Pearson announced the $250 million sale of its K-12 courseware division to private equity group Nexus Capital Management, a sale which the company had been pursuing for at least a year as part of its simplification strategy. Chief executive John Fallon says it “frees us up to focus on the digital first strategy that will…
International News
People, Etc.
Cassidy Sachs has been promoted to assistant editor at Dutton. At Cooke International, Hana El Niwairi has been promoted to subsidiary rights associate. Co-founder with her husband Ian Ballantine of Ballantine Books and Bantam Books Betty Ballantine, 99, died on Tuesday at home in Bearsville, NY. Random House president and publisher Gina Centrello said in a…
By the Actual Numbers, Sales and Profits Fell Slightly at Waterstones
As we’ve observed before, the UK press and the UK trade love the survival/revival story of bookselling chain Waterstones, regardless of what the numbers say. In the British tradition, the chain recently filed annual results for the fiscal year ending April 28, 2018 — prior to the sale of a controlling stake to Elliott Advisors…
Vivendi Completes Buyout of Planeta’s Editis
Vivendi formally closed their acquisition of France’s second-largest publishing group Editis from Spain’s Planeta on January 31, following approval from the French Competition Authority at the beginning of the month. The actual sale price still has not been disclosed (though it should be eventually, since Vivendi is a public company). For now they continue to…
People, Etc.
Kathy Dunn has been promoted to executive publicist at Random House Children’s. There will be a memorial service for the late Claudio López de Lamadrid at this year’s London Book Fair, on Wednesday, March 13, at 4.30pm, in room 2, at the Conference Center on the third floor of London Olympia. Forthcoming Bonnier Zaffre will…
Corporate: New Amazon Imprint, Hachette Buys Board Game Company, and More
Amazon Publishing is adding an Amazon Crossing Kids imprint, publishing children’s picture books in translation, with three announced titles, for publication beginning in July. Two Lions editorial director Kelsey Skea is editorial director of Amazon Crossing Kids as well, working in collaboration with Two Lions editor Marilyn Brigham and Amazon Crossing editorial director Gabriella Page-For….