The week's second exhibit in literary agency consolidation: In the UK, United Agents has finalized their acquisition of venerable AP Watt, the Bookseller confirms, after first reporting on the talks in September. Only five members of AP Watt's staff are joining United Agents in the transition, however, starting next week: Natasha Fairweather will join United Agents' Robert Kirby as joint head of the literary department, and Linda Shaughnessy will serve as joint head of foreign rights. AP Watt executives Caradoc King and Derek Johns will also join United Agents as partners, and agent Jon Elek is staying with the group as well. The Bookseller says three employees are "taking up jobs elsewhere" without adding specifics. (The other AP Watt book agents are Juliet Pickering, Elinor Cooper, Louise Lamont, and Donald Winchester.)
Midas Public Relations CEO Jacks Thomas will join Reed Exhibitions UK in January as senior exhibition director for the London Book Fair. LBF has been a Midas client for 10 years, and will remain so in the future.
Kelly Welsh will join Putnam and Amy Einhorn Books as senior publicity manager on December 3. Previously she was publicity manager at Simon & Schuster's trade imprint.
Author and motivational speaker Hilary Hinton "Zig" Ziglar, 86, died on Wednesday. Best known for his 1975 book SEE YOU AT THE TOP, the WSJ noteshe "preached in the tradition of American self-help that stretched back through Dale Carnegie and Norman Vincent Peale." Seth Godin tells the paper, "All of us do this professionally standing on the shoulders of Zig Ziglar."
Kevin Powers wonthe Guardian First Book Award for THE YELLOW BIRDS.
Every bestseller list has its own rules and quirks; the closely-watched FOUR-HOUR CHEF by Tim Ferriss can now claim one No. 1 slot, topping the WSJ's ebook nonfiction list (helped by the promotional ebook launch price of $4.99), and ranking No. 3 on their combined print and ebook nonfiction list.