Archives for August 2024
Six Publishers And Authors Guild Sue Florida Over Book Banning
The Authors Guild, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, Harper Collins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, and Sourcebooks have filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida over HB 1069, a law that restricts books in school libraries. Two Florida students and two parents have also joined the suit, along with the authors Julia Alvarez, Laurie Halse Anderson, John Green, Jodi Picoult, and Angie Thomas. The law demands removal of any titles containing “sexual conduct” from school libraries. Since it went into effect in July 2023, hundreds of books have been banned, including Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, A Tale […]
Ask an Expert: Retha Powers
Retha Powers is VP, executive editor at Holt, acquiring fiction and nonfiction. She is passionate about books by authors—especially people of color and LGBTQIA—who write inventively about the intersections of race, identity, gender, history, and current events. She is particularly interested in working with writers who challenge the status quo, build community, and create compulsively readable works that connect readers from varying backgrounds and experiences. Her acquisitions include Jocelyn Nicole Johnson’s award-winning debut, My Monticello; José Olivarez’s Promises of Gold, which was longlisted for a National Book Award for Poetry; The Talk, an award-winning graphic memoir by Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist […]
People 8/28
Kirkus Prize Finalists
The Kirkus Prize announced finalists, with winners to be named on October 16.
PRH US Sales Up in The First Half, As Company Further Increases Stake in Sourcebooks
Bertelsmann released half year results for 2024, with sales at Penguin Random House of €2.276 billion ($2.46 billion), up 8.5 percent, compared to €2.098 billion a year ago, “largely attributable to publishing acquisitions” along with organic growth in the US and Spanish-speaking businesses. Adjusted operating EBITDA was up 12.8 percent or €33 million to €291 million, due to sales and “savings achieved largely through the reorganization of the US business.” Ashley Elston’s First Lie Wins was the top fiction title for the period, while James Clear’s Atomic Habits was the top nonfiction and top backlist title. The next best selling […]