Andy Bird will take over as ceo of Pearson, starting October 19. At that point, current ceo John Fallon will continue in the position until then, when he will step down from the board and remain as an advisor through the end of the year. Bird had been chairman of Walt Disney International most recently, and joined Pearson’s board in May. Board chair Sidney Taurel said, “Andy brings a wealth of international consumer experience, as well as significant expertise in building brands, transformational change and driving digital innovation. He is an inspirational and dynamic leader with an excellent track record […]
Agency News
People, Etc.: Oprah Picks Wilkerson’s Caste
Desiree Wilson has joined the Bent Agency as an agent. Wilson was a freelance literary consultant and previously worked as an editor at Oni Press. At Aevitas Creative Management, Karen Brailsford joins as consulting agent and Georgia Frances King as agent. Brailsford has been a writer and editor at People, among other publications. King was most recently ideas editor of Quartz. Morgan LaRocca has been promoted to publicity associate at Graywolf Press. Picks Isabel Wilkerson‘s Caste is the new Oprah’s Book Club selection. Winfrey writes, ““Of all the books I’ve chosen for book club over the decades, there isn’t another that is more essential […]
People, Etc.
Grace Rambo has been promoted to digital operations manager at The Experiment. At Talcott Notch Literary Services, Saba Sulaiman has been promoted to agent. Paula Munier becomes agent and storytelling and content director. Tia Mele has added a new role as audio rights director. Jackie Ashton has joined Lucinda Literary as agent, with a focus on popular science, business, narrative nonfiction, memoir, and upmarket fiction. Anchor has moved up the paperback publication date for Colson Whitehead‘s Pulitzer-winning THE NICKEL BOYS to June 30. Briefs For the first time, 37 literary agents and agencies in Italy have come together to form […]
Endeavor Looks to Raise More Capital, Judge Pares Screenwriters’ Suit, and More
As Endeavor starts informing roughly a third of its staff about who is fired, furloughed and/or set for working half-time, the company is also looking to raise another $250 million in financing to help it through the pandemic, the NY Post reports. In the meantime, Moody’s joined S&P Global Ratings in downgrading Endeavor’s considerable debt load to “negative” since their “liquidity position is projected to deteriorate until the impact of the coronavirus subsides.” In other agency news, California US District Court Judge Andre Birotte Jr. dismissed some of the Writers Guild antitrust claims against the big Hollywood agencies in the […]
Jeffrey Archer Sues Curtis Brown UK For Alleged Underpayments, Breach of Duty
Earlier this month, author Jeffrey Archer filed suit in London’s High Court against his former literary agency, Curtis Brown UK, claiming they owe him £538,486 in alleged underpayments since they began representing him in 2002, plus interest on those funds of over £250,000. Archer also seeks damages for breach of duty, and a formal declaration that his representation by Curtis Brown UK ended last March. The Evening Standard ran the first report on the case six days ago. Archer’s attorney James Ramsden QC tells the court the issue was first discovered during a 2018 audit by Mitchell Rights Management. He […]
People, Etc.
Millicent Bennett has joined Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as editorial director, reporting to Bruce Nichols. She was previously executive editor at Grand Central, and has worked at Simon & Schuster, Random House, Ecco, and Knopf. Sarah Pelz has joined HMH as executive editor, reporting to Deb Brody, with a focus on acquiring lifestyle nonfiction. She was previously executive editor at Atria. Noa Wheeler has joined Bloomsbury Children’s as executive editor, responsible for the Sarah J. Maas publishing program. She will continue her freelance editorial work for authors and publishers in addition to her role at Bloomsbury. Alexa Higbee will join as […]