HBG Big News This Week: February 11-15, 2019

Following is a recap of major news at Hachette Book Group for the week of February 11-15, 2019:

Amazon cancels NY HQ: Amazon said this week that it was cancelling plans to build a sprawling complex in Long Island City, Queens after running into fierce opposition from local lawmakers and concerned citizens and booksellers. Read more in this New York Times story.

NAACP Image Awards: Kimberla Lawson Roby’s Better Late Than Never (GCP) has been nominated for a 2018 NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Literary Work (Fiction) Category. This is the 50thAnniversary of the Image Awards, and winners will be announced on March 30. Literature is one of many award categories, including Motion Picture, Television, Recording, and Directing.

Bestseller news:  HBG has 12 books on the New York Times list this week. HBG distribution client Abrams has a #1 bestseller, Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown, which holds onto the top slot on the Children’s Series list. HBG’s distribution clients have three books on the New York Times list this week.

Acquisition news: Little Brown announced the acquisition of Unexpected, a memoir from Katie Couric, one of the most celebrated and beloved journalists of our time. Publication is slated for spring 2021. Read the press release here.

TV news: Naomi Alderman’s The Power (LB) will be adapted as a global thriller for Amazon, by Broadchurch producer Jane Featherstone and The Handmaid’s Tale’s Reed Morano.  A ten-part series is planned. Read more in this deadline.com story.