Beth Polcari has been promoted to president, international, at Scholastic, starting January 1. She succeeds Nelson Hitchcock, who will retire at the end of the year after 15 years. Rose Else-Mitchell is rejoining the company as president, education solutions, and will work with current Scholastic Education president Greg Worrell and Polcari to combine their existing divisions into a single education solutions group over the next six months, which Ms. Else-Mitchell will lead starting June 1. After the transition, Worrell will continue to advise on strategic partnerships until his retirement in December 2021 after 30 years. Polcari, Else-Mitchell, and Worrell will […]
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Chuck Adams is leaving his full-time position as executive editor of Algonquin Books, after 16 years. He will continue on as editor-at-large for Algonquin, working with authors he has edited in the past. Additionally, he plans to continue developmental and editorial work on a freelance basis. Maya Fernandez has been promoted to associate editor at Beacon Press. Kate Johnson will become senior vice president of direct for Harper Christian and Harper Focus. Michelle Richter has been promoted to senior agent at Fuse Literary. Rachelle Gardner is launching Gardner Literary, a full-service agency “representing diverse authors at the crossroads of faith […]
People: Grove Promotes Executives, Boosts Starting Salaries; Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Forms Imprint with Random House
At Grove Atlantic, Peter Blackstock is promoted to vp, deputy publisher, and his new responsibilities including beginning to work with ceo and publisher Morgan Entrekin on matters relating to business and finance. Amy Hundley is promoted to vp, executive editor, while continuing as director of subsidiary rights. More broadly, the company will raise their starting salary to $40,000 for full-time employees. A new executive committee has been formed to help with “day-to-day running of the company and larger business decisions.” It comprises Elisabeth Schmitz, Judy Hottensen and Deb Seager, as well as Hundley, Blackstock and Entrekin. Entrekin said in the […]
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John le Carré, the pen name of David Cornwell, 89, who wrote The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, A Perfect Spy, Tinker, Tailer, Solidier Spy, and many more, died of pneumonia December 12, in Cornwall, England. Johnny Geller, his longtime agent at Curtis Brown UK, said in an announcement on Sunday night, “John le Carré was an undisputed giant of English literature. He defined the Cold War era and fearlessly spoke truth to power in the decades that followed.” Brian Tart, president & publisher of Viking Penguin, said, “It has been an honor to be John le Carré’s […]
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Samantha Zukergood has been promoted to assistant marketing manager at Flatiron Books. Daniel Berkowitz has joined Open Road Integrated Media as director of audience monetization. Obituaries Anthony Veasna So, whose debut book Afterparties is forthcoming from Ecco in August 2021, died unexpectedly on December 8. Friends have launched a crowdfunding campaign to help support his partner. Karl Killian, 77, founder of Houston’s Brazos Bookstore and literary nonprofit Inprint, died on December 9. Studies The New York Times published the results of a study aiming to determine how many Black authors were published by major publishing houses between 1950 and 2018. […]
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At Macmillan, Dan Schwartz has been promoted to chief financial officer, US trade & shared services, reporting jointly to ceo Don Weisberg and global coo Andrew Weber. Clare O’Rourke has been promoted to evp, finance & accounting. Cameron Ackroyd will join on January 4 as svp, trade finance, overseeing the trade finance and data science teams. He previously directed the business management and finance group for Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Former ceo of Macmillan John Sargent left the company earlier this week. Removed as president and publisher of Ecco in September, Daniel Halpern will leave the company on December 31, […]