In Australia, with a report imminent from the Productivity Commission on the country’s copyright laws that protect local book publishing from import editions, consumers are expected to win a bigger victory than initially anticipated. The Sydney Morning Herald “understands one of the proposals will be to free up restrictions on book imports, after a period of up to three years to give the industry time to adjust.” In a draft version of their recommendations in March the commission “said removing all import restrictions would damage the industry” and “advocated limits should apply for a year after a book was first […]
People and Awards
At Grand Central, Celia Johnson has been promoted to associate editor: “We feel she’s a star in the making.” Executive director of Anova Books Roger Huggins will leave the company at the end of July. He says, “having spent over 40 years with Batsford and most recently as Executive Director of Anova Books, I feel it is now time to move on. In the future I hope to become involved in a variety of publishing projects and importantly also to find time to enjoy my many other interests.” Abby Anderson has been named sales and subsidiary rights manager at PublishingWorks. […]
Scaled-Back Miami Book Fair to Charge For This Year's Event
After 26 years of free admission, the Miami Book Fair will charge for this year’s event, held between November 8 and 15th. Attendees will be asked to pay $8 for admission to the weekend street fair on Saturday and Sunday and $10 for ”Evenings With . . .” programs that run opening night and through the week. The fair will also discontinue its opening-day festivities, its Street Fair parade and International Pavilions. Kids under 18 will still get in free, and fair-goers over 62 will still pay $5 for the street fair. Cofounder and chair Mitch Kaplan told the Miami […]
Google Renegotiates Terms with Two More Libraries
Following what some saw as a renegade initial renegotiation of terms of the Google Book Search scanning agreement with the University of Michigan, Google has announced new agreements with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Texas. While Michigan specified many of the particulars of their agreement (which gives the institution free access to the complete database that Google intends to license to other institutions as compensation for the books provide for scanning), the new announcement do little more than repeat blandishments about increased public access. (That access is still dependent upon the approval of the settlement of the […]
August Indie Next Picks
Labor Day: A Novel by Joyce Maynard The Girl Who Played With Fire: A Novel by Stieg Larsson The Magicians: A Novel by Lev Grossman This Is Where I Leave You: A Novel by Jonathan Tropper The Arms Maker of Berlin: A Novel by Dan Fesperman The Weight of Silence: A Novel by Heather Gudenkauf South of Broad by Pat Conroy While I’m Falling: A Novel by Laura Moriarty Sandman Slim: A Novel by Richard Kadrey Undone: A Novel by Karin Slaughter In This Way I Was Saved: A Novel by Brian DeLeeuw Of Bees and Mist: A Novel by […]
People and Awards
Anova executive director Roger Huggins is to leave the company on July 31 when he intends to become involved in a “variety of publishing projects”. The Strand Magazine announced its Critics Awards on Wednesday night at a private cocktail ceremony in Manhattan. Richard Price won Best Novel for Lush Life and Tom Rob Smith won Best First Novel for Child 44. The Ted Hughes Award, launched by UK Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy to run over the course of her 10-year-term, will give out £5,000 annually to the poet who has made the “most exciting contribution” to poetry that year.