Archives for August 2022
People 8/15
HarperCollins Janet Gervasio will retire at the end of January. The company will conduct an executive search for her replacement this fall.
Salman Rushdie Begins Recovery After Friday Attack
After being stabbed about 10 times on Friday before a talk at the Chautauqua Institution in Western New York, Salman Rushdie is off a ventilator and beginning recovery. “The road to recovery has begun,” his agent Andrew Wylie told the New York Times. “It will be long; the injuries are severe, but his condition is headed in the right direction.” Following the attack, Rushdie, 75, was flown to a hospital with injuries to his neck and abdomen. Wylie told the press on Friday that the author was being treated for severed nerves and damage to his liver, and that he […]
Obituary: Christopher Foyle
Christopher Foyle, 79, former chairman of Foyle’s bookshops in the UK, died on August 10 of acute myeloid leukaemia. The bookstore chain said in a statement, “Christopher’s vision inspired the Foyles of today: after taking the helm in 1999, he modernized the business, opening new branches and was instrumental in creating the magnificent new Foyles flagship bookshop on Charing Cross Road which opened in 2014.”
People 8/12
Pearson Sells the Last Part of their K-12 Education Business In South Africa
Pearson has finished the long-running sale of most of their K-12 education businesses around the world, with a deal to sell the South African units to Novus Holding. The total price is £53 million, and Pearson has a 75 percent share of the company. Pearson decided to retain their K-12 education businesses in Australia and English-speaking Canada. The businesses sold since 2021 had provided revenue of £252m, and £22m in adjusted operating profit. Pearson says they “achieved a blended multiple of 14.1x EV/EBITDA 2021” across the various international units sold. That’s much better than they did while unloading the big […]