Simon & Schuster imprint Scout Press has won the auction for a short story collection, YOU KNOW YOU WANT THIS, and a novel by Kristen Roupenian, whose story “Cat Person” went viral earlier this month and became the New Yorker’s second-most-read article for all of 2017. Executive editor Alison Callahan acquired Roupenian’s collection and novel from Jenni Ferrari-Adler at Union Literary in a major deal, for seven figures (in excess of $1.2 million, according to multiple sources). UK rights to the story collection sold to Jonathan Cape in a pre-empt last Wednesday, and the US auction carried over to this week. Subsequent […]
Authors
Briefs: New PRH UK Office Building, Hay House Puts Smiley Books On Hold, and More
Penguin Random House UK announced a lease agreement for additional new offices at One Embassy Gardens, between London’s Vauxhall and Battersea, “a short walk” from the existing RH UK office at 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road. The new space has 83,400 square feet across five floors, and includes event space on the ground floor. The company had announced in summer 2016 that it would vacate Transworld’s offices in Ealing and Penguin’s offices in the Strand to consolidate their employees. The new space will be ready at the end of 2019, and the two buildings with “both…be home to a mix of Penguin Random […]
People, Etc.
At Ten Speed Press, Kaitlin Ketchum has been promoted to senior editor. Georgia Bodnar has been promoted to associate editor at Viking. Natalie Hallak has been promoted to assistant editor at Park Row Books and Hanover Square Press. Alyssa Awe has been promoted to senior vice president, strategic operations and projects for Penguin Random House. At Simon & Schuster Audio, Elisa Shokoff has been promoted to vice president, executive producer; Sarah Lieberman has been promoted to vice president, associate publisher; Lauren Pires has been promoted to assistant director of marketing and publicity. Charlton Villavelez has been promoted to production coordinator for Simon […]
Emma Cline and Ex-Boyfriend Sue Each Other Over Plagiarism Claims
A two-year dispute between Emma Cline and her former boyfriend, Chaz Reetz-Laiolo has erupted in dueling lawsuits filed Wednesday in California federal court over allegations that Cline plagiarized portions of her 2016 debut novel The Girls through the use of computer spyware — allegations that Cline, in conjunction with Penguin Random House and The Clegg Agency vehemently deny. Reetz-Laiolo’s 79-page complaint (with more than 500 pages of supplemental exhibits) spins a story of Cline installing a keylogging software on a laptop that was once hers, later sold to him for $300, that was used to monitor his emails, as well […]
Minnesota Public Radio Fires Garrison Keillor Over Allegation Of Improper Behavior
Minnesota Public Radio has terminated its contracts with Garrison Keillor, producer of the Writer’s Almanac series and former host of A Prairie Home Companion, “after recently learning of inappropriate behavior with an individual who worked with him.” MPR said in a statement, “MPR takes these allegations seriously and we are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful and supportive work environment for all employees and everyone associated with MPR. We want a workplace where anyone who experiences unwanted behavior feels comfortable in reporting concerns to MPR. Discrimination, harassment, retaliation or other inappropriate behaviors will not be tolerated.” Keillor told the AP he was […]
People, Awards, Etc.
In personnel news, Pippa White has joined Callisto Media as editor. Previously she was an associate editor at Chronicle Books. Picks Target announced its December, January, and February Book Club Picks. The picks for December are The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak and The Party by Robyn Harding. The picks for January and February are The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O’Neill and The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti, respectively. Awards Michael Redhill won the Giller Prize for his novel Bellevue Square (Doubleday Canada). Poets & Writers announced the recipients of their 2018 Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Awards: Chimamanda Ngozi […]