Right on the heels of HarperCollins’ announcement that they are eliminating the position of ceo at HarperCanada, exiting the distribution business in that country and transferring Canadian fulfillment to a Donnelley facility in Indiana came news of two high-level departures from Simon & Schuster Canada. Martha Sharpe, hired as editorial director a year ago, and 16-year veteran, associate publisher Alison Clarke, have both left the company, first reported by the Globe and Mail. Samantha Haywood at Transatlantic Agency told the paper, “It’s a kick in the gut.” The company confirmed the departures, and president of S&S Canada Kevin Hanson said […]
International News
Awards: Writers Trust, Samuel Johnson, UK National Book Nominees
In Canada, Miriam Toews won the Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize for her novel All My Puny Sorrows, which is also nominated for the Giller Prize. Toews won the prize previously, in 2008, for The Flying Troutmans. Other Writers’ Trust winners included Joan Thomas, honored with the Engel/Findley Award for a mid-career writer in recognition of a “remarkable body of work.” went to Winnipeg’s Joan Thomas. Her latest novel, The Opening Sky, is in contention for Governor General’s Award. Helen MacDonald‘s H IS FOR HAWK (Jonathan Cape) won the UK’s Samuel Johnson Prize for Nonfiction, the first memoir to win that honor. Grove/Atlantic has the US […]
David Kent to Leave Harper Canada, As Unit Shifts Distribution to Donnelley and Drops Client Publishers
President and ceo of HarperCollins Canada since 2001 David Kent will leave the company at the end of year. There will be no direct replacement; instead Iris Tupholme has been promoted to svp, executive publisher, and Leo MacDonald has been promoted to svp, marketing and sales. Harper ceo Brian Murray says in the announcement, “David is renowned in the industry as an international publisher and exceptional advocate for authors. He has made many wonderful contributions to HarperCollins Canada over the years, and overseen a successful publishing company that has received a myriad of literary prizes. We are grateful for his many contributions and […]
Digital: Diversion Launches Romance eBookstore; More Kindle Unlimited; Start Buys Cleis; and More
Digital publisher Diversion Books has set up a new division “to go deeper into the romance vertical,” EverAfter — which has launched an ebookstore and reader app on iOS and Android. “Exclusively dedicated to romance ebooks,” the store offers over 100,000 titles from traditional houses and self-published authors. They promise “flash sales, special pricing, recommendations and thousands of free ebooks” for romance fans, along with curated categories of recommend “essential titles.” The app is licensed from Page Foundry, which develops mobile ebookstore apps for clients including HarperCollins’ Book Perk; the Indie Reader Bookstore, the Chicago Tribune’s TribBooks. All titles are […]
People, Etc.
Christine Kopprasch has joined Flatiron Books as senior editor. Previously she was an editor at Crown. Caitlin O’Shaughnessy has been named marketing manager at Penguin Press, beginning December 8. Previously she was an associate editor at Viking. At Zondervan, Tom Dean has been promoted to vp, marketing. Rob Wall has joined little bee books as senior designer. Previously he held positions at Blue Apple Books and Wiley. Megan Sullivan has joined Penguin as sales representative for New England. Previously she was publicity manager at David R. Godine. In the UK, Sally Dwyer has joined Quarto in the newly created role […]
Bonnier Acquires UK’s Igloo Books
In the UK, Bonnier Publishing has acquired Igloo Books on undisclosed terms, adding £30 million in annual sales to create a group with £85 million in sales focused on children’s books and adult fiction. The company says it will make them “one of the five largest children’s publishers in the UK, and the dominant force in children’s mass market publishing.” Parent company Bonnier Books is said to have annual revenue of £600 million. Igloo Books ceo John Styring and the full management team will remain in place, and the unit will continue to operate from their Northamptonshire offices. “The deal […]