PW Star Watch Names Top Honorees in Publishing and Bookselling Innovation

- Finalists Culled from a Broad Pool of Industrywide Nominations –

Press Release

Publishers Weekly, in association with Frankfurter Buchmesse, is pleased to announce the PW Star Watch Honorees of the fifth annual PW Star Watch program. Fifty honorees from the U.S. and Canada were chosen for their trailblazing spirit, innovative problem-solving and leadership qualities by a jury composed of editors and managers from Publishers Weekly, Frankfurter Buchmesse and the American Booksellers Association.Related image

“For the fifth year in a row, PW Star Watch has identified a new swath of innovators and motivators within the publishing and bookselling communities,” said Jim Milliot, editorial director of Publishers Weekly and PW Star Watch 2019 juror.

Literary agents, editors, sales specialists, publicists, designers and others are among the honorees for 2019. For the first time, a bar owner and founder of a literary series, Denis Woychuk of KGB in New York’s Lower East Side, made the cut.Del Report

“Frankfurter Buchmesse is dedicated to growing and celebrating talent around the world,” said Thomas Minkus, VP, Emerging Media and English Language Markets, Frankfurter Buchmesse. “We are proud to support all of the honorees over the last five years both in the U.S. and on a global stage.”

The 50 Honorees will be narrowed to a Top 5 select group who stood out among the honorees, to be announced and profiled in the September 2, 2019 issue of Publishers Weekly magazine.

One “Superstar” will be named at the PW Star Watch celebratory event at the Marquee nightclub in New York City on Wednesday, September 18, 2019, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. A VIP reception for the honorees takes place just prior to the party.

The winner receives a sponsored trip to the Frankfurt Book Fair. The trip covers an all-access Business Club Ticket, which includes access to the Business Club at the fair and Conferences and Matchmaking Events at Frankfurter Buchmesse. The fair will be held from October 16 – 20, 2019.

The 2018 “Superstars” were the dynamic duo Francesca Cavallo and Elena Favilli, founders of Timbuktu Labs and creators of the Good Night Stories for Rebel Girlsseries. Previous Superstars include Gabriella Page-Fort, Editorial Director, AmazonCrossing (2017); Andrew (Harwell) Eliopulos, Executive Editor, HarperCollins (2016); and Helen Yentus, Art Director, Riverhead Books, the winner of the 2015 inaugural PW Star Watch.

Tickets to the PW Star Watch celebration are available for $59.00 – $99.00 at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pw-star-watch-at-marquee-tickets-66891858349.

PW Star Watch 2019 Honorees:

Margot Atwell, Senior Director, Publishing, Kickstarter, PBC
Andrea Baird, Marketing Manager, Triumph Books
Jennifer N. Baker, Creator and Host, Minorities in Publishing Podcast
Nicole Brinkley, Bookseller, Oblong Books and Music
Amanda and Rob Broder, Cofounders, Ripple Grove Press
Maddie Caldwell, Editor, Grand Central Publishing
Emily Day, Library Marketing Coordinator and YA Specialist, Macmillan
Marissa DeCuir, President, Partner, JKS Communications
Hannah Oliver Depp, Bookseller, Loyalty Bookstore
Andrea DeWard, Marketing Director, Penguin Random House
Grace Doyle, Editorial Director, Thomas & Mercer (Amazon Publishing)
Orlando Dos Reis, Editor, Scholastic
Emily Folks, Publishing Sales Director, Andrews McMeel Publishing
Lynn Ford, Internet Marketing Specialist, C&T Publishing
Gina Gagliano, Publishing Director, Random House Graphic
Naomi Gibbs, Senior Editor, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Adria Goetz, Literary Manager, Martin Literary & Media Management
Jennifer Griffiths, Designer, Penguin Random House Canada
Greg Hunter, Editorial Director, Lerner Publishing Group
Lori Kilkelly, Agent and Owner, LK Literary Agency
Na Kim, Art Director, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Kevin Kushman, Director, Blue Manatee Literacy Project
Justin Paul Lawrence, Sales Director, InterVarsity Press
Heather Luciano, Publisher, Elsevier
Bethany Marshall, Publishing Director, Morgan James Publishing
Lauren Maturo, Senior Publicist, Blackstone
Sara Megibow, Senior Agent, KT Literary, LLC
David Moench, Director of Publicity, Del Rey, Random House, Penguin Random House
Carrie Montoya, Manager, Revisions and Author Care, Cognella
Josh Mosey, Children’s Book Buyer, Baker Book House
Amber Oliver, Acquiring Editor, Harper Collins and Harper Perennial
Kwanza Osajyefo, Cofounder, Creator, Author, BLACK
Andy Perham, Bookseller, Books Inc.
Beth Phalen, Literary Agent, Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency
Amelia Possanza, Assistant Director of Publicity, Flatiron Books
Jennifer Powell, Director of Rights and Co-editions, Scholastic
Joshua Redlich, Senior Publicist, Random House Children’s Books
Clare Reeth, Director, Literary Affairs, 20th Century Fox/Disney
Benjamin Rosenthal, Executive Editor, HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books
Noëlle Santos, Founder and Bookseller, The Lit Bar
Brian Skulnik, Managing Editor, RosettaBooks
Clay Stafford, President, CEO, Founder, Killer Nashville
Taneka Stotts, Cofounder, Editor, Creator, Author, Beyond Press
Brent Taylor, Literary Agent, Triada US Literary Agency
Nick Thomas, Senior Editor, Levine Querido
Emily Tyler, Digital Product Manager, Rowman & Littlefield
Danny Vasquez, Acquiring Editor, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Ivy Noelle Weir, Publicist and Marketing Manager, Quirk Books
Reid Welsh, Senior Analyst, Sales Business Development, Penguin Random House
Denis Woychuk, Founder, KGB Bar and Literary Series

About Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly is the international news platform of the book publishing industry. Founded in 1872 and published weekly since then, the magazine boasts 1.23 million social media followers; publishes 10 e-newsletters, BookLife (a website and monthly supplement), two blogs, podcasts, a mobile edition, digital editions and apps; and features a thriving website that reaches 14 million unique visitors annually.

About Frankfurter Buchmesse
Frankfurter Buchmesse is the international publishing industry’s biggest trade fair—with over 7,500 exhibitors from 109 countries, around 285,000 visitors, over 4,000 events and some 10,000 accredited journalists and bloggers in attendance. It is the most important international marketplace for content—from novels and children’s books to academic databases and stories for films, games and virtual reality experiences. Publishing professionals from around the world meet here with partners from the technology sector and from related creative and cultural industries, sparking new partnerships and business models. A strong conference program ensures that Frankfurter Buchmesse is a major source of inspiration for content experts from around the world. Since 1976, the book fair has featured an annual Guest of Honor country, which showcases its book market, literature and culture to attendees in a variety of ways. Frankfurter Buchmesse organizes the participation of German publishers at around 20 international book fairs and hosts trade events throughout the year in major international markets. Frankfurter Buchmesse is a subsidiary of the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (German Publishers & Booksellers Association).

Websites
www.publishersweekly.com/starwatch19
https://www.buchmesse.de/en

For more information, contact Christi Cassidy, ccassidy@publishersweekly.com, +1-917-217-4269, or Erin Cox, 1-347-581-0211, erinlcox@gmail.com

Source: PW and Frankfurt Book Fair

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