Publishers Lunch

Today's Meal

People, Etc.

Rachel Ekstrom Courage has moved to Folio Literary Management as an agent representing adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction and select nonfiction projects. Previously she was an agent at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency.

At Sterling Lord Literistic, Laurie Liss has been promoted to executive vice president and managing partner, and Nadyne Pike moves up to chief operating officer. (Doug Stewart and Celeste Fine were both made vice president, as well.)

At Knopf Children's, Marisa de Novis has been promoted to assistant editor.

Macmillan Children's announced a number of promotions: Liz Dresner has been promoted to associate art director; Rebecca Syracuse has been promoted to associate designer; and Celeste Cass is now assistant production manager. At FSG Children's, Grace Kendall moves up to senior editor and Nicholas Henderson is assistant editor. At Roaring Brook Press, Emily Feinberg has been promoted to editor and Megan Abbate is assistant editor. At Feiwel & Friends, Emily Settle has been promoted to assistant editor to the publisher. At First Second Books, Calista Brill is editorial director; Kiara Valdez becomes an ​assistant editor; and Gina Gagliano has been promoted to associate director, marketing and publicity.

Editor of book review site Forever Young Adult Jennie Kendrick will join the literary agency Lupine Grove Creative.

Forthcoming
Given the demand in the wake of Bill Gates's recent enthusiastic endorsement, Viking has moved up the publication date of Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker to February 13.

Imprints
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's will launch the Versify imprint in spring 2019, "curated" by author Kwame Alexander -- working will executive editor Margaret Raymo, editorial project manager Erika Turner and an advisory council of students from across the country. The line will "publish innovative creators with fresh stories" and "reflects Alexander's vision that accessible and powerful prose and poetry can celebrate the lives and reflect the possibilities of all children." He says in the announcement, "My goal is just to make sure there are more chefs in the kitchen, more voices in the room, that create unique and intelligent entertainment that electrifies and edifies young people." The launch list includes Last Last-Day-of-Summer, a middle-grade "modern day Phantom Tollbooth" by founding member of We Need Diverse Books, Lamar Giles.

Alexander tells the NYT he views Versify "as a way to leverage his professional connections and marketing savvy to boost the profiles of newer writers. 'I see a lot more publishers being in tune to what’s happening outside their communities, and you have a lot more writers of color having an opportunity to get their voices heard,' he said. 'There is an opportunity with this imprint for me to do that on a mass scale.'"

Awards
The late Helen Dunmore's poetry collection Inside the Wave won the overall Costa Award. The judges called it, "An astonishing set of poems – a final, great achievement."

Picks
The February Pennie's Pick at Costco is Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders