Short news items from the world of book publishing:
09/05/2025
Crown to Publish Bernie Sanders’s Anti-Oligarchy Manifesto
Gillian Blake and Peter Joseph at Crown acquired world rights to Fight Oligarchy by Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, who was unagented in the deal. The book will be released in digital formats on September 30 and paperback on October 21.09/05/2025
George Saunders to Receive NBF’s Lifetime Achievement Award
The author will be presented with the 2025 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from the National Book Foundation at the 76th National Book Awards on November 19.09/05/2025
Jill Perlstein Leaves ABA After 31 Years
The American Booksellers Association’s longtime meetings and planning officer has departed the organization after 31 years. Perlstein is succeeded by Maria Rodriguez.09/04/2025
Random House Nabs Lena Dunham’s Next Memoir
Andy Ward at Random House acquired North American rights to Famesick by Lena Dunham from Bill Clegg at the Clegg Agency.09/04/2025
Random House to Release Bennett Cerf Biography
Nothing Random by longtime PW contributor Gayle Feldman will explore Cerf’s role in shaping the publisher, which he cofounded in 1927, as well as the publishing industry as a whole. The book is slated for a January 2026.09/03/2025
University Press of Kansas Launches Plainspoken Books
The nonfiction trade imprint will focus on “bringing Midwest stories into national conversations,” per the publisher. Plainspoken will debut later this month with its inaugural title, Whirlwind by Chicago newsman Bill Kurtis.09/03/2025
Claire McLaughlin Launches Terrace Public Relations
The full-service literary PR firm will be dedicated to literary and upmarket fiction, genre fiction, and narrative nonfiction. McLaughlin previously served as associate director of publicity at Flatiron Books.09/03/2025
Roxane Gay to Receive National Book Foundation’s 2025 Literarian Award
The author and editor will be presented with this year’s Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community at the 76th National Book Awards on November 19.09/03/2025
Heather Fain Named Publishing Director at Vintage
Fain has been appointed SVP and publishing director at Vintage, while continuing her role leading marketing across the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. She joined KDPG last year from Pushkin Industries, where she was COO.09/03/2025
James Patterson to Award $500,000 in Grants to Emerging Writers
The author has awarded grants of up to $50,000 to 12 writers with the aim of allowing them to dedicate the time and resources needed to complete their manuscripts, in partnership with a number of literary organizations.09/03/2025
Book Aid International Moves to Larger Warehouse
The U.K.-based nonprofit will begin sending books from its new warehouse in Swindon, England—which has more than twice the capacity of its previous one—on October 1, and will bring on two new staffers to coordinate publishers’ donations.09/02/2025
MacDowell Awards 2025 Fall/Winter Fellowships
MacDowell will welcome 149 artists to its fall and winter residencies this year, including writers Susan Choi (l.) and Leila Mottley.09/02/2025
Lonely Planet to Launch New Book Line
The Journey series will highlight the world’s most “iconic routes,” per the publisher. The line is overseen by guidebook development senior editor Melinda Anderson and will kick off at the end of September with three titles.09/02/2025
Chicken House Appoints New Publisher
Rachel Leyshon has been promoted to publisher at Scholastic’s U.K.-based Chicken House Books imprint, effective January 1, 2026. Leyshon will succeed founding director Barry Cunningham, who is retiring at the end of this year.09/02/2025
IMLS Releases 2023 Public Libraries Survey Data
The Institute of Museum and Library Services’ national survey collects information about when, where, and how public libraries are changing to meet the needs of Americans.09/02/2025
Kevin Bendle Named Executive Director of Seminary Co-op Bookstores
Bendle, who has more than two decades of experience working at and managing Barnes & Noble University bookstores, succeeds interim executive director Daniel Y. Mayer at Chicago’s Seminary Co-op Bookstores.09/02/2025
The Watermark Agency Expands
