The Orange Prize announced its longlist for the 2009 prize yesterday, with authors such as Marilynne Robinson, Toni Morrison, Curtis Sittenfeld, Miriam Toews and Samantha Hunt making the cut. A shortlist of six will be announced on April 21, and the winner on June 3. List And ten novels were selected for the Miles Franklin Literary Award longlist.Release
People and Announcements
Baker & Taylor is moving its wholesale club book division, Baker & Taylor Marketing Services, to its distribution center in Indianapolis from the one in Woodland, CA, effective May 15. At Piatkus, Tim Whiting has been appointed publishing director of non-fiction, reporting to Antonia Hodgson. He will still continue his role as publishing director for Little, Brown non-fiction, reporting to Richard Beswick. Bob McLaughlin is retiring from Fujii Associates, effective April 1. Before joining Fujii, he worked at Ward Parkway Bookshop, Wybel Marketing and Heinecken and Associates. Linden Publishing, which primarily publishes in the fields of woodworking and California regional […]
Seattle P-I Book Critic's Last Column
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer prints its final edition today, and book critic John Marshall reflects on over a decade at the helm with “a farewell list of the extraordinary, the strange, the faves and flops” he remembers, including: Strangest moment: Memoirist Mary Karr (“The Liars’ Club”) packing as I asked questions in her hotel room. No other author folded tiny bikini undies during an interview. Most unforgettable book-launch party: Grove/Atlantic’s poolside soiree at the Playboy Mansion during the 1999 BookExpo in L.A. Yes, Hef wore his pj’s. Seminal figures in Seattle’s reputation as a book town: Rick Simonson of The Elliott […]
Millard Kaufman, 92, Dies
Millard Kaufman,the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of “Bad Day at Black Rock”, co-creator of Mr. Magoo, and author of the novel Bowl of Cherries (2007) died Saturday of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles two days before his 92nd birthday. Kaufman’s second novel Misadventure will be published by McSweeney’s Books this fall. LAT obit
Walker and Bloomsbury Join IPG
A week after Bloomsbury joined the Independent Publishers Guild in the UK, Walker has followed suit “with immediate effect.” The signing of both companies comes as a result of incoming chairman Andrew Johnston’s pledge to recruit more mid-sized and high profile companies to the trade association.Bookseller
People and Announcements
At The Overlook Press, Juliet Grames and Aaron Schlechter have both been promoted to Editor. Sara Goodman has been promoted to Associate Editor at St. Martin’s Press. Douglas & MacIntyre have announced a number of personnel changes: Chris Labonté has been promoted to Assistant Publisher and Acquiring Editor, Fiction; Richard Nadeau has been promoted to National Sales Director; Emiko Morita has been promoted to Marketing Director; Jennifer Gauthier has been promoted to Sales Coordinator, North America, and Leigh Wall joins the company as Executive Assistant, taking over Labonté’s former duties as Assistant to the Publisher. Egyptian writer and scholar Youssef […]