John Freeman will join Knopf as an executive editor, starting March 15 and reporting to Reagan Arthur. He was most recently executive editor of Lit Hub and is the founder of the literary journal Freeman’s.
As part of the Frankfurt Book Fair‘s announced on-going restructuring, they will close their New York office at the end of 2020: “This step has become necessary as a result of the pandemic’s impact on the business of the Frankfurter Buchmesse this year.” Longtime FBF executive Thomas Minkus will leave the company as a result, as will Michelle Claussen, Raquel Plitt and Riky Stock.
Publishing Perspectives will continue under the leadership of Hannah Johnson and Porter Anderson. FBF will continue its work on cultural projects to promote German literature in the US in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut in New York City.
The Feminist Press has named senior editor Lauren Rosemary Hook as interim executive director and publisher while the Board searches for the next executive director.
At Macmillan Children’s, Mary Van Akin has been promoted to director of publicity. Kelsey Marrujo becomes publicity manager.
Jackie Douglass has been promoted to marketing associate for Sourcebooks Fire.
Greg Evaristo has joined the board of Bonnier Books UK as non-executive director, with a focus of diversity and inclusion. Evaristo most recently most recently founded and led publishing headhunting business Gregory Martin Executive Search.
Natalie Portman will serve as honorary chair of the American Library Association’s National Library Week, April 4–10, 2021.
Acquisitions
Welbeck Publishing Group has acquired majority ownership of mental health and well-being publisher Trigger Publishing. Trigger publisher Jo Lal and sales and marketing lead Lyndsey Mayhew will move across to Welbeck as part of the deal. Welbeck will also launch a new imprint, Welbeck Balance, which will be led by Lal and “which builds on Welbeck’s acquisition of the assets of Eddison earlier this year, as well as Trigger’s list.”
Marcus Leaver, former chairman of Trigger and executive director of Welbeck, said, “Jo Lal has built a powerful list in the mental health area and with Welbeck’s assets in wellness publishing and commitment to publishing in this genre, we are excited by the possibilities for this new initiative.”
Best Of
Vulture critic Molly Young chose her ten best books of the year:
1. The Undocumented Americans, by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
2. Fraternity, by Benjamin Nugent
3. Romance in Marseille, by Claude McKay
4. Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke
5. My Mother’s House, by Francesca Momplaisir
6. The Great Offshore Grounds, by Vanessa Veselka
7. The Cult of Smart, by Fredrik deBoer
8. Lakewood, by Megan Giddings
9. Interior Chinatown, by Charles Yu
10. The Shapeless Unease, by Samantha Harvey
Most Anticipated
Forbes announced its most anticipated 2021 titles as selected by independent bookstores.