Reagan Arthur Gets Imprint
After a string of critical and commercial successes at Little, Brown, Reagan Arthur has been given her own imprint, Reagan Arthur Books. Her first list will appear in fall 2009, and LB estimates that the imprint will grow to 15 to 20 books a year by 2012. In her new role, Arthur will continue to report to LB editor-in-chief Geoff Shandler; her team will include Oliver Haslegrave as associate editor and Marlena Bittner as assistant director of publicity.
Google Accord Near?
According to several sources, a settlement in the three-year-old copyright infringement lawsuit filed by the AAP and five publishers against Google is close to being settled. The publishers filed suit in October 2005 after Google launched its so-called Library Project, which scans copies of books from libraries, including scanning titles that are under copyright. Representatives from both sides called talk of a settlement merely speculation.
Sale of PIL Kids Unit Off
The sale of Publications International Ltd.'s children's publishing group to the toy maker RC2 Corp. has been called off. High financing costs and the current credit crunch were cited as the reasons behind the decision to cancel the $163 million deal.
S&S in Mobile Deal
Simon & Schuster and MPS Mobile have announced a partnership through which MPS will distribute over 500 S&S e-books through its Global Reader platform, which makes digital book content available over any Web-enabled mobile phone. Eventually, all S&S e-books will be made available through the service.
BEA Adds Advisers
BEA has formed a Conference Advisory Board made up of about a dozen book industry executives. The Board will focus on ways to improve its education programs. Each member will be asked to participate in or moderate one panel at next year's convention. BEA will also be forming a Strategic Planning Advisory Board that will seek input on all aspects of the BEA convention experience.
Le Clezio Wins Nobel
Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio was winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize for Literature. Two small houses—David R. Godine and Curbstone Press—plus the University of Nebraska Press are the sole outposts for Le Clezio's works in English in the U.S. All are making trips back to press to fill orders.
Macmillan Inks with RWSH
Macmillan has signed a partnership with the L.A.—based literary agency Rabineau Wachter Sanford & Harris that will allow RWS&H to sell film and TV rights to unagented titles on the publisher's lists. RWS&H agents and Macmillan employees will identify the best projects for adaptation.
Obituary: Ron Hanby
Ron Hanby, the LGBT buyer at Bookazine, passed away on October 2. He was 60. Hanby, who won a Lambda Literary Award in 1997, pioneered selling gay product to bookstores and worked at Golden Lee before moving to Bookazine. He also worked at Waldenbooks, B. Dalton and Encore Books. Donations in Hanby's name can made to the Financial Assistance Fund at the East Side YMCA at 438 Hope St., Providence, R.I., 02906.
