Seyyed Hossein Nasr, professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University and an internationally recognized authority on Islamic science and spirituality, will be awarded Brandeis University’s second Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize on November 30. Nasr—the author of more than 50 books, including Three Muslim Saints, Science and Civilization in Islam, and Ideals and Realities of Islam—will receive the $25,000 prize for his contributions to racial, ethnic and religious relations. The prize is a legacy of Joseph B. Gittler, a sociologist by training, who taught at Cardozo Law School and several of the nation’s leading universities, including Duke (where he earned his Ph.D.), George Mason, Iowa State, the University of Rochester, Yeshiva, Hiroshima in Japan, and Ben-Gurion in Israel. The prize also honors Professor Gittler’s mother, Toby Gittler.
Max Lucado was feted by more than 300 friends, family, publishing executives, and fans at a surprise event in Nashville on September 13. The party celebrated his 25th year in publishing. Executives from Thomas Nelson, his longtime publisher, spoke, as did author and radio host Dave Ramsey. Christian music artists Mac Powell, Sandy Patti, and Kim Hill performed. Greetings and congratulations were received by video from Rick Warren, Chuck Swindoll, Tim Conway, David Robinson, Joni Eareckson Tada, and many others. Nelson announced that day that Lucado has more than 100 million products in the marketplace, 80 million of them books. Lucado’s first book, On the Anvil, was released in 1985 after 14 publishers turned it down. His latest, Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference, releases this month (Sept.) His books have appeared on every major bestseller list including those of Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and the New York Times. Recent national media appearances include Fox & Friends, The Today Show, and Good Morning America.
Christianbook.com has announced the launch of eBooks, a new online store that will offer thousands of Christian e-books. Parent company CBD is also introducing the CBD Reader, a free platform that operates in the browser of a computer, smartphone, or iPad. According to CBD, readers will be able to access eBooks “in the cloud” without downloading any special software application; traditional downloads also will be an option. Christianbook.com is an eight-time recipient of the BizRate Circle of Excellence Platinum Award, presented to top-performing online retailers who offer outstanding customer service. The catalogue arm of Christianbook.com is Christian Book Distributors, the largest religious products catalogue company in the world. CBD was recognized by the Boston Globe as one of the 100 Top Places to Work in 2009, ranking #22 overall and #8 among midsize companies.
Joel C. Rosenberg, New York Times bestselling author and founder of the humanitarian relief organization the Joshua Fund, kicks off a coast-to-coast speaking and book-signing tour on October 20 for The Twelfth Imam (Tyndale House, Oct. 19), the first title in a new series. According to Tyndale, The Twelfth Imam examines the theme, “what if the world waits too long and Iran actually acquires nuclear weapons?” All events on the tour are free, but some require tickets for admission. Go to www.joelrosenberg.com for event details and tour updates.
Hachette Book Group has announced the addition of Adrienne Ingrum as editor for the FaithWords imprint. Ingrum brings 30 years of book publishing experience, including 14 years as a publishing consultant and book packager, developing, managing, and editing projects for publishers, corporations, agents, and authors. She has edited manuscripts for many bestselling FaithWords authors including Creflo Dollar and Michelle McKinney Hammond, as well as consulted for Urban Ministries Inc., the largest African-American Christian publisher. Ingrum previously held v-p positions at Crown, WaldenBooks, and the Putnam Berkley Group. She can be reached at adrienne.ingrum@hbgusa.com.
WaterBrook Press has announced that Jane Kirkpatrick’s A Flickering Life has been awarded the 2010 WILLA Literary Award for original softcover fiction. The award is presented by Women Writing the West; the recipient is selected by librarians, historians, and university-affiliated educators, and “represents the best of 2009-published literature for women’s stories set in the American West.”
Book Blogger Appreciation Week’s executive board has announced that Her Mother’s Hope by Francine Rivers (Tyndale House) was named best spiritual/religious/inspirational book for 2010 in voting by their registered book bloggers. Published in March 2010, Her Mother’s Hope made the New York Times bestsellers list. Along with Her Daughter’s Dream, the sequel released this month (Sept.), the novel launched the Marta’s Legacy series, inspired by Rivers’s own family ancestry. Book Blogger Appreciation Week was first observed in fall 2008 and occurs every September to spotlight the work of active book bloggers. Go to bookbloggerappreciationweek.com for more information.
B&H Publishing Group has appointed Selma Wilson as its new president. Former president Brad Waggoner will continue to serve as publisher of B&H and has also been promoted to executive v-p of parent company LifeWay Christian Resources. Wilson is a longtime LifeWay employee; she joined the nonprofit organization in 1989 and most recently serving as associate v-p of its church resources division. Recognized by company president/CEO Thom S. Rainer as “one of the most highly respected leaders” on staff, she has also held roles as director of organizational performance as well as director of the discipleship and family magazine department. In her new position, Wilson will provide leadership for B&H’s trade publishing, Bible and Bible reference line, church supplies, B&H Academic books, digital initiatives, and the CrossBooks self-publishing imprint.
