Following Wednesday’s announcement that the Frankfurt Book Fair plans to proceed in limited form this October, at least some large publishing divisions have announced they will not attend. HarperCollins was the first to declare that it will not send employees from any of its divisions worldwide. “HarperCollins will not be taking a stand or sending representatives to the Frankfurt Book Fair this year as we are limiting business travel for the safety of our staff,” said a spokesperson. “It is wonderful that the Frankfurt Book Fair team is developing digital and virtual plans for both now and the future. We […]
Archives for May 2020
Briefs
The National Book Festival will not be held at the Washington Convention Center this year. Instead, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced, they will organize a virtual festival, with online events the weekend of September 25–27. The Bookseller’s YA Book Prize was given to Juno Dawson’s Meat Market (Quercus Children’s). McNally Jackson owner Sarah McNally writes an op-ed for the NYT about why many New York landlords would rather see retail spaces sit empty than give rent concessions. (Admitting to lower rents reduces the value of the building.) “We could solve our vacancy problem for good if all landlords simply […]
Buzz Books Fall/Winter Preview: Nonfiction Part 2
Our season overview from Buzz Books 2020 Spring/Summer continues with nonfiction, part two, including history and crime; essays, criticism, and more; and biography and memoir. Our preview includes autobiographies by Michael J. Fox, Elijah Cummins, the Jonas Brothers, Ree Drummond, Megan Rapinoe, Jerry Seinfeld, the inventor of the Rubik’s Cube, and Elvira. In biography, highlights include Jonathan Alter on Jimmy Carter, Sarah Smarsh on Dolly Parton, David S. Reynolds on Abraham Lincoln, and Mark Salter on John McCain. Get the “trade edition” of Buzz Books 202 Fall/Winter from NetGalley or Edelweiss, or find the consumer editions all linked at our main Buzz Books website. Titles excerpted in Buzz […]
People: Karp Named CEO of Simon & Schuster
President and publisher of Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Jonathan Karp was named ceo and president of Simon & Schuster, following the death of Carolyn Reidy earlier this month. ViacomCBS ceo Bob Bakish says in the announcement, “Jon embodies the values that Carolyn instilled at Simon & Schuster, and he is well suited to guide the continued growth and evolution of this incredible global brand. Jon was a key member of the leadership team that consistently delivered strong results for Simon & Schuster, while expanding its readership across genres and formats. He is a highly skilled executive who is deeply […]
People, Etc.
John Donovan will join Norton’s UK subsidiary, W.W. Norton & Company as managing director, starting July 1. Donovan was most recently regional director, UK and Europe, for McGraw Hill Education. Current managing director Edward Crutchley will retire in July, though he will continue to serve on the governing board of W.W. Norton. Heidi Luedemann has been promoted to contracts director, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, succeeding the late Bill Shannon, effective immediately, and reporting to David Sanford, senior vp, executive director, contracts & permissions, Penguin Random House US. Awards The James Beard Foundation presented their book awards Wednesday afternoon, with The […]
With or Without You, Frankfurt Will Convene An Actual, Smaller Book Fair
The supervisory board of the German Publishers & Booksellers Association has decided to convene some form of the Frankfurt Book Fair this October, following approval from the Hessian government. As previously indicated, they plan to use a smaller portion of the actual fairgrounds, with some activities throughout the city and other virtual events online. The fair will be smaller, and from current indications more focused on the German book business and German public. For now, fair organizers says they “expect exhibitors from throughout Europe to participate in the event in Frankfurt and, depending on future travel restrictions, from further abroad […]