Publishers Lunch

In author news, the NYT features Lena Dunham's upcoming book tour, "a traveling circus of sorts" offering a "carefully curated cast of artists, along with live music, poetry readings and, naturally, food trucks." Dunham says: "I found the idea of a traditional author tour, where you go and stand behind the lectern and talk about yourself, I found it a little bit embarrassing, a little blatantly self-promotional and a little boring." She adds, "I wanted it to have an arts festival feel, which is why we now have all these remarkable, special weirdos who I found on the Internet."

Another New York newspaper reporter continues to write at length about Authors United, as new writers -- including Ursula K. Le Guin, Philip Roth, Orhan Pamuk, Salman Rushdie, V. S. Naipaul and Milan Kundera -- are said to be signing on to the group's efforts.

In imprint news, the UK's Faber will start a paper line of Faber Modern Classics, set to launch in April 2015, with 10 titles to start and another 6 planned for June. The line will be overseen by associate fiction publisher Hannah Griffiths. CEO Stephen Page says: "Throughout its 85 year history Faber & Faber's reputation has been as a publisher or important literary work. This Modern Classics list is a new showcase for these often brave choices, to draw attention to them again for a new generation of readers."

In distribution news, IPG will distribute Wild Iris Publishing as of October 1, and Garlic Press as of November 1. Trafalgar Square will distribute Far Far Away Books, Pimpernel Press, Legend Times, Spineless Wonders, and Urbane Publications in the US and Canada, and is adding Canadian distribution for Canongate, Atlantic Books and Head of Zeus as of January 1. River North Editions will distribute Otago University Press, Enitharmon Press, Wolask and Wynn Publishers, and Gomer Press as of January 1. Finally, IPG's Spanish Language distribution arm has added Linkgua and Titiris effective immediately, and Cute Ediciones & P�ginas Libros de Magia as of January 1.