Membership and marketing officer at the American Booksellers Association Meg Smith “has decided to stop working full time” following the 2019 Winter Institute in January, after almost 20 years with the organization. CEO Oren Teicher says, “Meg has become a friend to all of us, and her unstinting support of the independent bookstore community is legendary. It will be hard to imagine ABA without her.” Transatlantic Agency partner and senior agent Marie Campbell is retiring, but will remain on as an advisor to the agency. A former editor, in-house rights manager, and instructor at Ryerson University’s Publishing Program, she has worked […]
Personnel
Briefs: Awards, Bookselling, and More
National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Chernow will be the speaker at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 27, 2019. He said in the release, “The White House Correspondents’ Association has asked me to make the case for the First Amendment and I am happy to oblige. Freedom of the press is always a timely subject and this seems like the perfect moment to go back to basics. My major worry these days is that we Americans will forget who we are as a people and historians should serve as our chief custodians in preserving that rich storehouse […]
People, Etc.
At Princeton University Press, Bridget Flannery-McCoy has joined as senior editor for political science. She was previously economics and american history editor at Columbia University Press. Thalia Leaf has been promoted to assistant editor for history starting December 1. Forthcoming Macmillan has another Trump Administration related drop-in title set for publication on January 29: Former special assistant to the president and director of White House message strategy Cliff Sims’ TEAM OF VIPERS: My 500 Extraordinary Days In the Trump White House is called “the first honest insider’s account of the Trump Administration,” coming from Thomas Dunne Books. The publisher notes: “For five […]
Pulitzer Board Says Investigation of Diaz “Did Not Find Evidence Warranting Removal”
The Pulitzer Prize Board announced on Friday the completion of “an exhaustive review” of allegations against board chair Junot Diaz. That investigation, conducted by law firm Williams & Connolly, “did not find evidence warranting removal of Professor Díaz from the board.” As a result, “Díaz will be welcomed to resume his full duties as a board member and to fulfill his term, which expires in April of 2019.” They note that Williams & Connolly’s process “involved interviews with dozens of witnesses and analysis of hundreds of pages of documents (as well as audiotapes, where available), and examined the steps taken by […]
People, Etc.
Heather Connor has joined Harlequin in the newly created role of vp, publicity, overseeing Park Row Books, Hanover Square Press, Graydon House, MIRA, HQN, and Inkyard Press. She was previously director of publicity at Berkley. Amanda Lang has been promoted to to senior publicity manager at Simon & Schuster. Co-founder of New World Library and author of Creative Visualization Shakti Gawain, 70, died November 11 from complications related to hip surgery. (She suffered from both Parkinson’s and Lewy body disease.) New World Library publisher and co-founder (the company was first called Whatever Publishing) Marc Allen says, “She was such an extraordinary […]
People, Etc.
Hachette Book Group’s svp, director of marketing strategy Heather Fain is leaving on November 30 after 20 years with the company to become chief marketing officer at Pushkin Industries, the podcast company launched by Jacob Weisberg and Malcolm Gladwell. CEO Michael Pietsch notes in part, “She has been a great colleague, a mentor, and a leader, and we are going to miss her very much.” He says they “will begin a search for a replacement immediately.” Pronoy Sarkar is moving over from Picador USA to serve as associate editor for All Points Books. Ian Reilly has been promoted to vp, demand […]