Hannah Allaman has joined Delacorte as associate editor. She was previously assistant editor at Disney-Hyperion.
At the University of Texas Press, Robert Devens has been promoted from assistant director to director. Since joining the press in 2013, they say Devens “led the editorial department toward greater successes in its many core areas — from the establishment of new series in fields ranging from Latinx studies to film studies, to more extensive general interest offerings in areas such as biography and music.”
Awards
The International Booker Prize has postponed the announcement of this year’s winner, set for May 19. They are waiting until an unspecified date “later in the summer” so that “readers are able to get hold of copies of the shortlisted books.”
Fundraising
Mitch Albom is writing a serialized novel, HUMAN TOUCH, and posting it online in weekly installments over the next eight weeks. It’s “a story of hope during the coronavirus pandemic, set in the moment we are all living through together.” He is encouraging donations to his charity, SAY Detroit, and will give all of the proceeds to fighting Covid-19 in the Detroit area.
Abrams’ #HelpABookseller campaign to benefit BINC raised $200,000 for booksellers impacted by COVID-19, double their initial goal of $100,000. Chronicle Books parent company The McEvoy Group joined the effort and “with their employees came in this week with the last needed tranche of contributions to reach $200,000.”
Lambda Literary launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $175,000. They write: “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on so many people, families, and organizations—including ours…Without immediate and substantial financial assistance, Lambda Literary will be forced to cease operations.” As of Monday morning, they had raised almost $92,000.
Read Aloud
Michelle Obama will read aloud four children’s books over the next month, livestreaming every Monday at noon on the PBS Kids’ Facebook page and YouTube channel, and on Penguin Random House’s Facebook page. Today she’ll read THE GRUFFALO by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Subsequent weeks will feature THERE;S A DRAGON IN YOUR BOOK by Tom Fletcher, illustrated by Greg Abbott; MISS MAPLE’S SEEDS by Eliza Wheeler; and THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR by Eric Carle. She says, “At this time when so many families are under so much stress, I’m excited to give kids a chance to practice their reading and hear some wonderful stories (and to give parents and caretakers a much-needed break).”
Cancellations
The San Diego Comic Con joined other major events in canceling this year’s show, originally scheduled for late July.
Layoffs
LSC announced a temporary layoff of most of the employees working at its Baraboo, WI plant, effective April 20. The layoffs are likely to affect 362 hourly positions and 31 salary positions, and come in response to “a sudden, dramatic and unforeseen drop” in the printer’s retail and catalog business due to the COVID-19 crisis. According to a letter sent to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, the Company anticipates that the layoffs will be temporary through June 30, “but may extend beyond that date, depending on the circumstances at the time.”
Letter