At Doubleday, Michael Goldsmith has been promoted to publicity manager, reporting to Todd Doughty.
Journalist and author of 18 books Phil Patton, 63, died last week from complications of emphysema.
Nantucket author of DEAR MR. JEFFERSON and several historical novels Laura Simon, 66, died last Friday.
Forthcoming
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival has commissioned translations into modern English of all of Shakespeare’s plays, and intends to have those new versions ready to perform on stage in three years. John McWhorter makes the case in the WSJ for what Conrad Spoke calls a “revolutionary 10% translation” that enables “every student to make contact with the original text.” McWhorter notes, “Much of Shakespeare goes over our heads because, even though we recognize the words, their meaning often has changed significantly over the past four centuries.”
Bookselling
Egypt’s 33-branch-strong chain Alef Bookstores, founded in 2009, will open its first international store in London in October, a 2,000-square-foot shop on Baker Street next to the Sherlock Holmes Museum.
Correction
The ABA tells us that their 102-member gain in 2010 was unrelated to their merger with the Association of Booksellers for Children. ABA ceo Oren Teicher says that most of the ABC members were already ABA members as well, and the merger accounted for less than 10 new ABA members. (We corrected Friday’s story in line as well.)