Gary Chapman, bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages (Northfield Publishing), was honored by the Association of Marriage and Family Ministries (AMFM) with the H. Norman and Joyce Wright Lifetime Achievement Award during opening night of the AMFM National Marriage and Family Ministry Training Conference last month. The award is given annually to an individual or couple who exemplifies the work and legacy of H. Norman and Joyce Wright in marriage and family ministry. AMFM is a nonprofit organization that assists those in marriage and family ministry. The cofounders of AMFM are Eric and Jennifer Garcia, who have served in marriage ministry in their local church for the past eight years and are also the creators of Couple-to-Couple Mentoring.
Strang Book Group’s 23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese has sold more than one million units, the company announced. According to Strang, Wiese “describes his literal visit to hell and persuades readers of its reality. ”Published in 2006 under Strang’s Charisma House imprint, the book has charted on the Publishers Weekly, New York Times, CBA Marketplace, and Christian Retailing bestsellers lists.
David C. Cook has distributed 9,000 free trauma kits to more than 80 partnering organizations in Haiti that are working with victims of the devastating earthquake earlier this year. Cook developed the faith-based kit to aid Haitian community leaders, pastors, and volunteers in their work. Offered in both English and Creole, the kit includes an 11-session training program for pastors, as well as interactive lessons for use with children’s groups.
Tyndale House Publishers has partnered with Christian Publishing Company and Christian Art Gifts to open Johnsen & Taylor Inc., a new Christian bookstore in Wheaton, Ill., in late October 2010. Johnsen & Taylor is named in honor of Chris Johnsen, who founded Christian Art Distributors of South Africa, and in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Taylor, who founded Tyndale House Publishers. Johan Wessels will be the store manager. Christian Publishing Company includes Christian Art Distributors and a chain of bookstores in South Africa. Christian Art Gifts Inc. is based in Lombard, Ill.; Tyndale House Publishers, based in Carol Stream, Ill., publishes Bibles and books.
Christian Store Day is October 23, 2010. The first-ever event, spearheaded by CBA, the association of Christian retailers, in cooperation with Christian publishers and music companies, is designed to raise consumer awareness of Christian stores and the products they carry. Shoppers will be encouraged to “Celebrate Faith and Community.” Modeled on Record Store Day, held by general-market independent music retailers, Christian Store Day will include special advertising, promotions, and in-store giveaways. Participating companies are recruiting Christian artists and authors to provide endorsements of Christian stores and to make personal appearances. Christian Store Day will also align with Compassion International, Samaritan’s Purse, and World Vision to generate awareness and raise funds for relief efforts and rebuilding in Haiti. An enhanced compilation CD with recordings and e-books from each partner vendor will be sold exclusively on Christian Store Day; proceeds will go to Haitian aid programs. Participating artists have donated royalties for the project, and music companies are forgoing profits. Participating companies include EMI CMG Distribution, Provident-Integrity Distribution, Word Distribution, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Tyndale House Publishers, and Zondervan, as well as the Christian Music Trade Association and the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Additional support and resources will be provided by Spring Arbor and FrontGate Media. For more information go to www.christianstoreday.com.
Zondervan authors Craig Groeschel (The Christian Atheist, Mar. 2010) and John Ortberg (The Me I Want to Be, Dec. 2009) both have reached the 100,000-copies–sold mark this month, less than a year after their books released. Both are pastors, Groeschel at LifeChurch.tv—a multisite church with more than 80 weekly worship services meeting at 12 locations, including an online campus—and Ortberg at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California. Both authors will speak at the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta on October 6–8.
ChristianTrade Association International held its fifth annual Marketsquare Asia convention September 9–11 in Singapore. Thirteen suppliers from China, Denmark, the United States, and Singapore did business with 50 Christian distributors and booksellers from the region. Most of the attendees were from Singapore, but buyers from India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, South Korea, and Thailand also were present. Jack Scott, ChristianTrade’s director of training and member development, led a Professional Retail Institute the day before the event and gave additional workshops for retailers during the show.Publisher workshops were taught by U.S. publishers Ellen Hsu of InterVarsity Press and Jim and Ellen Elwell of Tyndale House Publishers. Marketsquare Europe will be held in Oradea, Romania, October 1–2; Marketsquare International meets in Atlanta January 11–13, 2011, just before the AmericasMart Gift Show. For details go to www.ChristianTrade.com.
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