As part of a number of promotions and changes at Ballantine Bantam Dell’s Del Rey Spectra imprint, editor-in-chief Betsy Mitchell will retire from Random house in December after more than 10 years at her position, and after more than 30 years as an editor in the science fiction and fantasy genre. Mitchell is leaving to launch her own editorial services company and to head up the Christian education department at her church in Brooklyn. Among the authors Mitchell edited during her career were William Gibson, Michael Chabon, Terry Brooks, Octavia Butler, Naomi Novik, Timothy Zahn, Dan Simmons, Peter F. Hamilton, […]
Personnel
People, Etc.
Lauren Weber has been named agency assistant at Pippin Properties following her summer internship at the company. Amber Hoover has been promoted to associate director of international scouting at Franklin & Siegal Associates. She joined the company in 2005. Darren Turpin will join Angry Robot as marketing and digital manager on November 7. She is currently an online marketing manager for Little, Brown UK. Alexandra Wilder joins the Strand Book Store in New York as events director on October 3. Previously she was the managing director of the 92Y Unterberg Poetry Center. The winners of the 2011 Dayton Literary Peace […]
Sorting the Guardian’s Books Power 100
The Guardian published their latest list of whom they view as the 100 most powerful people in the UK book industry. We thought it was more interesting to sort their list according to categories (and we left aside authors, broadcasters, and a few other non-trade people). Needless to say, the Guardian still views critics as wielding a lot of influence–while agents look quite low in their estimation: Bookselling 1 Jeff Bezos Founder and CEO of Amazon 4 James Daunt/Alexander Mamut MD, Waterstones/Proprietor, Waterstones 7 Kate Swann CEO, WH Smith 12 Rachel Harcourt and […]
People, Etc.
At Oxford University Press, Casper Grathwohl has been promoted to the newly-created position of svp, group strategy, effective October 5. Reporting to CEO Nigel Portwood, Grathwohl will work at Group level and alongside OUP’s business units on a range of activities designed to address OUP’s strategic agenda. Patrick Koors has joined the live events division of Thomas Nelson as vp of marketing. John Ashbery will receive the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and Books & Books co-founder Mitch Kaplan will receive the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community at the 2011 National Book Awards […]
Powell’s Reorganizes Management As Eight Executives Depart
Powell’s Books has laid off “eight managers with many years of service to the company” as part of a reorganization of their corporate management structure. The company say it’s part “a continued effort to respond to the rapidly changing book industry.” Emily Powell acknowledges, “This is a difficult and painful time for Powell’s. The managers who were laid off today will be greatly missed.” CEO of Operations Ann Smith is retiring after 26 years at the company. Emily Powell will serve as president and ceo, managing marketing and store operations, as Miriam Sontz expands her role as chief operating officer, […]
People, Etc.
Ed Park is joining Amazon’s New York-based trade division on October 3 as a senior editor, where he will acquire and edit literary fiction. Park is a founding editor of The Believer, a former editor at the Village Voice and the Poetry Foundation, and author of the novel PERSONAL DAYS (2008). At media relations firm Cave Henricks Communications, Jessica Krakoski has been promoted to associate director of publicity. In addition, Claudia Dizenzo Mueller joins the company as publicity manager (she was at Basic Books) and Kimberly Griggs has been hired as social media coordinator. VP and publicity director Dennis Welch […]