After over a hundred years in business, Ontario-based distributor Thomas Allen & Son will close at the end of March 2023, when their relationship with Workman Publishing terminates. Since Workman accounted for a substantial portion of Allen’s business — and Hachette handles its own Canadian distribution — the company indicates the closure was set in motion by the sale of Workman to Hachette Book Group in late 2021. President and ceo Jim Allen tells Canadian Press the closure is due to “ongoing consolidation” in publishing and changes in “traditional book distribution practices.” Firefly Books will take over the distribution rights […]
The Trial Under (Or Instead of?) The Tree
It takes a while for the metadata for our impressively fat, 6.7 pound printed hardcover edition of THE TRIAL: The DOJ’s Suit to Block Penguin Random House’s Acquisition of Simon & Schuster to populate throughout the retail chain — but we’re happy to report some mainstream alternatives to our own Aerio-powered storefront. Prime members can stick Amazon with the full shipping cost and still receive this big beauty promptly. And if you find our retail price daunting, they’ll even offer you an installment plan. Barnes & Noble customers can purchase online now as well.
Hachette UK Acquires Welbeck Publishing
Hachette UK announced Monday the acquisition of Welbeck Publishing Group, in an agreement executed on November 30. The company was founded by Mark Smith and Marcus Leaver in 2019, beginning with the acquisition of Carlton Books (and expanded through a number of original imprints, plus the acquisition of Eddison Books in 2020, and the launch of an Australian subsidiary with Booktopia in 2021.) Smith and Leaver said in the announcement, “The last few years have seen so much change in the world, it’s been daunting and exhilarating at the same time, and we are proud of what we have achieved. […]
People 12/2
Diana Pho joins as executive editor at Erewhon.
Our Missing Hearts Leads the Early Voting for Book of the Year
It’s that time: Every year we aggregate selective lists from all over — newspapers, reviewers, booksellers, librarians, book clubs, major awards and more — to provide the ultimate consensus on the year’s very best books, which always results in a terrific set of lists. Last year The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers and Empire of Pain, by Patrick Radden Keefe shared the top honor as the best books of the year. For now it’s still early in the “list season,” with about 33 votes in so far, and the leading picks are all tightly packed, though […]
European Commission Opens Investigation of Vivendi’s Lagardere Acquisition
After a preliminary review, the European Commission has formally “opened an in-depth investigation” to assess the competitive effects of Vivendi’s pending acquisition of Lagardere. They are “concerned that the proposed acquisition may reduce competition on a number of markets across the entire book value chain,” as well as in celebrity magazines (where the deal would combine Lagardere’s Paris Match with Vivendi’s Gala and Voici). Without modifications, the deal would combine the two largest book publishers in France. While Vivendi has said it is examining spinning off Editis into a separate company, that has been just talk so far. The EC […]