Walker Books Group, whose divisions include Candlewick Press in the US, has been sold to China-based Trustbridge Global Media (a unit of private equity firm Trustbridge Partners). Walker had been the largest employee- and creator-owned publishing company. (The ownership had included more than 75 employees, and over 150 authors and illustrators.) In recent years, Trustbridge acquired Peachtree Publishers in Atlanta (2018) and Holiday House (2016), and they partnered with Chronicle Books for the Chronicle Bridge imprint in China (and France’s Bayard for a Bayard Bridge imprint). The deal closed on or about May 7 according to a UK Companies House […]
International News
People, Etc.
Marta Fleming has been promoted to director of international rights at Macmillan, working on St. Martin’s, Flatiron, Tor/Forge, and Celadon Books. At St. Martin’s Publishing Group, Courtney Littler becomes senior editor, focusing on Castle Point Books and the Griffin Puzzle Program, and Joe Goldschein has been promoted to vp, marketing & sales operations. At Macmillan Speakers Bureau, Chloe Volkwein was promoted to lecture agent. Forthcoming Knopf will publish TOGETHER IN A SUDDEN STRANGENESS: AMERICA’S POETS RESPOND TO THE PANDEMIC on June 9 in ebook and audio, with a hardcover to follow in November. The book features new, mostly not-yet-published work by […]
UK Wholesaler Bertram’s Said to be Preparing Bankruptcy Filing, After Selling Off Some Assets
The UK’s second-largest book wholesaler Bertram’s is reportedly about to appoint bankruptcy administrators, the Sunday Times reported. That puts in jeopardy about 400 jobs, and considerable sums owed to publishers — despite Bertram’s being owned by investment group Aurelius. The owners have already cashed in some of Bertram’s liquid assets, announcing the sale of online bookstore Wordery to Elliott Advisors on Friday. (Elliott says they will run the company separately from Waterstones and Barnes & Noble.) In early April, they sold two other subsidiaries: Dutch antiquarian bookseller Erasmus and academic book and journal supplier Houtschild International were sold to Casalini […]
Briefs: Edgar Awards and More
Mystery Writers of America announced the winners of the 2020 Edgar Awards. Winners include: Best Novel The Stranger Diaries, by Elly Griffiths (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) Best First Novel By An American Author Miracle Creek, by Angie Kim (Sarah Crichton Books/FSG) Best Paperback Original The Hotel Neversink, by Adam O’Fallon Price (Tin House Books) Best Fact Crime The Less People Know About Us, by Axton Betz-Hamilton (Grand Central) Best Critical Biographical Hitchcock and the Censors, by John Billheimer (University Press of Kentucky) Separately, the Publishing Triangle Awards, honoring LGBTQ fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and trans literature were also presented. Ocean Vuong’s On Earth […]
Vivendi Buys Stake In Lagardere, As Leaders Push Back On Amber Capital Proposal
Vivendi, which owns France’s second largest publisher Editis, has acquired 10.6 percent of Lagardere’s stock. The company says in their release, “This acquisition is a long-term financial investment reflecting Vivendi’s confidence in the future prospects of the French group which enjoys international leadership positions in its businesses and which, like many others, is experiencing difficult times at the moment.” The investment follows a report last week that billionaire Vincent Bollore, Vivendi’s chairman and leading shareholder, was among those buying stakes in Lagardere and planning to support management in their battle with activist hedge fund Amber Capital. Amber has nominated their […]
Status: News Corp Warns On Virus Impact, Indigo Rehires Some Employees with Government Support
News Corp joined other public companies in issuing a formal notice to investors that the COVID-19 pandemic “is expected to adversely affect the Company’s business and results of operations,” detailing the negative impact across its businesses. At HarperCollins, “Sales are expected to be adversely affected by shipping restrictions and delays imposed by online retailers, as well as closures of brick-and-mortar retail stores.” Those declines are mitigated in part by “an increase in sales of digital formats of its titles.” The company advises that it is “implementing cost-savings initiatives company-wide,” without providing any further details on pay cuts, furloughs or other […]