Reed Exhibitions cancelled London Book Fair on Wednesday morning, “following the escalation of COVID-19 Coronavirus in Europe.” They said in a statement, “The effects, actual and projected, of Coronavirus are becoming evident across all aspects of our lives here in the UK and across the world, with many of our participants facing travel restrictions. We have been following UK government guidelines and working with the rolling advice from the public health authorities and other organisations, and so it is with reluctance that we have taken the decision not to go ahead with this year’s event.” That reluctance has been in […]
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Reed Is Holding the London Book Fair, Dubbed “The Nightmare of Epidemiologists,” without All of You
The UK government is not ready to ban public events of scale yet, and Reed Exhibitions is apparently not ready to face the costs of a voluntary cancellation and continues to vow that the London Book Fair will proceed next week. The show is an increasing outlier, with the big Leipzig Book Fair canceling next week’s show. More companies have announced that they will skip the fair and protect their employees, now including a number of UK-based companies and divisions. Penguin Random House, which officially had only made the show optional for US employees — most of whom opted out […]
People, Etc.
Ian Hudson is stepping down as ceo of DK and will leave the company at the end of April, “to recharge his batteries before embarking on the next stage of his career.” Hudson joined Random House in 1992 and has been a member of the Penguin Random House Global Executive Committee since 2013. He says in the announcement, “It has been a privilege to enjoy the support of my hugely talented colleagues across DK over the past nearly four years. We have been on a challenging journey together and, with some wonderful support from PRH colleagues around the world, DK’s […]
March Picks
Reese Witherspoon chose The Jetsetters by Amanda Eyre Ward as her March book club pick. The Today Show’s Read with Jenna pick is Writers & Lovers by Lily King. The Good Morning America book club picked In Five Years by Rebecca Serle. The March Pennie’s Pick at Costco is Lost Boy Found by Kirsten Alexander. The PBS NewsHour-The New York Times Now Read This book club chose Dani Shapiro‘s Inheritance. Barnes & Noble has started announcing their four Books of the Month titles online, in timely fashion: Normal People, by Sally Rooney Chesapeake Requiem, by Earl Swift The Hunting Party, by […]
People, Etc.: Rubin Joins S&S As Consulting Publisher
Former Holt chairman Stephen Rubin has joined Simon & Schuster as a consulting publisher, reporting to Jonathan Karp. Rubin will acquire fiction and nonfiction for all of the company’s adult publishing imprints. Karp says in the announcement, “Steve has an extraordinary eye for talent and keen judgment as a publisher on both sides of the Atlantic. He’ll be a valuable adviser and a rainmaker.” Rubin adds, “Jon and I have had a mutual admiration society since we met more than two decades ago. The opportunity to discover and champion notable authors, the great joy of my career, and publish them […]
People, Etc.
Author and editor Retha Powers will join Holt as editor-at-large on May 1. President and publisher Amy Einhorn writes, “I have known Retha for almost 20 years and I, like everyone who has had the privilege of working with her, have always been enormously impressed by her intellect and passion for books. I am incredibly excited that she will now bring that passion to Holt as she seeks to publish new voices in both fiction and narrative nonfiction.” At Abrams Children’s, Meredith Mundy has been promoted to editorial director, preschool. Courtney Code becomes editor. At Andrews McMeel, Amy Strassner has been promoted […]