Berlin-based digital publisher Frisch & Co., which has published 13 books in translation, will become an imprint of UK-based Canelo as of June. Publishing director Michael Bhaskar says in the announcement, “We want to take these wonderful, original, eclectic, innovative voices to the wide English speaking audience they deserve.” Author of over 50 English-set historical romances, Jo Beverley died May 23 in Yorkshire, England. She was a five-time Rita Award winner, a member of the RWA Hall of Fame and RWA Honor Roll, and recipient of two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times. The Target Book Club pick for June is The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler.
Obits
People
Brendan Vaughan will join Ballantine Bantam Dell on May 9 as executive editor, reporting to Jennifer Hershey. Vaughan was most recently executive editor at GQ and before then, articles editor at Esquire. In the UK, Nicholas Brealey has left Nicholas Brealey Publishing, was which was bought last year by Hachette UK. William Rosen, 61, died April 28 of gastrointestinal stromal cancer. He spent nearly 25 years as an editor and publisher at Macmillan, Simon & Schuster and the Free Press, and was the author of several works of narrative nonfiction. Viking has his book about the discovery and dissemination of antibiotics scheduled […]
People, Etc.
Carla D. Hayden, President Obama’s nominee to lead the Library of Congress, appeared for about an hour of testimony before the Senate Rules Committee, on Wednesday. The NYT reports that “all signs pointed to a nomination process proceeding as, well, normal.” The Washington Post concurred that Hayden “met no resistance from the panel of senators, who focused their attention on the library’s information technology systems.” The Times added that, “The hearing’’ most pointed questioning centered on the patent and trademark office, which has had its own technological failings in recent months, prompting some to suggest that it should be made into its […]
Passings: Dantry, Janson-Smith and Ferrone
Owner of former Pittsburgh bookstore Jay’s Book Stall (opened in 1959, closed in 2008) Jay Dantry, 87, died on Sunday after a long illness. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes, “Under his guidance, Jay’s Book Stall became one of the premier bookstores in the country, a mandatory stop in Pittsburgh for touring writers.” Michael Chabon adds, “I’ll always be grateful to him for the year I spent working at the Book Stall…. The staff wasn’t like a family, it was a family.” Former literary agent Peter Janson-Smith, 93, has died. He worked for A D Peters and Curtis Brown UK before setting up […]
People, Etc.
Theresa Collier will join Artisan as senior publicist & associate marketing manager on April 1. Previously she was a publicist at Bloomsbury. Alexandra Primiani has joined Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as publicist. She was previously in the publicity department at Riverhead. Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature Imre Kertesz, 86, died Thursday at his home in Budapest. The LA Times announced its new roster of critics-at-large, featuring 10 writers who “have beautiful voices, brilliant minds, critical insights and strong opinions.” They are Marlon James, Laila Lalami, John Scalzi, Susan Straight, Alexander Chee, Viet Thanh Nguyen, David Kipen, Rigoberto Gonzalez, Rebecca […]
People: Obits for Ellen Seligman, Jim Harrison, and More
McClelland & Stewart publisher Ellen Seligman died on Friday, the publisher reported. PRH Canada president Kristin Cochrane wrote to staff: “Ellen was widely recognized as one of the world’s best editors, with impeccable literary taste and instincts. Her passion for nurturing and developing Canadian writers was renowned, as was her commitment to publishing in Canada both new and established writers from around the world.” She also notes, “No one who knew Ellen will be surprised to learn that she spent many of her last days meticulously overseeing the final details for her fall books. With extraordinary passion and care, Ellen completed the edit of Steven […]