E.L. Doctorow, 84, author of critically admired and award-winning novels such as Ragtime and Billy Bathgate, died Tuesday in Manhattan from complications of lung cancer. Before turning to fiction full-time, Doctorow worked as an editor at NAL and then Dial Press (where he became editor-in-chief). Among the many honors Doctorow received throughout his career included the National Book Award, three National Book Critics Circle Awards, two PEN Faulkner Awards, the Edith Wharton Citation for Fiction, and the presidentially conferred National Humanities Medal. Doctorow’s longtime editor at Random House Kate Medina said in a statement: “Edgar’s work has always been ascendant, […]
Agency News
People, Etc.
Crown’s community development team has hired Abbe Wright as editor of Read It Forward, their online literary community. (She recently completed a year-long editorial project at Glamour and before then, was assistant books editor at O, the Oprah Magazine.) Ariel Norwood has been named community and social media manager for the online food community Tastebook (she ran social media for the furniture distributor Viyet); and Ryan DeShon has joined as front end developer for all of Crown’s community websites (he worked at LitHub.com). DongWon Song has joined Howard Morhaim Literary Agency as an agent. He was formerly an editor at Orbit and oversaw product at Zola Books. Expansion Simon […]
People
Kate Garrick has joined The Karpfinger Agency as an agent. Previously she was an agent at DeFiore and Company, and will bring her list of clients to the Karpfinger Agency. In the UK, Profile publishing director Mike Jones is leaving the office just a year after joining it, by “mutual consent” according to the Bookseller. He will work on some manuscripts from home and formally leave the company in September. Target‘s Book Club pick for August is Orphan Number Eight by Kim Van Aklemade.
People, Etc.
At Trident Media Group, Tara Carberry has been promoted to associate agent, continuing to work with Kimberly Whalen and Erica Spellman Silverman. Dawn Ryan has been promoted to managing editor for Knopf Children’s. KF Literary Scouting is now scouting children’s, young adult, and new adult titles on behalf of Bayard in France and Harper Germany, both in the areas of (while continuing to scout for separate adult publishers in both territories). The Frankfurt Book Fair announced the 16 Fellows for this year, including Sarah Bowlin at Holt and Anna Kelly at Fourth Estate, along with such editors as Liciane Correa, Aurelia Goyens, Diana Hernandez […]
People
Marjorie Braman, 60, died July 2 at her home in Taghkanic, NY of complications from breast cancer. She began her 26 years in publishing as an editorial assistant and worked her way up to svp, publishing director at HarperCollins and then vp, editor-in-chief at Henry Holt. She has worked as a consultant at Open Road Integrated Media. Authors she worked with include Elmore Leonard, Michael Crichton and Sena Jeter Naslund. Most recently Braman worked as an independent editor and was a member of the independent editors’ group 5e. She is survived by her husband, Jamie M. Saul. A memorial service […]
People: A Harry Potter Play, and More
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, […]