Award-winning author, renowned poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, 86, died at her home in Winston-Salem, NC early Wednesday morning. She had been in failing health for some time, cancelling an awards appearance several days earlier. “She’d been very frail and had heart problems, but she was going strong, finishing a new book,” Angelou’s agent Helen Brann told ABC News. “I spoke to her yesterday. She was fine, as she always was. Her spirit was indomitable.” Angelou was the author of more than 30 books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, most notably I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS […]
Obits
People
At Paula Wiseman Books, Sylvie Frank has been promoted to editor. Megan Reid has been promoted to associate editor at Emily Bestler Books/Atria. World Book Night US reports that media impressions nearly tripled this year, citing Cision Media and Google Analytics reports recording 373 million media impressions in April 2014. Poet Russell Edson, 79, died April 29 in Stamford, CT after a long illness.
People: Deborah Rogers Dies, and More
Prominent UK literary agent Deborah Rogers died yesterday, of a suspected heart attack, the Bookseller reports. Rogers, Coleridge and White confirmed the death of its chairman — who was presented with a lifetime achievement award just weeks ago at the London Book Fair. One of her authors, Kazuo Ishiguro, commented: “I’m groping for consolations in the face of this loss, but one of them is that she departed absolutely at the top of her game, knowing no decline. In the last few months, she was sharper, wiser, more energetic than at any time in the 34 years I’ve known her.” Brittney Ross […]
People, Awards, Etc.
Longtime St. Martin’s executive Matthew Baldacci will move to Scholastic as vp of marketing for the trade publishing division on April 28. Baldacci will oversee marketing and brand strategy for all trade imprints, reporting to Ellie Berger. He is currently vp, associate publisher, marketing and sales operations at SMP, where he has worked since 1998. Lauren Donovan will join Penguin Children’s as publicity manager on April 14. Most recently she was a senior publicist at Random House Children’s. Leonello Brandolini joins Hachette Livre as an international consultant and editor-at-large, reporting to Arnaud Nourry. He was most recently chairman and ceo of […]
People: Peter Matthiessen, 86, Dies, and More
Peter Matthiessen, 86, died on April 5 from complications of leukemia, with which he was diagnosed 15 months ago. He was the author of more than thirty books, including THE SNOW LEOPARD (1978), which won the National Book Award for nonfiction, and SHADOW COUNTRY (2008), a National Book Award winner in fiction. His final novel IN PARADISE will be published on Tuesday, and was the subject of a NYT Magazine profile in this weekend’s issue. “We are deeply honored to be custodians of Peter’s final, characteristically bold work of art,” said Riverhead publisher Geoffrey Kloske in a statement. His editor […]
People: Creamer to Hachette Books, and More
Former Touchstone publisher Stacy Creamer will join the new Hachette Books imprint as executive editor, starting June 16 and reporting to newly-named publisher Mauro DiPreta. Creamer left Touchstone last November after more than four years with the imprint. She says in the announcement, “I look forward to acquiring and editing exciting new narrative nonfiction, memoirs, and novels, especially with the extraordinary sales and marketing support that HBG has demonstrated time and time again.” Phaidon Press has announced more new hires: Emily Takoudes has joined the company as executive commissioning editor for food in New York (she was most recently senior editor […]