After six years of building the Quercus US list, publisher Nathaniel Marunas will leave at the end of June. He says, “The process of building Quercus from scratch has been hugely rewarding, but also utterly consuming. Having poured myself into launching the business and helping it grow, it is time to take a brief sabbatical, focus on several projects close to my heart, and consider what other publishing adventures the future might hold.” Any inquiries should be directed to Quercus marketing manager Elyse Gregov at Hachette Book Group USA.
Lauren Scovel has been promoted to junior agent at Laura Gross Literary Agency.
Former NYT book critic Jennifer Senior will rejoin the paper in September as an Opinion columnist, and will work with the NYT Audio team behind on a new audio project “taking on the question of what Opinion should sound like at The Times.” She stepped down as a book critic last December, and is currently on leave.
In the UK, Rebecca Lake has left her position as North America and Far East rights manager at Pavilion Books to work freelance as a rights consultant.
Science fiction author Harlan Ellison, 84 — winner of Hugo Awards, Nebula Awards, Edgar Awards and many others — died in his sleep at home in Los Angeles.