For 2010, the Man Asian Literary Prize is “restructuring.” Once focused on works that had not yet been published in English, the new strategy is the inverse: the award will go to “a novel written by a citizen of an Asian country and first published in English in 2010. Translations into English of works originally in another language are also eligible, provided they are first published in English in 2010.” The cash award for the author has been raised to $30,000, and the translator (if any) will receive $5,000 separately.Prize site
International News
Amazon's Canadian Play Is to Open their Own Distribution Center
The Globe and Mail has further information on Amazon’s application to Canada’s government, seeking permission to open their own distribution center within the country. The etailer currently dispatches its Canadian shipments through a unit of Canada Post. HMV Canada president Humphrey Kadaner says, “This would bring Amazon into competition with pretty much every retailer in Canada, assuming they expand their product offering as they have in the States. They really would become much more of a general retailer.” Indigo ceo Heather Reisman says, “This is evolution…. It just needs to be transparent and evenly applied.” She has written to the […]
Lost Symbol Paperback, for the UK Only
Random UK’s Corgi imprint will publish THE LOST SYMBOL in paperback on July 22, just announced this morning. But don’t expect a paperback edition in the US yet. Spokesperson Suzanne Herz says “the hardcover is performing so well here we are not following suit.” The publisher currently has no plans for paperback release in the US.
Blair Memoir Set for September
Random House will publish former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s book TONY BLAIR: THE JOURNEY this September, via Hutchinson in the UK and Knopf and Knopf Canada in North America. The company says rights have been sold in twelve territories. (They acquired rights in October 2007.) Random UK ceo Gail Rebuck promises in the announcement that “his book is frank, open, revealing, and written in an intimate and accessible style. As an account of the nature and uses of power, it will have a readership that extends well beyond politics, to all those who want to understand the challenge of […]
People, Awards and More
Anna Crowe has joined Planned Television Arts as a senior publicist. She was previously at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Random House. Linda Clark Associates has been appointed the book scout for Quercus Books. The LA Times announced nominees for its annual book prizes yesterday in 10 categories, now including an award for graphic novels for the first time. Their first Innovators Award will go to Dave Eggers for “his multifaceted, spirited commitment to literature” and their Lifetime Achievement award is going to Evan S. Connell.Full list of nominees Poets & Writers’ indie bookselling column has a long interview with Michael […]
People and Companies
Agent Mary Ann Naples, co-owner of The Creative Culture, has joined startup OpenSky (www.theopenskyproject.com) as vp of development, representing the voices of authors and brands at the company. Former Scholastic UK managing director (and then briefly chief executive of the Headline publishing group) Kate Wilson is starting a children’s book publisher, Nosy Crow, launching in January 2011. The company is focusing on both traditional printed books as well as books as electronic apps. Ralph Munsen joins Hachette Book Group today as svp, chief information officer. He was most recently vp, technology at Clear Channel..He will lead HBG’s technology group, and […]