Cultural Cross Sections Elena Poniatowska In this column that originally appeared in La Jornada, Elena Poniatowska considers the role of editors and talks with Diego Rabasa, founder of publisher Sexto Piso. Already precarious, the pandemic lockdown has made the plight of independent publishers and bookstores in Mexico in light of Covid-19 even more acute. To be an editor is to answer the call of the gods. It’s a vocation, a ministry, an immense privilege, to enter the Olympus of literature. To be an editor is to pick those who have talent and launch them. To be a publisher is to foretell: this one will make it. It’s also to disappoint and reject. I recall the Dutch printer Alexander Stolz in Mexico holding out to me his exquisite edition of Benjamin Constant’s Adolphe, as if it were a diamond, at the Fondo de Cultura Económica, and the paternal care that Arnaldo Orfila Reynal took with the anguished palavering of Fernando del Paso. To be an editor is to be a psychologist and to be bewildered as to how to treat each creature-author. Vicente Rojo was my editor, and we have loved each other deeply since, but I never gave him trouble. What must that genius from Pachuca named Yuri Herrera be like? What’s his soft spot? I have to handle Carlos Montemayor with kid gloves because he’s unpredictable. Federico Alvarez, director of the FCE in Spain, told me that seeing Elena Garro and Helena Paz enter the FCE in Madrid was like falling into... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2020-06-03 21:05:48 UTC ]
This year’s bookseller shows are moving online, but still have plenty of author events, education, and exhibits. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-09-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Barbara Marcus, president and publisher of Random House Children’s Books in the US, will headline this year’s Bookseller Children’s Conference, alongside speakers from World Book Day, Cocoa Girl and authors Andy Griffiths and Katherine Rundell. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-09-09 20:51:08 UTC ]
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In April, on the first night of Passover, Michael Cohen—Donald Trump’s former fixer, who was then incarcerated at Otisville prison, in New York—took an early manuscript of a book he’d been working on, and tossed it into a fire that Orthodox inmates had built to burn leavened bread. According to... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review
[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2020-09-09 12:20:26 UTC ]
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An internal report on workforce demographics at Penguin Random House shows that 78% of PRH non-warehouse employees are white. In addressing the report, PRH U.S. CEO Madeline McIntosh said the company is determined to make its workforce "reflect the demographics of American society.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-09-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Attention to diversity has yet to pay much heed to us, but we are the biggest minority in the world, so if space is cleared everyone stands to win As a disabled writer, it has been a little strange to watch publishers rush to put on online events during the pandemic. Authors have been... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-09-04 14:00:57 UTC ]
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More than 600 stores participated in this year’s event on August 29, held months after its usual date due to the pandemic, and saw booksellers, largely unable to host in-store events, finding creative ways to connect with their communities. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-09-04 04:00:00 UTC ]
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This past weekend was Independent Bookstore Day! I hope you used it as an excuse to buy all the books your beautiful nerd heart desired. (Me? Yes, despite the fact that I had frequented two of my favorite indies the weekend prior, I returned to my local Greenlight for a copy of this year’s... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-09-01 13:45:29 UTC ]
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Global revenues at Penguin Random House fell slightly by 1.4% year on year in a "solid" six months to 30th June despite the impact of Covid-19, while parent company Bertelsmann saw group revenues tumble 8.9%. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-09-01 10:51:49 UTC ]
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Happy Independent Bookstore Day! As part of its guide to Black-owned bookshops in the US, O, The Oprah Magazine created an illustrated map of some of the highlights, and it’s really delightful. The team also asked writers like Tayari Jones, Kiley Reid, and Clint Smith where they like to shop;... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-08-28 17:29:48 UTC ]
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Just a friendly reminder that tomorrow, August 29th, is Independent Bookstore Day. This year, the festivities will be both online and in-person at 600+ local bookstores around the country, starting tonight with a conversation between Mary Norris and Ann Goldstein about Elena Ferrante’s The Lying... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-08-28 17:01:59 UTC ]
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PRH Grupo Editorial gets translation rights to English-language titles from Wattpad Book, a world Spanish exclusive. The post Spain’s Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial and Canada’s Wattpad Strike Rights Deal appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-08-28 01:10:03 UTC ]
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With this year’s Independent Bookstore Day occurring at a particularly rough time for booksellers, the iconic Powell’s Books in Portland has decided to make a statement and stop selling through Amazon. In a statement, owner Emily Powell notes that the occasion, this year, feels “especially... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-08-27 19:29:44 UTC ]
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Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day 2020 with a host of online events, including author panels and drawing demonstrations. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-08-27 10:40:00 UTC ]
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For the first time, all eight regional bookseller associations are sponsoring a national kickoff to the fall shows. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-08-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Independent Bookstore Day is going to be a quite different celebration of books and authors this year. While some bookstores are organizing hybrid festivities, at least one is holding a completely virtual event. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-08-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House Children's UK has acquired two new books from Instagram parenting star Daisy Upton, known to her 180,000 followers as "Five Minute Mum". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-26 05:40:56 UTC ]
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"ReBoot: Books, Business and Reading," a virtual conference aimed at preparing the publishing industry for 2021, has been set for October 13. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-08-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Mr. Breitfeld was determined to attend this year’s antiquarian book fair in New York City. He began to sicken as he flew home, and died of the novel coronavirus. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-08-25 20:18:58 UTC ]
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The Barnes and Noble bookstore at 601 E. Pratt St. at Baltimore's Inner Harbor will close Saturday, according to a sign posted at the location. Continue reading at Baltimore Sun
[ Baltimore Sun | 2020-08-25 17:48:42 UTC ]
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Bolinda has scooped a “laugh out loud” romantic comedy by debut author Aly Mennuti, featuring a literary agent based partly on the author's own, Simon Trewin. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-25 02:20:12 UTC ]
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