Alessandra Bastagli has joined Dey Street Books as executive editor. She was previously editorial director of Nation Books. Warren Bass will leave Penguin Press after almost a year to return to the Wall Street Journal’s weekend Review section, “with a nicely tailored portfolio of commissioning and editing big essays that’ll include lots of ongoing interface with the publishing…
Book Fairs
Dealmaking Is Modest Heading into Frankfurt, As Nonfiction and Film/TV Gain
With the Frankfurt Book Fair now officially underway, it’s time for our regular look at dealmaking trends ahead of the show (in the five week period from the day after Labor Day to yesterday). This year’s deal activity has been in line with both recent trends — ahead of the London Book Fair in April…
Frankfurt Opening Is Both Sunny and Stormy
The Frankfurt Book Fair officially opened on Tuesday morning (though the halls don’t open until Wednesday), presenting a study in contrasts. While the Fair celebrates its 70th anniversary, this year’s opening press conference was held in their new space-age Pavilion, dubbed everything from “a bright wooden skeleton covered with canvas reminiscent of a ship’s belly”…
Things Will Move Around Again At Frankfurt, Starting Next Year
The Frankfurt Book Fair announced some changes to expect starting with next year’s show, in 2019, due to construction at the fairgrounds. Floor 6.3, which has served as the agents’ center for a number of years — and finally had the agents next to (or actually above) North American publishers as of 2015 — is…
AAP Celebrates Copyright and Freedom of Expression
The AAP (Association of American Publishers) held its annual meeting in the Penguin Random House Building on Thursday afternoon, using the occasion to underscore the organization’s new focus. As PRH ceo and current AAP chair explained, “We wanted to refocus AAP on two core priorities: Copyright protection, the publishers’ lifeblood, and…the value proposition of publishing…
People, Etc.
At the Penguin Random House US Finance Group, Justine LeCates has been appointed vice president, director of US finance. In the newly created position, she’ll be responsible for overseeing the US division’s financial planning & reporting, analysis and financial Systems. Yvonne Ricciuti has been promoted to senior director of financial systems. In the Random House Publishing Group publicity department, Jennifer…