Workers in Indigo’s Square One location in Ontario, Canada, will conclude voting today on whether to join the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union. The move came after a failed petition asking their employer to stop forcing them to clean customer bathrooms, which they saw as a Covid health and safety issue, according to Kevin Shimmin, a representative for UFCW Canada, interviewed by Quill & Quire. The high-profile, multilevel store re-opened in late June. Shimmin said that a winning vote would lead to a series of meetings to gather employee proposals, followed by negotiations with Indigo, a process that […]
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Kristin Fassler will return to Penguin Random House on October 5, in the new role of svp, director of integrated marketing strategy for the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, reporting to Maya Mavjee. All divisional marketing functions will report to Fassler. She “will build and lead a state-of-the-art marketing department centralized across all imprints that incorporates title marketing, social media marketing, advertising, promotion and creative services, online optimization, audience development, consumer insights and analytics, and campaign ROI.” At Knopf, Chris Gillespie is being promoted to svp, publishing director, effective October 5, reporting to Reagan Arthur, helping with “the logistics of our […]
People: Halpern Becomes Editor-at-Large at Ecco
HarperCollins has unceremoniously realigned Ecco and its leadership. Founder of Ecco in 1971 and president and publisher since it joined HarperCollins in 1999 Daniel Halpern “will be transitioning” to editor-at-large “immediately.” Ecco will “be more closely integrated into the Harper Group” with vp and editorial director Helen Atsma overseeing the imprint and reporting to svp and publisher Jonathan Burnham. Halpern will “continue to edit a number of his longstanding authors.” Burnham writes, “Under Dan’s direction, Ecco has grown into one of the most respected imprints in the industry: a byword for literary distinction and editorial integrity.” At Quarto, Polly Powell […]
Daunt Says Digital Audio Platform and Improved Distribution Are On the Way
On Friday afternoon, Barnes & Noble ceo James Daunt engaged in a video conversation with BISG executive director Brian O’Leary as part of the organization’s virtualized annual meeting. Some of Daunt’s most interesting remarks came at the end of the session, responding to audience questions. He acknowledged that the chain is far behind in playing a role in digital audio, and is working to catch up: “We should have an audio proposition…. We’ve done a lot of work on it, and we need to launch it and have it fully operational…. It has to be as good as the industry […]
People, Etc.: Howard to Retire from Doubleday
Gerald Howard, vice president, executive editor, Doubleday, is retiring at the end of the year, after working at the house since 1998. Publisher and editor-in-chief of Doubleday Bill Thomas, writes, “Gerry has decided to spend more time with his wonderful wife, Susanne, travel and work on his biography of the legendary editor Malcolm Cowley for Penguin Press, which, amusingly to some of us, is overdue.” Thomas adds, “‘Legendary editor’ is an appellation that applies to Gerry just as well. The range and quality of the books he has edited, published and championed over his forty-six-year career is simply breathtaking…. He […]
People, Etc.
Andrea Joyce has joined Duckworth Books to handle its North American rights sales. She was most recently rights director at Canongate. Shanna Hogan, journalist and true crime author of books including Dancing With Death and Picture Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story, died on September 1, following a tragic accident. (She suffered brain damage after stumbling, hitting her head and falling into the family’s pool last week.) Hogan was working on a new book at the time of her death. Her editor Charles Spicer said “Shanna Hogan was an intrepid journalist, a talented writer, a natural podcast star – and an […]