The second book on Mark Zuckerberg’s 2015 reading list is Steven Pinker‘s The Better Angels of Our Nature (Viking/Penguin). “It’s a timely book about how and why violence has steadily decreased throughout our history, and how we can continue this trend,” Zuckerberg writes. At 832 pages, Zuckerberg and Facebook friends will take four weeks to read the book instead of two — but he will “add a third book in two weeks that will be a shorter read to complement this.” At Wiley, Mark Allin is being promoted to executive vice president, chief operating officer, effective May 1, with strategic and operational responsibility for Wiley’s […]
Obits
People, Etc.
Obituaries Novelist Kent Haruf, 71, has died, his editor Gary Fisketjon confirmed to the Washington Post on Sunday. The new issue of Granta has an autobiographical essay by Haruf, and his novel OUR SOULS AT NIGHT is due to be published next year. Fisketjon said, “Kent had finished all his revisions and even gone through the copy editing. We had it scheduled for May, though I haven’t yet processed how this tragic news might alter those plans.” PD James, 94, the British crime writer and member of the House of Lords, died Thursday morning at her home in Oxford. She was the author […]
People, Etc.
Shawna Mullen will join Abrams as associate publisher, adult trade on December 15, reporting to Michael Sand. Previously she was executive editor at Taunton Press and before then, editorial director at Clarkson Potter, where she helped launch the Potter Craft imprint. PEN announced a new PEN/Fusion Emerging Writers Prize to support an unpublished manuscript that “addresses a global and/or multicultural issue,” from a writer under the age of 35. As of January 1 eBook Architects will close their Austin, TX office. The core staff, including the unit’s lead Joshua Tallent, will continue their work with Firebrand (and their FlightDeck EPUB testing and validation tool) and […]
People, Etc.
After selling a reported 4.8 million copies of her ebooks worldwide, author Barbara Freethy will use Ingram Publisher Services to distribute her work in print worldwide, published through her company Hyde Street Press. The press launches in spring 2015 with four books, including titles from Freethy’s Callaway Series. She expects to issue 6 to 8 books a year in print (having authored 40 titles in all). Freethy will use Ingram’s publishing and inventory management services as well as their print-on-demand worldwide network. At Harper Perennial, Maya Ziv has been promoted to senior editor. At the Washington Post, Carlos Lozada will […]
People, Etc.: Feldman’s New Agency, and More
Leigh Feldman has left Writers House to start her own agency, Leigh Feldman Literary, as of October 1. Prior to Writers House, she was a partner at Darhansoff, Verrill, Feldman for 20 years. Feldman says the timing “felt very right” to go out on her own. Anne Heltzel has joined Abrams as editor, primarily acquiring books for its middle grade and teen imprint, Amulet Books. She worked previously as an associate editor at Razorbill and is also a published author. Jeremy Greenfield is leaving his position as editorial director of DigitalBookWorld.com to join The Street as contributors editor, where he will help manage […]
People, Etc.
Andrew Kidd “has decided to leave agenting” and will depart Aitken Alexander at the end of October after 6 years there. The announcement says he will “pursue a new path in the book industry,” apparently to be announced in November. Eric Price has joined Melville House in the newly created role of vp, business development. Previously he was director of sales and marketing at Quercus US and before then was associate publisher and coo at Grove Atlantic. At Penguin Random House US, Akiko Iwamoto has been promoted to regional sales director, Asia, while Mike Zaug moves up to regional sales director, […]