Every day Poets & Writers Magazine scans the headlines—from publishing reports to academic announcements to literary dispatches—for all the news that creative writers need to know. Here are today’s stories.
Hachette Book Group has laid off about two dozen employees. The layoffs come amidst a reorganization at the publisher involving the consolidation and merger of several imprints, including Seal Press. Among those leaving are Hachette Books vice president and publisher Mauro DiPreta. The layoffs come just days after parent company Lagardere announced a “sparkling” third quarter for Hachette Book Group, with sales up 5.1 percent from the same period last year. (New York Times)
The winners of the 2018 National Book Awards will be announced tonight at a ceremony in New York City, and you can read about the finalists here. Meanwhile, Literary Hub offers advice from this year’s 5 Under 35, who were honored earlier this week.
Amazon has chosen New York City and northern Virginia as the locations for its new headquarters. The decision, which the company announced Tuesday, will bring “HQ2” sites to Long Island City in Queens and the National Landing area of Arlington. Nashville, meanwhile, will be the home of Amazon’s new “Center of Excellence,” which will house the company’s operations business. More than 5,000 jobs are expected to be created in Nashville, while about 25,000 jobs are expected to be created in both Long Island City and Arlington. (Publishers Weekly)
Garrard Conley, author of the bestselling memoir Boy Erased, now a major motion picture, talks about his experiences being sent to conversion therapy and his efforts to end the practice. (Business Insider)
Nora Krug explores the massive success of author Rachel Hollis, whose bestselling book, Girl, Wash Your Face, has sold 1.6 million copies this year so far. The book—part memoir, part self-help guide, and peppered with Bible quotes and motivational tips—has reached predominantly female audiences in the South and the Midwest. (Washington Post)
“I start writing with a compass. I don’t have a map. I just have a compass. So I’m heading north, as it were. I know more or less where I would like to go, but I don’t know the way, not at all.” At the Millions, Garth Risk Hallberg interviews Spanish author Javier Marías about his novel Thus Bad Begins and his writing process.
Last weekend in Brooklyn, Glory Edim hosted the second annual Well-Read Black Girl Festival, an extension of her book club of the same name. More than three hundred people attended the event, which features panels, readings, and music performances. Guests included poet Patricia Smith, award-winning memoirist Veronica Chambers, and Newbery honorees Jacqueline Woodson and Renée Watson. The Cut talks to some of the women who attended the event about the books and authors who have inspired them.
“I think I needed someone to tell me that it was okay to arrive at an answer emotionally and maybe not know exactly how I got there.” Poet Eloisa Amezcua discusses how she went from reading poetry to writing it, why time can be the best editor, and the importance of being in communion with other writers. (Creative Independent)
