Pershing Square executive Richard “Mick” Maguire will become non-executive chairman of the board of directors at Borders, taking over from Larry Pollock, the company announced this morning. McGuire joined the board in January 2008 “in connection with his role as a partner at Pershing Square Capital Management,” and he is leaving the investment firm now “to pursue entrepreneurial interests.” Pollock will remain on the board, and Mike Archbold moves up to lead director. The NYT, which had an advance look at the announcement, confirms in its story that new ceo Ron Marshall was recruited by Maguire. Borders “has been working […]
No More Multiple Offers from Random House Canada Imprints
Quill & Quire says that “Random House of Canada will no longer allow its individual imprints – namely Random House Canada, Knopf Canada, and Doubleday Canada – to make offers on the same titles.” Now “only one division will be given the go-ahead to pursue a book.” RH Canada president Brad Martin says he will be joined by executive publisher of Knopf Canada Louise Dennys and Doubleday Canada publisher Maya Mavjee on a committee that will decide which imprint gets to bid based on “who needs [the book], who wants it, and who can bring the best possible focus to […]
Lunch Weekly for Monday, January 12
Deal Reports Just e-mail to deals@PublishersMarketplace if you aren’t using the online form linked below. Report a deal using the online form The Key As usual, the handy key to our Lunch deal categories. While all reports are always welcome, those that include a category will generally receive a higher listing when it comes time to put them all together. “nice deal” $1 – $49,000 “very nice deal” $50,000 – $99,000 “good deal” $100,000 – $250,000 “significant deal” $251,000 – $499,000 “major deal” $500,000 and up FICTION Debut Elizabeth Eslami’s BONE WORSHIP, about the complex relationships between fathers and […]
Anderson to Run S&S Children's
Running Press president and publisher Jon Anderson will join Simon & Schuster as evp and publisher of their children’s division on January 21. S&S CEO Carlyn Reidy says, “He is a truly original thinker who brings great creativity, financial and business acumen, and managerial skill to all his publishing endeavors, and he is the right person to build upon our rich legacy in children’s publishing. He is knowledgeable and experienced in every type of publishing in our Children’s Division, and we look forward to his leadership for this vital and important part of our overall business.” Earlier in Anderson’s career, […]
Outgoing NEA Chairman "Proves" He Helped Raise Reading
It’s practically poetic. As Dana Gioia prepares to leave his post as chairman of the NEA, a new report called Reading on the Rise: A New Chapter in American Literacy finds that “for the first time in more than 25 years, American adults are reading more literature.” In talking to the NYT Gioia “attributed the increase in literary reading to community-based programs like the [NEA’s own] Big Read,” among others. The survey says “the overall rate at which adults read literature (novels and short stories, plays, or poems) rose by seven percent” with “the biggest increase (nine percent) in literary […]
Pershing Exits Barnes & Noble
Pershing Square disclosed in an SEC filing Friday that as of December 22, the investment firm sold its holdings in Barnes & Noble stock. They had previously disclosed holding an 11.8 percent stake in BN.