The National Book Foundation will award Karen Tei Yamashita the 2021 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, to be presented at the in-person National Book Award ceremony in November. (The presenter of the award is to be announced.) Her novel I HOTEL was a National Book Award Finalist in 2010. “A bold and groundbreaking writer, Yamashita’s deeply creative body of work has made an enduring impact on our literary landscape,” NBF board of directors chair David Steinberger said. “Whether it’s an evocative exploration of cities, collaborative performance productions, or connecting the plots of Jane Austen to Japanese American life, […]
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Melissa Bloomfield has joined TvS Media Group as publicity manager.
Barnes & Noble Book Club
Democrats Press Amazon Over Anti-Vax Books
As Amazon’s algorithms allow COVID-19 misinformation to top search results, Rep. Adam Schiff of California and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts have written to the company about its “misinformation policies and what the company is doing to stop its systems from recommending books and other products linked to falsehoods about the pandemic and vaccines,” NPR reports. Warren’s letter specifically notes a book by Joseph Mercola, “a Florida physician who has long promoted debunked claims about vaccines,” which is listed as an Amazon bestseller and is consistently one of the top search results (published by Chelsea Green). NPD Bookscan reports sales […]
Obituary: Candice Chaplin
Penguin Random House vp, backlist sales Candice Chaplin, 53, died on Wednesday. She had cancer. In a statement, Penguin Random House said, “As VP, Director, Backlist Sales, her storied career with Penguin Random House was not only marked by her leadership and fierce sense of what was required for success but her unwavering friendship and incredible sense of humor. In many ways, she was the heart and soul of the Sales department. Our thoughts are with Candice’s loving family, and our colleagues, who will miss her deeply.”
New Stephen King Short Story to Benefit ACLU
Stephen King has partnered with digital retailer Humble Bundle to release a new original short story, with all of the proceeds going to the American Civil Liberties Union. “Red Screen” will be available exclusively through Humble Bundle now through September 16; readers can pay what they wish for access, with a $5 minimum. The story is the first “Humble Exclusive,” in which “Humble partners with innovative content creators to provide exclusive content to support charities.” “We’re so excited to partner with one of the world’s most respected names in fiction, Stephen King, to bring book lovers a brand new story […]