Excerpted
Former president Barack Obama’s forthcoming book is excerpted in The New Yorker. David Remnick writes that “the second volume will come when it comes.”
People
At Open Road, Mary McAveney adds chief revenue officer to her chief marketing officer role, and Daniel Shemesh adds chief operating officer his role of chief financial officer.
Initiatives
The National Book Critics Circle‘s board voted to create and share a Criticism Equity Pledge, in addition to its anti-racism pledge, which was released on June 11 and causes a controversy resulting in mass board resignations. They wrote on Twitter, “A majority of the board’s directors have signed the Criticism Equity Pledge, which asks editors and reviewers commit to assigning or pitching a substantial percentage of coverage specifically for books by BIPOC authors. We invite you to join us too.” (By the published signatures, 14 of the board’s 21 members have put their names on the pledge.)
The pledge asks book review editors to assign at least 30% of the books covered annually to be by writers who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC)” and “assign at least 30% of the critics reviewing books annually to be by BIPOC; and avoid matching these critics only with books by other BIPOC.” Freelance critics are asked “to pitch at least 30% books by BIPOC for your assignments if you are able.”
Bookselling
Barnes & Noble will close its Worcester, MA store at the Lincoln Plaza mall at the end of October, after 16 years in that location.
Controversies
Hay literary festival founder and director Peter Florence was suspended from his position on October 1 “pending the outcome of a grievance procedure initiated by one of our staff,” after allegations of bullying from a staff member. Finance director Tania Hudson has taken over as interim chief executive. Separately, last week, the curator of the festival’s inaugural Abu Dhabi iteration, Caitlin McNamara, accused a UAE minister of sexual assault. The Sunday Times reports that the two incidents are not related.
Awards
Penguin Random House will be the first sponsor of the Black Literary Publishing Award, a new award from the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses created “to support Black-led presses and presses that champion the work of BIPOC authors.” The recipient will receive $10,000 and will be announced in spring 2021.