Abrams will launch Appleseed Books, a new imprint geared towards babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, in Spring 2012. The imprint will publish 8-10 titles annually, mixing board books, novelty books, and young picture books as originals, reprints or branded series. The winners of the Bancroft Prize for History are Eric Foner‘s The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery; Sara Dubow‘s Ourselves Unborn and Christopher Tomlins‘ Freedom Bound. Each author will receive $10,000. Managing a Dental Practice: The Genghis Khan Way by Michael R. Young won the Diagram Prize for the year’s oddest book title. BookNet Canada will launch its interactive […]
Awards
People, Etc.
Chronicle Books has appointed Ginee Seo as director of children’s publishing, effective May 12. Previously she was VP and editorial director of Atheneum, where she had her own imprint. Mindy Im has joined the Book Industry Study Group as its marketing director, a newly created position, responsible for membership outreach, media relations, and overall organization branding, as well as general project management across a wide scope of BISG activities. Previously she was Associate Director of Marketing at Hachette Book Group. At Ruckus Media, Jason Root has been named Chief Content Officer and Jeff Zakim joins the company as its marketing […]
People, Etc.
Dara La Porte is leaving Politics and Prose, where she has managed the children’s and teen’s department for the past 11, to co-direct Literacy and Prose, a non-profit that brings authors and illustrators to schools. Transworld associate publicity director Laura Sherlock is leaving the company in order to “spend more time with her young family.” Her last day is June 8. Aflame Books, which devoted itself to publishing fiction in translation since, announced on its website last week that it ” has ceased trading and will no longer publish books,” after five years in business. They add, “we thank […]
People, Etc.
At Random House UK division Cornerstone, Heinemann Jason Arthur has been appointed publisher, while Caroline Gascoigne, formerly Hutchinson publishing director, has been appointed to the newly-created role of publisher at large. Harvard Common Press titles will be distributed by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as of June 1. Bi Feiyu has won the Man Asian Literary Prize for his novel Three Sisters (HMH)Release Julian Barnes has won the David Cohen Prize for lifetime achievement in literature. Toronto mystery bookshop Sleuth of Baker Street will be leaving its longtime location on Bayview Avenue for a smaller location on 907 Milwood Road starting on March 19. Quill […]
People: O’Callaghan Resigns as HMH CEO, and More
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ceo Barry O’Callaghan resigned from the company today, though he will remain as a senior advisor. Current cfo Michael Muldowney will serve as interim ceo until a replacement is found. The news comes just a year after the once heavily-leveraged publisher significantly reduced more than $7 billion of debt taken on to acquire first Houghton Mifflin and then Harcourt’s US business in an effective takeover and restructuring by billionaire John Paulson’s hedge fund. Paulson & Co. bought up portions of the company’s distressed debt in order to control the refinancing and conversion to new equity. Callaghan, the […]
A Redesigned Boston Globe Books Section, and More People News
The Boston Globe’s redesigned books section will make its debut on Sunday, March 20, with several additions and changes to its columns, editor Nicole Lamy tells us. Amanda Heller and Barbara Fisher will no longer co-write the “Short Takes” capsule review column; Heller’s last piece appeared on March 6 and Fisher’s on March 13. Replacing them is Kate Tuttle, a freelancer who has contributed to The Washington Post, The Boston Phoenix, Babble and Salon. The Shelf Life column, previously written by Katherine Powers, is now called Word on the Street with a new writer in place. Two new columns – […]