PEOPLE
Reagan Arthur, EVP, Publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, and Lisa Lucas, SVP & Publisher, Pantheon Schocken, will both be leaving Penguin Random House. Jordan Pavlin is promoted to EVP, Publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, in addition to her role as Editor-in-Chief, newly reporting to Maya Mavjee. Pavlin will now manage the entire Knopf editorial department as well as Schocken editorial. Pantheon editorial now report into Bill Thomas, EVP, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Doubleday.
Columbia Global Reports has announced that founding publisher Camille McDuffie will retire in June; Jaime Leifer, VP associate publisher of PublicAffairs/Hachette, will succeed her in the role.
Macmillan Publishers announced that Alyssa Awe will take on the newly created role of EVP, Business Development & Strategy effective June 3rd, reporting to CEO Jon Yaged. She was previously at Penguin Random House. Kaustubh Kamat, formerly VP of engineering at Dick’s Sporting Goods, is joining Macmillan as the newly created role of SVP of technology on May 20, and reporting to COO, Neil Strong.
The Untenberg Poetry Center at The 92nd Street Y announced that Lucas Wittman has been appointed executive director. He was previously editorial director of Time.
At Simon & Schuster, Liv Stratman, formerly head bookseller at Book Club Bar, joins Simon & Schuster as independent retail marketing manager. Karina Leon has joined Simon Acumen as associate editor. Kaiya Muniz has been named national account manager for Barnes & Noble. Ric Pychewicz, formerly academic sales data analyst at Bloomsbury, has joined as associate demand planning manager. Anna Skrabacz, formerly senior marketing manager at Pushkin Industries, has joined Summit Books as associate director of marketing. Luiza De Campos Mello Grijns has joined Summit Books as publishing assistant. Kevwe Okumakube has joined Summit Books as editorial assistant. At Gallery Books, Ghjulia Romiti has joined as editor. She was previously assistant editor at HarperOne and HarperVia.
At Penguin Random House, Caylee Gardner has joined Knopf Books for Young Readers as editorial assistant. Emma Leynse has joined Delacorte Press as editorial assistant. Shannon Blackbriar has joined Penguin Random House Audio as art rights associate. Amber Grell has joined Penguin Random House Audio as art rights assistant. Katie Lakina has joined Penguin Random House Audio as assistant acquisitions editor. John McGalagly has joined as director of finance at Penguin Random House Audio. Dee Santana has joined as junior financial analyst at Penguin Random House Audio.
Farah Karim-Cooper has been named director of the Follett Shakespeare Library as of October 2024. She is on the leadership team of Shakespeare’s Globe, and is also a professor at King’s College London.
Fantagraphics has announced Jacq Cohen will leave her position as executive director of communications and publicity on May 31s.
At Page One Media, Gene Taft, manager of Loyalty Books has joined as senior publicity and communications strategist.
At Hidden Pigeon Company, Tori Cook has joined Hidden Pigeon Company as SVP of franchise management. Paula Allen has joined Hidden Pigeon Company as publishing consultant.
At the ‘Beat’, Humberto Saabedra has joined the ‘Beat’ as manga editor.
Page Street Publishing, Mary Ross has joined as PR and marketing assistant.
At Nosy Crow, Jennifer Greene, formerly editor at Clarion Books, has joined as editor.
At Phaidon, Jonas Wanstok has joined as publicity assistant.
At Abrams, Ivan Taurisano, formerly assistant editor at Sourcebooks, has joined Abrams Children’s Books as associate editor, entertainment publishing and content development. Claude Williams has joined Abrams as senior financial analyst.
At Hendrickson Publishers, Robert A. Hand, formerly acquisitions editor at Kregel Academic, has joined as acquisitions editor.
At IDW, Cassandra Jones has joined as editorial assistant, focusing on the Star Trek line. Bixie Mathieu has joined as associate editor, focusing on the My Little Pony and Sonic the Hedgehog comic lines.
In Agency News…
Dani Segelbaum, formerly literary agent at the Carol Mann Agency, has joined Arc Literary Management.
PROMOTIONS
At HarperCollins, Erin Clarke, formerly editorial director at Knopf Books for Young Readers, has joined Clarion Books as VP and publisher.
Penguin Random House has promoted Dorothy Auld to associate director of sales services and administration. Ella Kurki has been promoted to assistant editor at Dutton. Charlotte Peters has been promoted to assistant editor at Dutton.
Kristin Cipolla has been promoted to senior publicist at Berkley. Stephanie Felty has been promoted to publicist at Berkley. Chantelle Walker has been promoted to assistant marketing director at Crown. Stephanie Davis has been promoted to brand director at Crown.
Macmillan Publishers has promoted Francine Yulo to marketing and sales manager at Drawn & Quarterly. Conor Mintzer has been promoted to assistant director of publishing operations at Henry Holt.
At HarperCollins, Kate O’Sullivan has been promoted to editorial director of Clarion Books. Chris Krones has been promoted to senior editor of Clarion Books. Erika DiPasquale has been promoted to editor at the Harper Group at HarperCollins Children’s Books.
At Simon & Schuster, Brandi Stewart has been promoted to independent telemarketing account manager for the western region.
At the ‘Beat’, Deanna Destito has been promoted to managing editor of comicsbeat.com at the ‘Beat.’ Rebecca Oliver Kaplan has been promoted to deputy managing editor of comicsbeat.com at the ‘Beat.’
At IPG, Winona Youngblood-Sultze has been promoted to data manager.
At IDW, Thea Cheuk has been promoted to editor leading the Sonic Hedgehog line and Saturday Morning Adventures titles. Jake Williams has been promoted to associate editor on the Godzilla line and creator-owned titles at IDW. Nic Niño has been promoted to assistant editor on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
DULY NOTED
Short story author and 2013 Nobel Prize for Literature winner, Alice Munro died on May 13 at 92.
The Firebrand Group, is launching the Publishing Innovation Forum, formerly known as the Firebrand Group Industry Conference, with the aim of “bringing the entire publishing industry together for conversations related to evolving and adapting to the book industry’s many changes,” with a focus on sales, rights and permissions, marketing, audiobooks, e-books, printing, distribution, and more. Sessions will encompass three tracks: marketing, technology, and business. The event is planned for September 24-26, in Nashville, Tennessee.
Atria Books will be relaunching Washington Square Press in Spring 2025 as a frontlist hardcover imprint focused on literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Atria’s editorial director, Lindsay Sagnette will lead the imprint.
EVENTS
May 21
International Booker Prize 2024 Ceremony
London, UK
May 22
New York, NY
May 23rd-26th
Warsaw International Book Fair
Warsaw, PO
May 24th-June 2nd
Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair
Kuala Lumpur, MY
May 28- June 1
New York, NY
June 9th
Albany, NY
