JK Rowling announced on Twitter that she has written a play — Harry Potter and Cursed Child — that will open in London’s West End next summer. She calls it “a collaboration” with writer Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany, along with singer-songwriter Imogen Heap. Tickets will go on sale this fall, and the production will be stated at the Palace Theatre. The theater’s website says the play “will explore the backstory leading up to Harry’s parents untimely death at the hands of Lord Voldemort.” Rowling writes, “I’ve had countless offers to extend Harry’s story over the years, but Jack, […]
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Antonella Iannarino has left the David Black Agency, where she was an agent and website and social media manager for authors, after eight years to launch AI Strategic, offering consulting services to authors and companies for developing their online presence through social media, websites, ebook publishing and brand strategies. She may be reached at antonella@aistrategic.com. Claire Payne will join Parragon as senior director of mass market sales on July 3. Previously she was senior director of sales at Dalmatian Press. In the UK, literary agent Anita Land has split with partner since 2000 Georgina Capel to set up a new agency, the Bookseller […]
NAL Is Merged Into Realigned Berkley Publishing Group
Following on the “wide-ranging” reorganization of much of the Penguin Publishing Group imprints in January, Berkley/NAL Publishing Group president Leslie Gelbman announced internally on Tuesday afternoon “significant organizational changes for Berkley and New American Library,” which are being fully merged into the new Berkley Publishing Group, with Gelbman continuing as president. “What have to this point been separate editorial, managing editorial, production and art departments” for Berkley and NAL will be brought together as of July 1. An unspecified number of people are having their positions eliminated as a result. A spokesperson declined to provide additional details. Gelbman writes: “A major […]
Corporate: Harlequin’s Customer Rewards Program; Bonnier Germany Drops DRM
Harlequin has launched a new customer loyalty program, Harlequin My Rewards, which gives members opportunities to earn rewards such as autographed books, signature gift baskets and Skype conversations with favorite Harlequin authors. Harlequin My Rewards presents readers with points for purchasing books or engaging in multiple online activities, including sharing book reviews, providing opinions, completing weekly book challenges and games, tweeting and partaking in Facebook activities. In addition, readers who purchase Harlequin books at retail locations can earn points by taking a photo of their receipts, which they email or upload to the Rewards site. Bonnier Germany (which includes Carlsen, […]
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Man Asian Literary Prize winner for the novel Please Look After Mom Shin Kyung-sook admitted that her short story “Legend,” published in a 1996 collection, copies from a work by the late Yukio Mishima. “As I compared the sentences I couldn’t believe it myself,” she told the Kyunghyang Shinmun newspaper. “I cannot trust my own memory” about reading Mishima, she said. “I sincerely apologize to the literary writer who raised the issue as well as all my acquaintances, and above all, many readers who read my novels…. Everything is my fault.” Changbi Publishers is removing the current edition of the story collection […]
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Kim Shannon has been promoted to vp, director, retail sales at Penguin Random House. Awards The Carnegie Medal was awarded to Tanya Landman for Buffalo Soldier, while the Greenaway Medal was given to William Grill for Shackleton’s Journey, which he wrote and illustrated. Grill is the youngest prize winner (at age 25) in more than 50 years. Obituary James Salter, 90, died June 19 in Sag Harbor, NY. He was the author of novels including A Sport and a Pastime (1967) and Light Years (1975) as well as two short story collections and a memoir. The NYT reports his wife […]