macrae to Retire from Holt
Jack Macrae is retiring from Holt after more than 35 years there. Holt president Steve Rubin writes, “Hugely well-regarded within the publishing community, Jack is known for his sharp wit, winning personality, and deep knowledge on a wide variety of subjects.” His authors at Holt include two-time Booker Award-winner Hilary Mantel. He spent 15 years at Dutton, the “family business” (his grandfather bought the house) where he published Jorge Luis Borges among others, before joining Holt. “We thank him for his sterling contributions over the years and wish him happiness and good health in his well-earned retirement.” For another appreciation of Macrae’s career, see […]
People, Etc.
Dana Spector has joined CAA as agent in the books department, based in Los Angeles. She was previously in the media rights department at Paradigm. Berrett-Koehler founder Steve Piersanti, who serves as both president/CEO and an editor, announced that he will relinquish his executive positions in mid-2019. He will continue as a full-time acquiring editor, though, “which is the role I have always believed I was best at performing and which has given me the greatest satisfaction.” Caroline A. Hayes has joined Norton as metadata operations manager. Awards The National Book Awards announced its 5 Under 35 honorees, including Nana Kwame […]
Trade Prepares for NPD BookScan’s Migration
Next week, BookScan will complete its transition from the old Nielsen platform to the NPD system and at outset, the biggest adjustment for users may be getting accustomed to system updates on a different day of the week. At launch, BookScan’s weekly data will be refreshed on Thursdays instead of Wednesdays. That change may only be temporary. “The goal is to bring the SLA back to Wednesday sometime in the weeks ahead,” said NPD Book President Jonathan Stolper. The rollout of the new, integrated BookScan tracking system on the NPD platform comes nearly two years after the company’s purchase from […]