Over the weekend Phoenix Books announced the death of company president Michael Viner, 64, on Saturday, following a battle with cancer. They note Viner was “widely credited with revolutionizing and reinventing the audiobook industry as the co-founder of Dove Audio.” At the Hugo Awards presented this weekend, Neil Gaiman won the prize for best novel for The Graveyard Book. Borders Group has named three vice presidents to lead their store operations: Mike Steele is zone vice president for the West Coast; John Melnick is zone vice president for the Northeast; Dave Marsico is zone vice president for the Midwest. The […]
Obituary
'Angela's Ashes' Author Frank McCourt, 78, Dies, and More People News
Scribner announced the passing of Frank McCourt on Sunday afternoon, as a result of metastatic melanoma. Simon & Schuster ceo Carolyn Reidy said, “Frank will be deeply missed, both as an author and as a warm and welcome presence in our lives. He was as skilled at storytelling in person as in print, with the ability to engage his audience through his abundant wit, humility and ability to extract humor and pathos from life’s setbacks and tragedies. He served as an ambassador for both his own books and reading itself, remaining a champion of teachers and an enthusiast for the […]
Paul Marsh Dies
Founder of London-based The Marsh Agency, Paul Marsh died suddenly on Sunday in Milan while visiting publishers and clients. Originally focused on selling translation rights for other agents and publishers, Marsh founded his agency in 1994 along with his wife Susanna Nicklin (who now is director of literature for the British Council). A brief notice from Midas Public Relations says that a more detailed statement “will follow shortly.” We’ll remember Marsh as one of the world’s lovely gentlemen of publishing.
Quill & Quire Editor Derek Weiler, 40, Dies Suddenly
The editor of the Canadian book trade magazine died Sunday. The magazine’s site has a short posting, amplified by almost 100 comments. The cause of death was not indicated, but reportedly Weiler was “in poor health for several years.”Toronto Star In other obituaries, Judith Krug, 69, died Saturday of cancer. She started Banned Books Week in 1982, and was director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom since it was founded in 1967.
John Updike, 76, Dies of Lung Cancer
The writer died yesterday morning, first announced with “great sadness” in a brief statement from his publisher, Knopf. “John was one of our greatest writers. He was a part of the Knopf family for over fifty years. We will all miss him terribly.” His longtime editor Judith Jones told USA Today that he was diagnosed after Thanksgiving. Coverage, obituaries, and testimonials abound. Among them:AP obitUSA Today storyChristopher Lehmann-Haupt’s NYT obitKakutani‘s appraisalDavid Ulin in the LATAnd The New Yorker has a number of reminiscences from other staff writers posted on their books blog
Peter Bowron Dies
Random UK ceo Gail Rebuck announced the sudden death on Saturday of the company’s group managing director Peter Bowron. She said: “Peter’s family, colleagues and many, many friends both in and out of the booktrade have lost an extraordinary person. It is devastating to lose someone you value for their intelligence, warmth, support and friendship. It is doubly so, to lose someone so suddenly and so young.” Bowron joined Random House in 2005.BookTrade