The San Francisco–based literary agency, founded in 2021 by Mark Tauber, has added three new team members and launched a speakers bureau representing eight clients.08/29/2025
Jennette McCurdy Novel to Publish in January
Ballantine Books Group, a subsidiary of Random House, has announced that Jennette McCurdy’s highly anticipated debut novel Half His Age will be published on Jan. 20, 2026.08/29/2025
Gabriela Baeza Ventura Named Director at Arte Público Press
Baeza Ventura succeeds Arte Público founding director Nicolás Kanellos, who has stepped down after more than three decades at the helm of the press.08/29/2025
2025 Killer Nashville Award Winners Announced
Liv Constantine’s The Next Mrs. Parish took home the top honor at this year’s 20th annual Killer Nashville Awards.08/29/2025
HBG Taps Shawn Abraham to Lead International Sales
Abraham will join Hachette Book Group as VP of international sales, effective September 8. Abraham was most recently VP of international sales at Sourcebooks, prior to which he held roles at Penguin Random House and Ingram.08/29/2025
Storytel Names Jonas Olson Acting CFO
Following the departure of CFO Peter Messner, Storytel Group has appointed its head of finance, Jonas Olson, to fill the position until a permanent replacement is found.08/29/2025
Distribution Deals for the Week of August 25, 2025
IPG signed Hachette India, Emerald Publishing broadened library access to its titles, and more.08/28/2025
Avery to Publish ‘Atomic Habits’ Companion Workbook
Tracy Behar and Hannah Steigmeyer at Avery acquired world rights to James Clear’s The Atomic Habits Workbook from Lisa DiMona at Writers House. Publication is scheduled for December 9.08/27/2025
NYCC 2025 Professional Programming Announced
Comics industry programming at this year’s New York Comic Con will include a four-hour drilldown on comic book retailing, a full day of programming for librarians and educators, and more.08/27/2025
‘Call Me By Your Name’ Graphic Novel Lands with Faber
Louisa Joyner at Faber acquired world all-language rights to Sarah Maxwell’s graphic novel adaptation of Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman from Claire Paterson Conrad at Janklow & Nesbit UK.08/27/2025
2025 Kirkus Prize Finalists Announced
Derrick Barnes, Allegra Goodman, and Imani Perry are among the finalists for this year’s Kirkus Prizes, presented by Kirkus Reviews.08/27/2025
Geraldine Brooks to Receive 2025 LoC Fiction Prize
The Library of Congress will present Brooks, the author of the historical-fiction novels March (2005) and People of the Book (2008), at the National Book Festival on September 6.08/27/2025
PRH Upsizes U.S. Distribution
The publisher has expanded its national distribution and fulfillment center in Crawfordsville, Ind., by 650,000 sq. feet, a more than 60% increase in size. The new space will allow PRH to double its annual shipments, per a press release.08/26/2025
Mellon Foundation Awards EveryLibrary $600,000 Grant
The general operating support grant will allow the library advocacy organization to enhance its capacity for research, training, and more.08/25/2025
Knopf to Publish Memoir by Virginia Roberts Giuffre
Emily Cunningham at Knopf acquired world rights to Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl, detailing her fight for justice following years of sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein. The book is slated to publish on October 21.08/25/2025
C-SPAN Launches ‘America’s Book Club’
Hosted by David M. Rubenstein, the weekly series will bring viewers into public libraries and literary landmarks across the country, as well as feature interviews with authors. The series is part of C-SPAN’s larger America 250 programming.08/25/2025
B&NE Parent Company Receives Delinquency Notice
The Nasdaq has informed Immersion Corp., which took control of Barnes & Noble Education in June 2024, that due to its failure to file its report for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2025, the company is not in compliance with Nasdaq’s listing requirements.08/22/2025
Bookshop.org, Two Trees Support Binc
The joint donation of $5,000 will go toward the Book Industry Charitable Foundation’s mission of assisting booksellers and comic shop employees in need.08/22/2025
Chronicle Books to Publish 25th-Anniversary Beatles Anthology
