Waterstones announced the shortlist for their inaugural Debut Fiction Prize, with the winner to be announced on August 25.
Archives for July 2022
People 7/20
Taryn Roeder has been named executive director of publicity, adult books at Abrams.
Callisto Media Laid Off More Than a Third of Staff
Last week, Callisto Media laid off 140 employees—35 percent of their workforce—sources have confirmed to PL. The cuts were made across departments and levels, in both the New York and Oakland, CA offices. CEO Benjamin Wayne told employees in an all-staff virtual meeting on July 12 that the company, which has been trying to go public or execute a sale, was not yet profitable and it was hard to secure investors during the economic downturn. Callisto needed to reduce spending by $20 million, he said, and 140 positions would be eliminated. Wayne also said that the company would pare down […]
Bloomsbury Trade Increases 26% In First Third
Bloomsbury released a trading update for the first four months of the fiscal year, ended June 30, ahead of its annual meeting today. Trade sales rose 26 percent over the same period last year to £49.95 million, with adult sales of £16.7 million (up 12 percent) and children’s sales of £33.3 million (up 34 percent). Company-wide, sales were up 27 percent to £80.3 million. Results were driven by a Paul Hollywood cookbook and, as always, Sarah J. Maas and Harry Potter. Given the strong start, market expectations are for full-year sales of £242.6 million and profit before taxation and highlighted […]
Forthcoming: Rupi Kaur’s Healing Through Words
Andrews McMeel will publish Rupi Kaur‘s book of writing exercises HEALING THROUGH WORDS on September 27. Kaur is the author of three bestselling books of poetry. The new book contains sixty writing activities focused on the themes like “loss, love, heartbreak, and healing” from her first book, milk and honey. Kaur said, “Writing has been a cathartic experience that helped me heal. The writing exercises in Healing Through Words are meant to send readers on a journey of self-exploration.”
Agent Stephanie Sinclair Named Publisher of McClelland & Stewart
Literary agent at CookeMcDermid Stephanie Sinclair will become publisher of McClelland & Stewart and Hazlitt at Penguin Random House Canada starting October 3, as Jared Bland steps down from his role to the take the new position of vp, communications and community for PRH Canada. Sinclair, who identifies as Cree, Ojibwe, and German/Jewish settler, began her agenting career at Transatlantic Literary Agency in 2012. CEO of Penguin Random House Canada Kristin Cochrane said in the announcement: “The last six years at McClelland & Stewart have been a time of remarkable creative, critical, and commercial success, and while I was surprised […]