At Abrams Children’s Books, Hallie Patterson has been promoted to director of publicity and Brooke Shearouse to publicity manager. In the UK, John Murray publisher Mark Richards and Profile Books commercial director Diana Broccardo have founded Swift Press. They expect to publish 6 to 8 titles in 2021. The principal investors are Geoffrey Faber Holdings and Set Copyrights, co-owners of Faber & Faber. It’s the first time they have invested in another publisher. Swift will join the Independent Alliance for sales. Duke University press editorial director since 2005 Ken Wissoker is staying with the house, now as senior executive editor, […]
Obits
Authors and Colleagues Remember Sonny Mehta
Knopf held a celebration of the life of Sonny Mehta at the New York Public Library’s Celeste Bartos Fourm — “a room Sonny loved” — on Wednesday afternoon, featuring remarks from 11 authors and colleagues. “We are assembled in a vast Cathedral of books,” James Ellroy said. “The great Sonny Mehta, the great publisher of the world, English language, worshipped the printed word on paper and we are here to celebrate this brilliant, reckless, dedicated man’s temporal journey, and to pray and wish him onward to his soul’s repose.” He noted later, “We hitched our star to Sonny Mehta. We […]
People, Etc.
Matt Klise has been promoted to associate editor at Penguin Books. April Wills has joined Sourcebooks as managing editor, children’s and YA. Annie Hwang has joined Ayesha Pande Literary as an agent. She was at Folio Literary Management. Alison Lewis has been promoted to agent at the Zoë Pagnamenta Agency. Ashley Runyon will return to the University Press of Kentucky on March 11 as director. Most recently, she ran the trade list for Indiana University Press and Red Lightning Books. Michael Millman joins the University of New Mexico Press as a senior acquisitions editor. He was previously with Viking and […]
People, Etc.
Otto Penzler has taken sole ownership of the Mysterious Press, after nine years of operating as an imprint at Grove Atlantic. The line will publish 10 books through Grove Atlantic in 2020, and starting in 2021 the Mysterious Press will be distributed by Norton. (Norton already distributes Penzler Publishers two other imprints.) Penzler said in the announcement, “Working with Morgan Entrekin at Grove Atlantic has been one of the singular pleasures of my career. He has been enormously supportive and generous throughout our years of working together. There is no greater gentleman in the world of publishing than he is, […]
Alice Mayhew Dies at 87
Simon & Schuster announced “with great sadness” that renowned vp and editorial director Alice Mayhew, 87, died peacefully at home earlier today. Plans for a memorial service will be announced at a later date. She joined Simon & Schuster in 1971 (following editorial positions and Harper & Row and Random House). CEO Carolyn Reidy writes that, “In her nearly fifty years here she established herself as a true mainstay of our publishing efforts, editing a distinguished list of writers in history, biography, journalism, politics, contemporary affairs and popular culture. Four authors published by her were awarded the Pulitzer Prize—Taylor Branch, […]
Mary Higgins Clark Dies at 92
NYT bestselling suspense novelist Mary Higgins Clark died Friday of natural causes at 92 in Naples, FL. Simon & Schuster ceo Carolyn Reidy wrote: “It is impossible to overestimate the importance of Mary’s contribution to our success, and her role in the modern history of Simon & Schuster. Beginning in 1975 with the publication of WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN, each of her 56 books has been a bestseller. There are more than 100 million copies of her books in print in the United States; they are international bestsellers and have been translated into every major and many less well-known languages. […]