BTW News Briefs

Here’s what’s happening this week in the book industry:

Amazon subsidiary and audiobook publisher Audible has agreed to exclude the works of a group of major publishers from its Captions program until a deal can be reached in the AAP’s lawsuit filed a week ago. Audible will file its response to the AAP’s lawsuit by September 13.

Over the next three years, independent science fiction and fantasy publisher Baen Books will partner with RBmedia to publish more than 170 Baen titles as audiobooks. RBmedia specializes in publishing sci-fi and fantasy audiobooks.

Chuck Deane has joined Sourcebooks as a sales director and will be responsible for managing several channels, including independent bookstore sales.

Isabel DaSilva has been promoted to associate marketing manager at Atria Books.

Kaitlyn Spotts has been hired as associate marketing manager, school and library, at Chronicle Books.

Andi Richman has joined Baker & Taylor Publisher Services as director of national accounts, and Matt Warner has joined as director of marketing.

The 2019 Booker Prize Shortlist of six novels was announced Tuesday and includes Margaret Atwood’s upcoming The Testaments (Vintage, Chatto, & Windus) and Salman Rushdie’s Quichotte (Jonathan Cape), among others.

The U.K.’s Crime Writers’ Association has announced the shortlist for its first Dagger Award for the Best Crime and Mystery Publisher of the Year. All Dagger winners will be announced at an October 24 ceremony in London, including Robert Goddard, recipient of the 2019 CWA Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement. 

Five winners have been announced for the 2019 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships. Each year, the Poetry Foundation and Poetry magazine give out the prize to “encourage the further writing and study of poetry”; eligibility is restricted to U.S. poets between the ages of 21 and 31.

Analog Science Fiction and Fact has announced that it will rename its John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer as the Astounding Award for Best New Writer, after 2019 winner Jeannette Ng criticized the prize’s namesake in her acceptance speech, stating that the late Campbell harbored racist, colonialist beliefs.

Share your news in BTW News Briefs! Publishers and industry partners are welcome to e-mail [email protected] with news about awards, imprint launches, distribution changes, staff promotions, and more.