Waterstone’s parent HMV reported sales for the first half of the fiscal year at the bookselling chain of 219.5 million pounds, down 2.4 percent overall, and declining 3.2 percent on a same-store basis. They had an operating loss of 9.9 million pounds, which is better than the loss of 12.9 million pounds a year go. In the best stiff-upper-lip tradition available, management insists that they are making “good progress on [the] turnaround at Waterstone’s.” At the same time HMV reminds investors that “the outcome of our full financial year will be largely determined by the next four weeks of the […]
International News
People
Former longtime director of rights and contracts at McClelland & Stewart Marilyn Biderman has opened an eponymous literary agency, based in Toronto, and is out with her first submission in both the US and Canada: French-Canadian Marguerite Pigeon’s debut novel OPEN PIT. Biderman says she will represent genre, commercial and literary fiction, along with narrative nonfiction and memoir and “the occasional expert as a client as well.” In deciding her next step in publishing, Biderman says, “I really looked at what was important to me and where my allegiances lie. It’s always been with the publishing process and protecting the […]
Penguin Takes Classics to Egypt In New Joint Venture
The WSJ reports that Penguin is about to announce a joint venture with Egypt-based publisher Dar El Shorouk to publish books from the company’s Classics line in Arabic. The line is expected to debut in “the first half of 2011,” and will incorporate some Arabic classics as well. Dar El Shorouk chairman Ibrahim El Moallem believes the ebook editions in particular “will go all over the place,” even in Arabic-speaking countries where authorities try to censor books. He also “said that presenting the Penguin library as a series of the world’s greatest books may help trump the censorship issue.” The […]
Canada Gets their Giller-Winner In Stock
As promised last week, publisher of Giller-winning THE SENTIMENTALISTS Gaspereau Press announced today that they have licensed trade paperback rights to another independent publisher, Vancouver’s Douglas & McIntyre. D&M says they are printing 30,000 copies of the $19.95 (CA) paperback for shipment from the bindery on November 19, with paper on hand for a 20,000-copy reprint. The book has been available in ebook form in Canada from Kobo, and D&M will expand distribution to include Kindle, Nook, Sony and the iBookstore. Gaspereau will continue to fulfill orders for their $27.95 hardcover, which they print themselves.
Giller Controversy Continues, In Two Forms
The Canadian trade continues to be worked up that small “artisanal” Gaspereau Press doesn’t want to change their bookmaking ways now that Johanna Skibsrud’s The Sentimentalists has won the Giller Prize. Award founder Jack Rabinovitch made it clear to co-owner Gary Dunfield, “I would like to see the books out.” And he tells the Globe and Mail, “he’s given me the assurance and he promised to get back to me tomorrow [Friday] night.” But Dunfield tells the paper, “I think at this point we’re deciding early next week,” having already said he and his partner were looking at “three or […]
People, Awards, Etc.
At Abrams, Susan Van Metre has been promoted to svp and publisher and will now oversee all comic arts books in addition to Abrams Children’s and Amulet Books. Charles Kochman is promoted to editorial director for Abrams ComicArts, adding oversight of children’s comics and graphic novels, reporting to Van Metre. Chad Beckerman moves up to creative director and oversee design for all comic arts books, Abrams Children’s and Amulet. Lindley Boegehold is promoted to editorial director for calendars, licenses and custom publishing. Jennifer Levesque is promoted to editorial director for Stewart, Tabori & Chang and Abrams Image (though Abrams Image […]