BTW News Briefs

Binc Foundation Names New Director of Development

Fundraising professional Kathy Bartson has joined the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc) as the nonprofit organization’s new director of development.

Bartson will lead Binc’s fundraising initiatives, with a focus on creating a financially sustainable organization to fund emergency financial assistance programs available to bookstore employees nationwide.

Bartson, who has 16 years of experience assisting Ann Arbor-area nonprofits and educational institutions, most recently served as development director for a nonprofit that provides permanent supportive housing for the formerly homeless. Her past work includes fundraising support for private and public educational institutions and directing the annual fund for a major nonprofit health care organization.

“Booksellers are the heart and soul of the book industry,” said Bartson, who will attend several of the fall trade shows as a way to meet booksellers and Binc’s industry partners. “I’m honored to be part of a team that supports these individuals and their families.”

Amazon to Open Brick-and-Mortar Bookstore in Oregon

This fall, Amazon will open a brick-and-mortar bookstore in Tigard, Oregon, just outside of Portland, USA Today reported.

The Seattle-based company announced on June 17 that its third brick-and-mortar store will be located at Tigard’s upscale Washington Square mall. Amazon opened its first physical bookstore in Seattle’s University Village mall and its second in the Westfield UTC mall in San Diego.

The placement of the Oregon store differs from the other two as it is not near a large university or college, but, like the others, it does have an Apple store nearby.

Miriam Sontz, the CEO of Portland, Oregon’s Powell’s Books, told USA Today that it was no surprise that Amazon chose to open in the Portland area. “When asked why he robbed banks, Willy Sutton reportedly replied ‘because that’s where the money is.’ I am certain that Amazon has the data to show that opening a store in the Portland area will be financially beneficial to the company,” Sontz said.

Patricia Hespanha Appointed Executive Director of HarperCollins Brasil

Patricia Hespanha has been appointed executive director of HarperCollins Brasil, effective immediately.

On June 21, HarperCollins announced that Hespanha is now responsible for the day-to-day management of operations at HarperCollins Brasil, where she will establish strategic direction and set the editorial program to enhance business growth.

“Patricia’s leadership and expertise are complementary to our plans to expand both international and local authors in the region,” said HarperCollins President and CEO Brian Murray.

Hespanha has over 25 years of international business management experience and was most recently regional president of Latin America, Asia, and Pacific for Readers Digest.

Hespanha, who will report to the company board, is taking over for Antonio Araujo, who will transition to general manager of Nova Fronteira e Petra, one of Brazil’s largest publishers.

Scholastic to Publish New Edition of Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts

Scholastic will publish a new edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, featuring multiple new features and a new cover design, on March 14, 2017.

The edition will include a new foreword by J.K. Rowling and her original illustrations and doodles throughout. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by fictitious author Newt Scamander (a character from J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World) was originally released in paperback by Scholastic in 2001. As with the 2001 edition, proceeds from the new edition will go to benefit Comic Relief, a U.K.-based charity organization.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the inspiration for the Warner Bros. film of the same name, which will open in the U.S. on November 18, 2016. On November 19, Scholastic will also publish the original screenplay of the film, written by J.K. Rowling, in the U.S. and Canada.

Fodor’s Travel Sold to Internet Brands

Penguin Random House has reached an agreement to sell Fodor’s Travel to Internet Brands, a Los Angeles-based online media and technology company.

On June 21, PRH announced that Fodor’s will become part of Internet Brands’ consumer Home/Travel group. Internet Brands, which owns the travel websites FlyerTalk.com and Wikitravel.org, intends to use its technological expertise to help grow Fodor’s online audience and increase user engagement while continuing its print travel guides, which will be sold to the book trade by Penguin Random House on behalf of Internet Brands.

Terms of the transaction were not made public. The deal’s closing is expected to be completed shortly.