Judges have been announced for this year’s National Book Awards, the first time that the prizes expand their judging ranks beyond exclusively writers to include other literary tastemakers. The fiction judges include Elliott Bay Book Company buyer Rick Simonson and former NYTBR editor Chip McGrath (who chairs the panel), along with Charles Baxter, Gish Jen and Rene Steinke. The nonfiction panel features former Harcourt publisher and current vp of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Andre Bernard, alongside Jabari Asim; M.G. Lord; Lauren Redniss; and Eric Sundquist. The young people’s literature panel includes Books of Wonder owner Peter Glassman and curator […]
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has promoted evp of corporate affairs Mary Cullinane to the additional new role of chief content officer. She will “spearhead the company’s content development strategy for the K-12 education market and consumer audiences” and “develop the next generation of digital solutions while continuing to leverage the company’s existing products and iconic brands.” Caroline Riordan has joined Penguin as digital business director. Most recently, she was at Trailer Park, an entertainment marketing and content agency, and prior to that she was senior manager of ebooks and business development at Hyperion. Ann Treistman is joining Countryman Press as senior editor, looking […]
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Editor-at-large at Random House Children’s Books Jim Thomas will leave the company on April 5 to write full-time and spend more time with his family. Thomas will continue to work with RHCB and several authors on a freelance basis. At Knopf Books for Young Readers, Michele Burke has been promoted to senior editor and Allison Worchte moves up to editor. In addition, Loira Walsh has joined RHCB as a junior designer. Previously she was a design assistant at Sixth & Spring. McGraw-Hill Education hired media and information industry veteran Mark Dorman as president of McGraw-Hill Education International. Most recently, he […]
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Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, 82, “one of Africa’s most widely read novelists and one of the continent’s towering men of letters,” died after a brief illness, according to agent Andrew Wylie. His THINGS FALL APART is said to have sold over 8 million copies and been published in more than 50 languages. HarperCollins svp, publishing transformation Carolyn Pittis is leaving the company on March 29 after more than two decades to work as a private change management consultant. In her time at Harper Pittis served a number of roles, from book production, managing editorial, business development, and sales to consumer forecasting and supply chain management, […]
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Anthony Mattero has joined Foundry Literary + Media as an agent. Previously he worked with with Vigliano Associates and west-coast based literary and talent agency, Renaissance. Benjamin Alire Saenz has won the PEN/Faulkner Award for his short story collection EVERYTHING BEGINS AND ENDS AT THE KENTUCKY CLUB (Cinco Puntes Press). Saenz will receive the $15,000 prize at an awards ceremony in Washington DC on May 4. Books editor at the Kansas City Star from 2000-2009 John Mark Eberhart, 52, died March 19 after a long bout with cancer. Eberhart also published two volumes of poetry, NIGHT WATCH and BROKEN TIME. […]
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Andrew Duncan will join Grand Central on March 25 as associate director, online marketing, reporting to Emi Battaglia. Duncan was most recently senior marketing manager at Viking. Megan Perritt joins Crown as senior publicist. She was previously a publicist at F&W Media. In addition, Rebecca Marsh has been named publicist, moving from Simon & Schuster. In the wake of Mark Suchomel’s abrupt departure earlier this month after more than 15 years as company president, IPG has made a number of changes to its senior management. Jeff Tegge has been promoted to executive vice president, where he will continue to coordinate […]