At the LAT Festival of Books, the paper awarded its annual book prizes: Biography Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken (Random House Current Interest Michael Lewis, The Big Short (Norton) Fiction Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad (Knopf) Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction Peter Bognanni, The House of Tomorrow (Amy Einhorn/Putnam) Graphic Novel Adam Hines, Duncan the Wonder Dog: Show One (Adhouse Books) History Thomas Powers, The Killing of Crazy Horse (Knopf) Mystery / Thriller Tom Franklin, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter (William Morrow) Poetry Maxine Kumin, Where I Live (Norton) Science & Technology Oren Harman, The Price of Altruism: George […]
People: Freese to Recorded Books; Schluep to Amazon; Hunt to Dial; and More
Rich Freese has been named president and ceo of Recorded Books. Most recently he was president of the National Book Network, and in a statement Haights Cross president and ceo Ron Schlosser praised him as “a strong leader who will ensure Recorded Books is focused on achieving its aggressive business goals as well as tracking market trends and utilizing customer feedback about their needs and our strategy and approaches. I am delighted to welcome Rich to Recorded Books and Haights Cross Communications.” Release Chris Schluep has been named senior editor, Amazon.com Books, effective May 23. Previously he was a senior […]
People, Etc.
Laura Hazard Owen will join paidContent as a staff writer covering books and digital publishing beginning in mid-May. Previously she was the editorial manager of Publishing Trends. Judy Courtade will join Perseus Distribution as associate director, client services. Her most recent position was sales director for Black Dog & Leventhal and prior to that she was vp, sales director at Random House Jared Bland will join House of Anansi Press as managing editor on July 4. He is currently managing editor for The Walrus. Simon & Schuster will take over sales, distribution and fulfillment in the United States, Canada and open […]
Bookselling: Court Approves Davis-Kidd Deal; Monobookism; and More
Yesterday a Lexington bankruptcy court tentatively approved the results of the Joseph-Beth auction pending the entry of a sales order that’s expected Wednesday afternoon. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported the deal will close at the end of business Thursday, with the new owners taking over operations Friday morning. It puts three stores in the hands of Booksellers Enterprises for total consideration worth $3.98 million, with Joseph-Beth coo Mark Wilson serving as ceo of the new operating company. Liquidators Gordon Brothers bought the Virginia store for $672,000, and will sign the space over to Books-A-Million. Founder and former owner Neil van Uum’s […]
People, Etc.
Kathryn Beaumont has joined Kneerim and Williams as an agent. She has been a reporter, editor and working lawyer for the past 15 years. Rochelle Stolzenberg will oversee all online sales in the US for TheReadingRoom.com. (She also sells advertising for Publishers Lunch, and has represented other properties such as The Daily Beast.) South African Lauren Beukes won the UK’s Arthur C Clarke award for science fiction for her novel ZOO CITY, published by Angry Robot. Ian McDonald had been considered the favorite, and other nominees included Richard Powers. Guardian Most publishing people who think about BitTorrent are trying to […]
Robert B. Parker Estate Taps New Writers to Continue Spenser and Jesse Stone Series
Putnam announced that two series by bestselling mystery writer Robert B. Parker, who died in January 2010, will continue in the hands of new writers. Producer and screenwriter Michael Brandman will write the first new Parker brand book, ROBERT B. PARKER’S KILLING THE BLUES, which continues the Jesse Stone series and which will publish on September 13. Brandman already has considerable experience with the character as he co-wrote and co-produced the television movies featuring Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone. Ace Atkins, whose last few novels have been published by Putnam (and who begins a new series of his own with […]