BTW News Briefs

Independent We Stand’s America’s Main Streets Contest Kicks Off

Small business advocacy group Independent We Stand kicked off its third annual America’s Main Streets Contest on February 26, which celebrates the work of downtown improvement districts and independent business associations.

Nominations will be accepted online through April 22, and members of the public will vote for their favorite Main Street organizations throughout this period. The public will then vote to determine the top 10 semifinalists from April 30 through May 27, and a panel of judges will pick the winner, to be announced June 4.

This year’s winner will receive a prize package with $25,000 cash and a variety of tools for downtown revitalization. For more information visit the Independent We Stand website.

Personnel Changes Announced at Running Press and Black Dog & Leventhal

Running Press and Black Dog & Leventhal have announced a number of personnel changes, Publishers Lunch announced.

Jessica Schmidt has been promoted to vice president and associate publisher for Running Press. Frances Soo Ping Chow has been promoted to creative director for all Running Press imprints, while Frank Sipala has been elevated to senior production manager and manager of product development.

In addition, Shannon Connors Fabricant has been promoted to senior editor, and Amy Cianfrone has been promoted to marketing and publicity manager, while Kara Thornton is now senior publicist, where she will focus on Black Dog & Leventhal.

IPG Restructures Chicago Review Press and Triumph Books

IPG has announced that two of its publisher clients — Chicago Review Press and Triumph Books — plan to integrate their production, marketing, and publicity services, Publishers Weekly reported.

As part of this change, Andrea Baird has been promoted to director of marketing for the Chicago Review Press and Triumph Books, while Allison Felus has been promoted to director of production for the Chicago Review Press and Triumph Books.

In addition, Caitlin Eck has been promoted to director of publicity for Chicago Review Press and Trafalgar Square Publishing. Eck will also oversee corporate communications for IPG. Other promotions include Noah Amstadter to associate publisher of Triumph Books; Triumph publisher Mitch Rogatz has stepped down.

2018 Mathical Prize Winners Announced

The Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) has announced the 2018 winners of the fourth annual Mathical Book Prize, which recognizes outstanding fiction and literary nonfiction for youth ages 2–18.

The 2018 award winners, chosen by a committee of preK–12 teachers, librarians, mathematicians, and early childhood experts, are:

• For Grades 3–5: A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars by Seth Fishman (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
• For Grades K–2: Sheep Won’t Sleep: Counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s by Judy Cox (Holiday House)
• For PreKindergarten: Baby Goes to Market by Atinuke (Candlewick Press)

The Mathical Book Prize is awarded by MSRI in partnership with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and in coordination with the Children’s Book Council (CBC). Selected winning titles are distributed to children in need in the Bay Area with the support of First Book and the Firedoll Foundation.

The full list of winners, including honor books for each category, is available at the Mathical Books website.

2018 Lukas Prize Project Award Shortlists Announced

The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard have announced the shortlists for the 2018 Lukas Prize Project Awards, which recognize excellence in nonfiction that exemplifies the literary grace and commitment to serious research and social concern.

The Lukas Prizes, which mark their 20th anniversary this year, is comprised of four awards: two J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Awards, the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize, and the Mark Lynton History Prize. The winners and finalists will be announced on March 27, and all awards will be presented at a May 10 ceremony at the Columbia Journalism School in New York City.

More information about the 15 shortlisted authors is available here.