First Book says its Covid-19 Action Response has shipped 1.3 million books and distributed digital access codes for more than 2 million children, all donated by publishers and related organizations. CEO Kyle Zimmer, president, CEO and co-founder of First Book. “These books are so meaningful. They super-charge learning for kids in need, who are particularly vulnerable right now—when schools closed, these kids lost a place that was not only providing education, but so many different forms of critical support…. Not a day goes by that we aren’t grateful to our publishers.” Coffee House Press will commission original, short, digital works […]
Crisis reference
Status: Major Layoffs at Lonely Planet, More Agency Pay Cuts, Wiley Reports “Adverse Impact”
Lonely Planet will layoff a significant number of employees in multiple locations. The company said “its operations in London and Melbourne [will] close almost entirely, with impacts in other Lonely Planet locations around the world,” according to communications manager Adam Bennett. Managing director for publishing Piers Pickard said in an email seen by Books+Publisher that “significant numbers of roles are affected globally.” A source tells the Sydney Morning Herald that “up to 80 people would lose their jobs in Australia, ” with only three people said to be retained there. And “according to Pickard, staff in Dublin, London, Melbourne and […]
People, Etc.
Drew Reed will move to Sony Pictures as evp of literary affairs, starting May 1. He has served in a similar role at Fox for 17 years. Jake Bauman continues as vp of literary development, and will report to Reed. Patricia “Patty” M. Wong, city librarian at Santa Monica Public Library, was elected as president-elect of the American Library Association. She will serve as president-elect for one year before taking over as president at the 2021 ALA Annual Conference. At Scribe UK, Sarah Braybrooke has been promoted to publisher and managing director and Molly Slight to editorial director. Both will […]
Briefs: Forthcoming Books, Postponed Pulitzers
Forthcoming Paolo Giordano‘s HOW CONTAGION WORKS will be published in the US on April 14, as an ebook from Bloomsbury and in audio from Penguin Random House Audio. An essay on the coronavirus pandemic that explains how disease spreads and how our interconnectedness will save us is reported to have been shared over 4 million times in Italy, with publication planned in 25 countries around the world. (Rights originate from MalaTesta Literary Agency in Milan.) In the UK, Nosy Crow posted a free digital book on Monday, CORONAVIRUS: A Book for Children, including artwork by illustrator of The Gruffalo Axel […]
Barnes & Noble Warehouse Workers Say Illness Is More Widespread Than Acknowledged
In addition to the five confirmed cases of COVID-19 among employees at Barnes & Noble’s big Monroe, NJ warehouse, the company acknowledged in a recent memo that they “have had nine employees contact us with confirmed cases” of the virus. The first confirmed case of an employee testing positive was back on March 12 by one account (and April 1 by another), which is part of why workers staging a protest Tuesday insisted the company has not done enough to protect them. NJ.com says about 15 employees participated in the protest. Beyond the nine confirmed cases, a representative for employee […]
As COVID-19 Cases Appear at Barnes & Noble’s Warehouse, Workers Organize Protest
With the first cases of COVID-19 at Barnes & Noble’s big 1.4-million-square-foot distribution center in Monroe, NJ, a coalition of warehouse workers and other advocates have planned a protest outside of the facility on Tuesday afternoon “to demand protections.” The organizers note the facility “employs nearly 800 workers, most of whom are Latino immigrants.” Among their demands are asking for a two week closure of the facility — with paid time-off — for “full sanitization,” with “better safety protections, including sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE), social distancing and cleaning” thereafter along with “hazard pay” and “recognition of the ability to […]