National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Chernow will be the speaker at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 27, 2019. He said in the release, “The White House Correspondents’ Association has asked me to make the case for the First Amendment and I am happy to oblige. Freedom of the press is always a timely subject and this seems like the perfect moment to go back to basics. My major worry these days is that we Americans will forget who we are as a people and historians should serve as our chief custodians in preserving that rich storehouse […]
Awards
People, Etc.
Heather Connor has joined Harlequin in the newly created role of vp, publicity, overseeing Park Row Books, Hanover Square Press, Graydon House, MIRA, HQN, and Inkyard Press. She was previously director of publicity at Berkley. Amanda Lang has been promoted to to senior publicity manager at Simon & Schuster. Co-founder of New World Library and author of Creative Visualization Shakti Gawain, 70, died November 11 from complications related to hip surgery. (She suffered from both Parkinson’s and Lewy body disease.) New World Library publisher and co-founder (the company was first called Whatever Publishing) Marc Allen says, “She was such an extraordinary […]
National Book Awards: Nunez Wins Fiction Prize, Along with Stewart, Tawada, Reed, and More
At the National Book Awards on Wednesday evening, the fiction prize went to Sigrid Nunez’s The Friend (Riverhead). Nunez spoke only briefly in accepting the award, quoting Alan Bennett: “For a writer, nothing is ever quite as bad as it is for other people, because, however dreadful, it may be of use.” Nunez also noted that “writing books made the miraculous possible: to be removed from the world and to be a part of the world at the same time. And tonight how happy I am to feel a part of the world.” Riverhead said there are 20,000 copies of the book in print and they ordered a reprint of another 20,000. Jeffrey C. Stewart […]
Briefs
Once again, you can view a live webcast of tonight’s National Book Awards starting at 7:20 PM. The Washington Post started rolling out its best books of the year package, including their lists of 50 notable fiction and nonfiction titles. Which means their top 10 should drop soon, too. Caroline Abbey has been promoted to editorial director at Random House Children’s. Chicago Distribution Center will distribute eight new publishers, all moving over from University Press of New England which is closing at the end of the year. The publishers are: Autumn House Press, Brandeis University Press, Carnegie Mellon University Press, Dartmouth College Press, […]
People, Etc.
John Radziewicz, vp and publisher of Da Capo Press, is retiring on November 30. He has led Da Capo since 1999. Susan Weinberg, svp & publisher of Perseus Books, said in an announcement, “John’s commitment and work ethic have been outstanding, and we will miss his erudite emails, his witty sotto voce remarks, and his enthusiasm for his authors, his colleagues, our books and the business of publishing.” She also stated that “a succession plan is forthcoming.” Bria Sandford has been promoted to executive editor for Portfolio and editorial director of Sentinel. Leah Trouwborst has been promoted to editor of Portfolio/Sentinel. Eric […]
Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer Tops December Indie Next List
The ABA named My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite as its No. 1 pick for December. Also on the list is Ariel Burger’s Witness, which is featured in our Buzz Books 2018 Fall/Winter sampler available for download now. The rest of the picks: Once Upon a River, by Diane Setterfield A Well-Behaved Woman, by Therese Anne Fowler The Dakota Winters, by Tom Barbash Kingdom of the Blind, by Louise Penny The Adults, by Caroline Hulse Vita Nostra, by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko Night of Miracles, by Elizabeth Berg Radiant Shimmering Light, by Sarah Selecky The Museum of Modern Love, by […]