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 publish a sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris, CILKA’S JOURNEY, on October 3 in the UK. Distribution Hachette Book Group USA will take over distribution of Summersdale from Trafalgar Square on March 1. Hachette UK’s Octopus Books acquired Summersdale in late 2017.
International News
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. Separately, Random House Children’s announced the launch list of three titles, starting in September, for Christopher Myers‘ Make Me A World imprint, which started in 2016, originally aiming for a 2018 debut. He says in the release: “Imagine inviting all the smartest people, the artists and […]
UK Consumer Print Sales Fell for PRH In 2018 As Others Gained
As we head into annual report season, the Bookseller looks at publishers’ UK revenue figures, as measured by Nielsen Bookscan UK’s Total Consumer Market. (So this captures UK consumer print revenues only — excluding ebooks, digital audio, and export sales, the latter of which can account for roughly half of UK publishers’ sales.) It was the first time since the service started in 2001 that Penguin UK and Random House UK sales comprised less than 20 percent of the measured market. Notably, Penguin Random House UK is the only big company to see their revenues decline — even with Michelle […]
German Booksellers Thalia and Mayersche Announce Intended Merger
In a surprise move, two German bookstores — Thalia, the market leader, and Mayersche, a large regional chain — announced plans to merge, a deal that will first need to be approved by Germany’s Federal Cartel Office. While terms of the deal remain undisclosed, the Falter family, which owns Mayersche, will become partners in the consortium that owns Thalia, which includes the Herder and Kreke families, Leif Göritz, and Thalia ceo Michael Busch. Mayersche’s ceo, Helmut Falter, will join the consortium as a managing partner and member of the board, tasked with the integration of the two companies and future corporate […]
France Loisirs Book Club (and Shops) Emerges from Bankruptcy
France’s largest book club, France Loisirs, with retail shops as well, announced earlier this week that its year in bankruptcy reorganization is over. In late December, the Paris Commercial Court approved a two-part recovery plan, sources told Agence France-Presse. The first phase, implemented in 2018, preserved 437 jobs (out of a workforce of about 1800 people), closed 35 stores, and moved the corporate headquarters from Paris to Gentilly. The second part of the plan will reportedly refocus the business on books. (In 2013, the company had expanded into cosmetics sales.) The club says it still has over 1 million members. […]
People, Etc.
Claire Eddy has been promoted to executive editor at Tor/Forge Books. Carina Guiterman joined Simon & Schuster editor as editor. She was previously at Little, Brown. Jackson Howard was promoted to assistant editor at Farrar, Straus. Alexis Gilbert has joined Grand Central Publishing’s marketing team as assistant director of advertising. Caroline Eisenmann has been promoted to agent at Frances Goldin Literary Agency. At Hachette Book Group, Dylan Hoke has been promoted to the newly created role of senior vice president, publishing operations and strategy. Ruiko Tokunaga becomes executive director, print production. In the UK, former Ebury executive Jake Lingwood will join Octopus […]