BTW News Briefs

Simon & Schuster Enters Distribution Agreement With Ubisoft

Simon & Schuster has entered into a sales and distribution agreement with video game publisher Ubisoft for its new in-house publishing arm.

Under the agreement, Simon & Schuster will handle sales and distribution of Ubisoft’s original titles in the U.S. and Canada. Ubisoft’s new publishing program will launch with three titles set in the universe of their Assassin’s Creed franchise, to be followed by novels based on other bestselling Ubisoft games.

“Publishing books allows us to flex our creativity and dive into our worlds exploring new narratives, themes, and characters from our popular brands,” said Ubisoft President Laurent Detoc. “With a prestigious partner like Simon & Schuster we can elevate our brands to new audiences while also giving our fans more of the universes they love.”

American Association of University Presses Prepares for University Press Week 2016

The American Association of University Presses (AAUP) will celebrate the theme of community during the fifth annual University Press Week, which takes place November 14–19.

This year, AAUP member presses are collaborating with scholarly organizations and institutions, as well as indie bookstores and libraries, to sponsor events, webinars, and promotional initiatives to coincide with University Press Week, while book industry companies like NetGalley, Ingram, and Baker & Taylor are partnering with AAUP to help promote the week.

AAUP will also be bringing back the UPWeek hashtag #ReadUP, creating shareable infographics, hosting an online gallery of books and projects that highlight the theme of community, collaborating on a member press blog tour, and organizing other community-oriented activities. 

National Book Awards to Stream Live on November 16

The National Book Award ceremony will be livestreamed on Facebook, Twitter, and the National Book Foundation website on Wednesday, November 16, beginning at 7:40 p.m. EST.

The awards are the highlight of National Book Awards Week, which kicks off on November 14 with a series of events in New York City leading up to the announcement of the four National Book Award winners, in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People’s Literature, on November 16.

The ceremony to announce the winners will be hosted by comedian Larry Wilmore at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Finalists in each category were announced on October 6.

Madeleine Thien Wins Scotiabank Giller Prize

Madeleine Thien has won the Scotiabank Giller Prize for her novel Do Not Say We Have Nothing (Norton/Knopf Canada), which was also previously shortlisted for the 2016 Man Booker Prize.

Named in honor of the late literary journalist Doris Giller, the prize awards $100,000 annually to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English and $10,000 to each of the finalists.

The announcement was made at a black-tie dinner and award ceremony on November 7, which was attended by members of Canada’s publishing, media, and arts communities and broadcast on Canadian television.