Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group president and publisher Maya Mavjee announced a realignment and expansion of Pantheon and Schocken. They will now operate independently as an “equal and fourth pillar” of the group, rather than a division of Knopf, Mavjee said, “in order to ensure these imprints’ legacy, development, and advancement.” We had reported in late August that Pantheon and Schocken svp and publisher Lisa Lucas had changed reporting lines and was reporting directly to Mavjee. “This new direction both will honor the past and will help our company pivot into the future,” Mavjee said in the announcement. Lucas added, “We couldn’t […]
Barnes & Noble’s Best Books of the Year
Barnes & Noble kicked off best books of the year season, this time announcing their “top ten-ish” (e.g. 11) titles, along with a full package of top tens from across 14 categories. Selected by the chain’s buyers, four of the top books, noted below with asterisks, have not been published yet — but presumably BN already secured significant copies to avoid going out of stock on the promotional titles. The 1619 Project, by Nikole Hannah-Jones* Burnt Toast & Other Disasters, by Cal Peternell Call Us What We Carry, by Amanda Gorman* Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony Doerr Crying in H […]
Obituary: Diane Lomonaco
Diane Lomonaco, 67, former associate director, production, for Putnam, died on October 4 of early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Over the course of her career, she also held positions at Simon & Schuster, and Betty Crocker. Penguin Random House writes, “Diane was the ultimate professional, extraordinarily knowledgeable about all facets of bookmaking, and deeply caring of her colleagues and authors. She was a warm and devoted friend, sister, and aunt with a sharp and dry sense of humor who always found the right words to cheer and console. With a love for books and poetry, Diane brought her fondness for theatre […]
People 7/15
At Penguin Random House, Bryan Bixler has been promoted to vice president, business operations, and Matt Godzieba has been promoted to vice president, director of publishing operations systems.
August Library Reads
Julie Murphy’s If the Shoe Fits tops August’s Library Reads list. You can sample it now in our Buzz Books 2021: Spring/Summer anthology. The rest of the picks: Battle Royal, by Lucy Parker Dark Roads, by Chevy Stevens The Last Chance Library, by Freya Sampson Mrs. March, by Virginia Feito My Heart is a Chainsaw, by Stephen Graham Jones The Reading List, by Sara Nisha Adamns The Royals Next Door, by Karina Halle A Slow Fire Burning, by Paula Hawkins Yours Cheerfully, AJ Pearce
People 7/14
Editorial director Jordan Pavlin has been named editor-in-chief at Knopf, taking one of the titles previously held by the late Sonny Mehta. Knopf editors will continue to report to publisher Reagan Arthur.