You can be forgiven for finding a measure of comedy in each hurry and up wait stage of Borders’ bankruptcy proceedings. Just a few weeks ago Borders was lamenting that their inability to negotiate deadline extensions from landlords was going to force the early closure of some of their “profitable” stores. Now we’ve gone full circle, with multiple landlords complaining about Borders’ rush to finalize an auction of the company, starting with the stalking horse bid from Najafi, or liquidate almost as quickly. The new slow of motions was not unexpected–yesterday was the stipulated deadline for landlords to object, and […]
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People, Etc.
At NAL, Talia Platz has been promoted to assistant editor. Kristin Lindstrom has closed her agency, Lindstrom Literary Management, after 15 years to open a new business, Flying Pig Media. she will provide a range of publishing services to authors from craft/content editing to creative management of the electronic and print-on-demand books. Effective September 1, Skyhorse Publishing is expanding into the UK with distribution via Constable Robinson, which will also sell their books into the EU. The deal covers both print and ebook editions. On Saturday, the International Thriller Writers presented their Thriller Awards to: Best Hardcover Novel: BAD BLOOD, […]
People, Etc.
Will Sulkin announced plans to retire from his position as publishing director of Random UK’s The Bodley Head in April 2012. Editorial Director at Harvill Secker Stuart Williams will move over to The Bodley Head in January 2012 and take over as publishing director when Sulkin retires (while continuing to publish about six fiction titles a year at Harvill Secker). Williams will report to Vintage UK publisher Dan Franklin. Sulkin joined Random UK in 1990 as publisher of Pimlico and created the nonfiction Bodley Head list in 2007. He began his career in publishing at Penguin in 1969. Kate Lloyd […]
People, Awards, Etc.: Johnson Prize, Cleary, and More
Frank Dikotter’s MAO’S GREAT FAMINE won the UK’s richest nonfiction book award, the Samuel Johnson Prize. The judges called it a”meticulous account of a brutal manmade calamity is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the history of the 20th century.” (Bloomsbury and Walker published it in both the UK and US.) Bookmasters has hired Ernesto Martinez as manager of Spanish-language products and programs, overseeing their growing Spanish-language book and content services division. For the past five years, he was Borders’ Spanish language book buyer. Copyright Clearance Center has hired author and high tech industry veteran Haralambos “Babis” Marmanis as […]
People, Etc.
At Scholastic, Lynne Karppi has been promoted to Director of Creative and Product Development for the Consumer Products division. Andrea Colvin has been promoted to Director of Publishing Operations for Open Road Integrated Media. The Romance Writers of America announced its Golden Heart and RITA Award winners at its annual conference in New York last Friday. Full List Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, will self-publish her children’s book about 9/11, THE LITTLE PEAR TREE and donate the proceeds to charity, according to her spokesperson. A source told the Daily Mail that Ferguson reported got “her people” to send around […]
Frankfurt Offers Fair Conference Deal
With ever-more specialized conferences on the Frankfurt Book Fair agenda, show organizers have organized those events and more under the Frankfurt Academy banner. They are now selling a limited number of “all-access” tickets that provide entrance to nine conferences and meetings at the Frankfurt Book Fair with a single discounted ticket. The two Publishers Launch Frankfurt events are part of that offer–our full-day show on global digital trade publishing opportunities on Monday, October 10, and our half-day event focused on Children’s Publishing Going Digital on Tuesday, October 11–as are TOC Frankfurt, the International Rights Directors meeting; Frankfurt’s StoryDrive Conferenc, a […]