The National Book Critics Circle is giving their first-event John Leonard Prize for a debut work to Anthony Marra for A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. Katherine Powers is receiving their annual Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing, and author and translator Rolando Hinojosa-Smith is honored with their Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award. Their nominations across five categories look a lot like our consensus Best of the Best of 2013 lists (which include critics picks): Fiction The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie A Tale for the Time Being, Ruth Ozeki Someone, Alice McDermott The Infatuations, Javier Marias Autobiography Wave, Sonali […]
Awards
Pierce Brown Tops February Library Reads List
The February Library Reads list top pick is RED RISING by Pierce Brown, with the rest of the list featuring: The Good Luck of Right Now, by Matthew Quick This Dark Road to Mercy, by Wiley Cash The Martian, by Andy Weir After I’m Gone, by Laura Lippman Ripper, by Isabel Allende The Ghost of the Mary Celeste, by Valerie Martin The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress, by Ariel Lawhon The Winter People, by Jennifer McMahon E.E. Cummings: A Life, by Susan Cheever
People, Etc.
At Harper Children’s, Erica Sussman has been promoted to editorial director. Editorial director of Book Business and Publishing Executive magazines Lynn Rosen‘s position was eliminated. Kate Atkinson’s LIFE AFTER LIFE won the best novel category Costa Book Award, while Nathan Filer’s THE SHOCK AND THE FALL was awarded the debut novel category prize. Those and other category winners will compete for the overall Costa, to be decided on January 28. Former managing director of Secker and Warburg in the UK Tom Rosenthal, 78, has died. Anova Books ceo Polly Powell has bought out the company from co-founders Robin Wood and […]
January Books of the Month; February Indie Next Picks
Amazon agrees that THE INVENTION OF WINGS by Sue Monk Kidd, already featured by Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 and the No. 1 Indie Next January pick, is the book of the month for January. The retailer’s full list of choices also features: The Kept, James Scott Andrew’s Brain, E. L. Doctorow Windfall, McKenzie Funk On Such a Full Sea, Chang-Rae Lee The Wind Is Not a River, Brian Payton Radiance of Tomorrow, Ishmael Beah Before I Burn, Gaute Heivol and Don Bartlett Ping-Pong Diplomacy, Nicholas Griffin Apple Tree Yard, Louise Doughty Hollow City, Ransom Riggs Separately, the Costco Pennie’s Pick for […]
People, Etc.
At Start Publishing, Meghan Kilduff has been promoted to associate publisher for the Salvo Press, Night Shade Books, Start Classics and Start Science Fiction imprints. In addition, Natalie Pao has been named production associate for ebooks. Kate DiCamillo has been named the Library of Congress’ next National Ambassador to Young People’s Literature, succeeding Walter Dean Myers, who was appointed in 2012. DiCamillo will spend the next two years traveling (including required appearances at the National Book Festival and Children’s Book Week) and told the NYT: “It wasn’t until my fifth or sixth book where I realized I’m trying to do […]
People
William Morris Endeavor has hired former Microsoft chief financial officer Peter Klein. He will oversee the global finance operation for IMG Worldwide once that acquisition closes, along with WME. (Approvals for the acquisition are expected to take a number of months). First published last August but only available online now, Esquire ran an extensive look at Proof of Heaven author Dr. Eben Alexander, depicting him as “a neurosurgeon with a troubled history,” including documenting accusations of malpractice and in one case a “purported cover-up” in which he changed his surgical notes to eliminate evidence of an error. Reporter Luke Dittrich quotes […]