The supervisory board of the German Publishers & Booksellers Association has decided to convene some form of the Frankfurt Book Fair this October, following approval from the Hessian government. As previously indicated, they plan to use a smaller portion of the actual fairgrounds, with some activities throughout the city and other virtual events online. The fair will be smaller, and from current indications more focused on the German book business and German public. For now, fair organizers says they “expect exhibitors from throughout Europe to participate in the event in Frankfurt and, depending on future travel restrictions, from further abroad […]
Billionaire Arnault Buys Stake In Arnaud Lagardere’s Holding Company
Lagardere has enlisted another billionaire to keep the company and its controlling owner solvent during the pandemic. Longtime family friend Bernard Arnault’s investment firm Groupe Arnault has agreed to buy 25 percent of Lagardère Capital & Management, the holding company of Arnaud Lagardere. Arnault is reportedly paying less than €100 million for the stake. LCM owns a 7.3 percent take in Lagardere, but has control of the company through its corporate structure. “The move shores up its finances after LCM’s debts exceeded the value” of those shares, Reuters report. LCM owes as much as €200 million to Crédit Agricole. Activist […]
New Books Publishing May 26
The unofficial start of the summer brings some commercial fiction to market — Brown, Connelly, Roberts, Thayer, Woods and more — among the many new titles of note publishing today. As in previous weeks, our sample Bookshop and Aerbook store carousels provide easy displays of books publishing today in need of attention and support, featuring: 14 new works of fiction https://bookshop.org/lists/new-fiction-publishing-may-26 https://aerbook.com/store/publishers_lunch/New_Fiction_Publishing_May_26/216881 10 new nonfiction titles https://bookshop.org/lists/new-nonfiction-publishing-on-may-26 https://aerbook.com/store/publishers_lunch/New_Nonfiction_Publishing_May_26/216882 More new children’s/YA books https://bookshop.org/lists/new-children-s-titles-publishing-in-may https://aerbook.com/store/publishers_lunch/New_Childrens_Titles_Publishing_May/215942 We consult a number of sources in compiling our weekly lists and PM members can see our lists for the coming three months through this reference […]
Virtual Buzz for Actual Breakout Titles on the Way
It’s hard in so many ways that we can’t all be together right now — but for a little over an hour last night, we recreated online that exciting experience of hearing passionate editors speak about a few special forthcoming books that moved them, and that they think are going to resonate with readers all over. The presentations were razor sharp and we could tell from the live chat thread that our “virtual attendees” were excited and animated in response, and felt that connection through stories that we have all been missing. And everyone’s babies, dogs, and spouses were on […]
Bookselling: Updates from Powell’s, Indigo, and Washington Indies
As booksellers think about what gradual re-opening looks like, Powell’s Books owner Emily Powell vows, “Powell’s will be here. It may look different. It may feel different for a while. But it will be here.” At the same time, for them, remote ordering is past its peak: “Powell’s has caught up with its orders now, Powell said, but the surge in business early in the pandemic has ebbed.” In Seattle, though, Elliott Bay Book Company manager Tracy Taylor said staff has been surprised at the constant pace of online orders: “It’s been consistent for the entire seven weeks. We thought […]
Simon & Schuster Children’s Creates Two Core Groups; Anastas to Leave
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing has organized itself into “two core publishing entities.” The Trade Publishing Group is led by svp and publisher Justin Chanda. He takes on additional oversight for the editorial staff of Simon Pulse, which joins this group. The Branded Publishing Group is led by vp and publisher Valerie Garfield, who takes on responsibility for Aladdin. As a result of the changes, vp and publisher of Aladdin and Simon Pulse Mara Anastas will leave the company. Paula Wiseman at Paula Wiseman Books and Allyn Johnston at Beach Lane Books will continue to manage their respective imprints within the […]