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2014 Carla Furstenberg Cohen Literary Prize Goes to Lish, Stevenson

Last week, Politics & Prose announced the two winners of the second annual Carla Furstenberg Cohen Literary Prize were Preparations for the Next Life by Atticus Lish (Tyrant Books) for fiction and Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson (Spiegel & Grau) for nonfiction.

The prize, designated for authors of first or second books, was established last year to honor the memory of the late co-founder of the iconic Washington, D.C., store. Independent juries, whose members were chosen by a board made up of Cohen’s friends and family, selected the two winners from a pool of authors whose books were chosen by Politics & Prose’s owners and select staff.

David Cohen, Carla’s husband and chairman of the prize board, praised this year’s recipients.

“Each jury’s choice reflects Carla’s legacy: powerful and clear writing on subjects that we have to deal with now as a society. Such writing has a power of its own,” he said.

The prize board will present this year’s winners with $5,000 each at a special store event on May 16 at 8:00 p.m.

Poet Amy King to Receive 2015 WNBA Award

Poet Amy King has been selected by the Women’s National Book Association to receive this year’s WNBA Award, which is given every second year to “a living American woman who derives part or all of her income from books and allied arts, and who has done meritorious work in the world of books beyond the duties or responsibilities of her profession or occupation.”

The award will be presented as part of the organization’s annual meeting, which takes place June 6 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

King is a professor of English and Creative Writing at SUNY Nassau Community College and an executive board member of VIDA: Women in Literary Arts. She is the author of I’m the Man Who Loves You and Antidotes for an Alibi (both from BlazeVOX Books), and The People Instruments (Pavement Saw Press), and has been honored by the Feminist Press as one of its notable “40 under 40: The Future of Feminism” awardees.

King’s poems have been nominated for several Pushcart Prizes, and she was also the recipient of a MacArthur Scholarship for Poetry. She is currently editing an anthology, The Urban Poetic, forthcoming from Factory School.

King is also editor-in-chief for the literary arts journal MiPOesias, an interview correspondent for miPOradio, and the editor of the Poetics List, sponsored by The Electronic Poetry Center (SUNY-Buffalo/University of Pennsylvania).

Previous winners of the WNBA Award include Eleanor Roosevelt, Barbara Tuchman, Pearl Buck, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Rachel Carson.

Fujii Sales Rep Ted Heinecken to Retire

Ted Heinecken will retire from Fujii Associates on February 28 after more than five decades in publishing sales.

Heinecken began his bookselling career in the Midwest in 1963 selling Oxford University Press titles. From 1969 to 1977, he was a partner in Heinecken-Ide Associates and then managed Heinecken and Associates from 1978 until Fujii Associates acquired the company in 2008.

“Ted Heinecken has been a valued member of the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt family for close to four decades,” HMH Trade President Gary Gentel said. “As owner of Heinecken and Associates and then later as an integral member of Fujii Associates, Ted played the role of trusted adviser and friend. His advocacy on behalf of his account base and all independents everywhere was legendary and when Ted spoke, we listened. We will miss his warm personality, incredible work ethic, and presence in our lives.”

Chronicle Books Launches Third Great Tumblr Book Search

Chronicle Books has launched its third annual Great Tumblr Book Search with the addition of two new search categories. For the first time, in addition to Humor, the search is expanding to include a call for books in the categories of Art (visually interesting things that would translate well to print) and Food & Drink (cooks or food bloggers with ideas for cookbooks and food memoirs).

Contestants must pitch their idea in a Tumblr post that includes a proposed title, a short synopsis of the book idea, and examples of work, which can include photos, gifs, video, text or other media supported by Tumblr. The post must then be tagged #TumblrBookSearch.

The Great Tumblr Book Search’s previous efforts produced two humor books: Sh*t Rough Drafts, published spring 2014, and Droll Pranks for Rich Boysto be published this fall.

Submissions close on March 2, and winners will be announced April 6. Chronicle Books will choose three grand prize winners from each of the three categories. Those chosen will get a review session with a Chronicle Books editor, $300 worth of Chronicle books, and a chance to be published.

Council Oak Books Signs Distribution Deal with IPG

Independent Publishers Group (IPG) has signed a distribution agreement with Council Oak Books to provide print and e-book sales and distribution in the U.S. and Canada beginning April 1, IPG announced last week.

“We are very pleased to be working with good folks at IPG, where together we’ll work to build a publishing house that will continue to be a significant independent publisher that recognizes and celebrates the new and noteworthy voices of today and tomorrow,” said Publisher of Council Oak James Connolly.

Council Oak, whose list was previously distributed by PGW Perseus Books, publishes fiction and nonfiction with a focus on health, spirituality, and women’s issues. The company, which was founded in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is now located in San Francisco, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.