The anthology will now be back in print for the first time since its original release in 2000. Slated for October 14, the 368-page anniversary edition features more than 1,300 images and will be co-released with Disney+, UMG, and Apple Corps.08/20/2025
Grammarly Dispatches Eight New AI Agents
The platform, which offers AI writing assistance, has launched a suite of new tools, or “agents,” geared toward students and aimed at helping users find credible sources, check originality, predict reader reactions, and evaluate work against rubrics.08/19/2025
New Writing Contest to Pit Human Creativity Against AI
AI-powered submissions management platform Storywise has launched “Outwrite the Machine,” a writing competition that aims to “prove human creativity reigns supreme” over LLM-generated stories.08/18/2025
Ignatz Awards Announce 2025 Finalists
Michael D. Kennedy and Connie Meyers are among the 50 nominees across 10 categories for this year’s Ignatz Awards. Winners will be announced this September at the Small Press Expo.08/18/2025
PEN to Put $1.4m Grant Toward Public Libraries
The Mellon Foundation has awarded PEN America $1.4 million to support its efforts defending the freedom to read in public libraries through new research, public education, and safety initiatives.08/18/2025
Bennett, Roanhorse Win 2025 Hugo Awards
The winners of the 2025 Hugo Awards were announced on August 16 at Seattle Worldcon 2025, the 83rd World Science Fiction Convention. Worldcon members chose winners in 21 categories, including Best Novel and Best Series.08/18/2025
Anne Tate Pearce to Join Broadside PR
Pearce will begin her new role as a literary publicist at the boutique PR firm effective August 19, after 14 years at Simon & Schuster. Most recently, she served as the publisher’s deputy director of publicity.08/15/2025
Books Across Borders Announces 2025 Fall Fellows
BAB has announced the four bookshop associates that it will sponsor to attend the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Guadalajara Book Fair this fall.08/15/2025
Distribution Deals for the Week of August 11, 2025
Simon & Schuster has inked a deal with Microsoft’s 8080 Books and Macmillan will partner with Gungnir.08/14/2025
YALLFest to Mark 15 Years This Fall
The nation’s largest young adult book festival will return to Charleston, S.C., for its 15th year November 14–15. Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz are among the more than 70 featured YA authors.08/14/2025
NCAC to Host Nationwide Right to Read Night
The National Coalition Against Censorship’s Right to Read Night, slated to take place during Banned Books Week, will culminate in community events across the country, with a focus on Laurie Halse Anderson’s frequently banned novel Chains.08/13/2025
2025 Harvey Award Nominations Announced
Charles Burns and Whitney Gardner are among the 41 nominated authors and illustrators across seven categories for this year’s Harvey Awards. Winners will be announced this October at New York Comic Con.08/13/2025
Westchester Book Festival to Launch This Fall
The inaugural festival, chaired by W.W. Norton VP John Glusman, will be held on November 8 in Katonah, N.Y., featuring such authors as Geraldine Brooks, Bill McKibben, and David Grann. All ticket sale proceeds will benefit local libraries.08/13/2025
Waterstones Snags New Financing
The U.K. bookselling chain has secured £125 million in new financing to support its expansion plans. Waterstones posted sales of £528.4 million in the fiscal year ended April 2024, an increase of 17% increase over fiscal 2023.08/13/2025
Wonderbly to Publish ‘You Can Empower Your Life with Louise Hay’
The late Hay House founder’s self-help book will serve as the basis for the first coedition from the U.K. personalized publisher Wonderbly, which was acquired by Penguin Random House in June, and Hay House, which PRH acquired last year.08/13/2025
DeYoung Named Next President, CEO of Augsburg Fortress
Augsburg Fortress, the Minneapolis-based publisher of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has appointed Andrew DeYoung as its president and CEO, effective September 1, 2026. He succeeds Tim Blevins, who is retiring after 20 years.News Brief Archive
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