As the nation scrambles to implement social distancing and control the spread of COVID-19, major library systems around the country have announced plans to close. And in the few large population centers where libraries are still remaining open, there is controversy. Among the 20 most populous cities in America, only the Chicago and Boston public libraries had yet to announce temporary closures by Monday morning. In Boston that led to an online petition asking the city to close the libraries and make the employees whole. In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio had publicly resisted library closures. When the New […]
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At Hachette Audio, Nita Basu has been promoted to manager of marketing & publicity, and Ghenet Harvey moves up to audio coordinator. Awards The American Academy of Arts and Letters announced their annual literature awards, this year going to 19 writers. Poet Leslie Marmon Silko won the $100,000 Christopher Lightfoot Walker Award for “a significant contribution to American literature.” While most awards go to the writers for general achievement or accomplishment, Valeria Luiselli won a prize for Lost Children Archive, and Isabella Hammad won a first fiction prize for The Parisian. Go here for the complete list of recipients, awarded $350,000 […]
PRH Now Recommends Work from Home, As Do Harper, Macmillan and Others, Plus More Cancellations
Penguin Random House US ceo Madeline McIntosh updated the company’s previous direction to employees: “We’ve made the decision that everyone in our New York, Colorado Springs, and Emeryville offices who can work from home should now transition to do so; plan for today to be your last day in the office, for the time being…. Guidance for Woodland Hills, Westminster, Crawfordsville and Reno is being provided by local leadership.” Additionally, PRH ceo Markus Dohle wrote to staff worldwide: “The geographic nature of the spread of the virus means that we won’t adopt a one-size-fits-all approach for all of our offices […]
HBG and S&S Test Work from Home, Harper Cleans UK Office
Hachette Book Group is “testing work-from-home capabilities today and tomorrow, asking each of our colleagues whose work can be done remotely to work from home on one of these two days.” More broadly, the company said, “Our first concern is the health and well-being of Hachette employees. Starting today, employees with concerns about being in an office environment, about commuting on crowded public transit, or other concerns that lead them to want to work from home, can talk with their managers to make arrangements.” Simon & Schuster employees have been instructed to work from home this Friday as part of […]
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Tim Holman will step down as the publisher of Orbit UK to focus on his role as svp and publisher of Orbit in the US, though he will continue to work from London. HBG ceo Michael Pietsch says, “I’m extremely happy that he has decided to devote 100% of his time and talent to even greater growth and creative publishing in the US market. Anna Jackson will move up to publisher of Orbit UK in April, reporting to Charlie King. Paola Crespo has been promoted to marketing manager at Orbit. At St. Martin’s publishing group: Rebecca Lang has been promoted to […]
Corona Updates: More Publishers Withdraw From Bologna, Poets & Writers Gala Cancelled, LAT Festival Postponed, More Cancellations and Contingencies
Event cancellations due to COVID-19 continue apace. The big publishers are not going to send employees to the rescheduled Bologna Book Fair: HBG, Hachette UK and Hachette Livre, have withdrawn,”in light of the unprecedented action the Italian government is taking to contain the spread of the coronavirus and our ongoing concern for the safety of our colleagues, authors and partners.” Bonnier UK also said it will skip the event. Poets & Writers has cancelled its 50th anniversary gala, scheduled for March 16. “We’re sorely disappointed, but made this decision out of a concern for the health and safety of our staff […]