In the UK, Muna Reyal will join Chelsea Green’s UK team as head of editorial and production. Before leaving publishing for graduate school she was a food and lifestyle publisher and editorial director at Headline Home.
Awards
The New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Awards for 2020 have been cancelled for the first time in 68 years, “due to issues related to the ongoing pandemic.” Pamela Paul and Jennifer Krauss at the NYT noted that the judging is usually conducted at the newspaper’s offices, “under staff supervision.” Those premises remained closed to all nonessential employees, and “the judging process cannot be replicated remotely for a number of reasons.” Additionally, the NYPL, which has hosted the awards luncheon in recent years, has postponed or canceled all events for the remainder of 2020. Paul and Krauss note, “We look forward to continuing our partnership with the New York Public Library and reconvening for another joyous Best Illustrated event in the fall of 2021.”
Bookselling
A group of over 40 sponsors of San Francisco’s Borderland Books, along with a number of supporters and former staff, wrote an open letter to the store staff, ownership, and community on Friday asking that owner Alan Beatts be held accountable for assault allegations raised by his daughter and ex-girlfriend. They write, “We cannot support Borderlands while Alan might use his position as owner to do and conceal harm. We demand that he relinquish ownership of the store and divest financially from it. We understand that alternatives to his ownership, such as a workers’ co-operative, are being discussed. We demand that he cooperate with these discussions and any transition plan they may generate.” The signers also asked that their names be withdrawn from a list of current sponsors on the store website.