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There's a Book for That: Thanksgiving
November 20, 2023

"Wear gratitude like a cloak, and it will feed every corner of your life." - Rumi This week we celebrate Thanksgiving. It’s a wonderful time for new and old traditions with family and friends, and certainly a time for reflection and gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all, and thank you for reading! Please enjoy these books for all ages:

John le Carré’s son, Nick Harkaway, photo © Nadav Kander.

Penguin Random House has revealed that a new novel starring George Smiley will be published globally in Fall 2024. The novel will be authored by John le Carré’s son, Nick Harkaway, an award-winning novelist and author of titles including Gnomon and Tigerman. The novel will be published by Viking, in the US, UK, and Canada and international language editions are currently being negotiated.

James McBride, Photo Credit: Chia Messina.

Riverhead Books had two big reasons to cheer this week: THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE by James McBride has been selected by both Barnes & Noble and Amazon as their Book of the Year. This honor is especially sweet, as James McBride is a longtime, beloved house author who has spent his entire writing career at Penguin Random House.

Dear Colleagues, It gives me great pleasure to announce that Divya Sawhney, Head of Global Strategy, is promoted to Chief Strategy Officer, Penguin Random House, effective immediately, continuing to report to me.

Dear Colleagues, I am pleased to announce that Manuel Sansigre is named Chief Financial Officer, Penguin Random House, effective January 1, 2024, reporting to me. In his latest role, Manuel was Deputy Chief Financial Officer and EVP of Global Mergers and Acquisitions, which he will still lead along with his new responsibilities as Chief Financial Officer managing our key operational financial processes, including reporting, planning, and analysis.

James Johnston Retiring as Chief Financial Officer of Penguin Random House
November 15, 2023

Dear Colleagues, After more than 33 years with the company, and for the last five years as our global Chief Financial Officer, James Johnston is embarking on a new chapter in his life—retirement.

There's a Book for That: Transgender Awareness Week
November 15, 2023

Each year between November 13 – 19, people and organizations around the country participate in Transgender Awareness Week. It’s a dedicated time for educating, sharing stories, and advancing advocacy around issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affect the transgender community. The week precedes Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20^th. In support, check out the following excellent fiction and nonfiction for adults and younger readers:

The sweetest sounds we heard the morning of November 10 emanated from the Los Angeles-based Recording Academy^®, announcing that three Penguin Random House Audio productions have been nominated for a GRAMMY® Award for “Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording” :

PRH colleague, John Barrack (r), and friends, with their medals.

On November 5, approximately 50,000 runners made their way through New York City’s five boroughs. The New York City marathon, first organized in 1970 and with just 127 participants, has now grown to become the largest marathon in the world and this year, several of our Penguin Random House colleagues participated! Congratulations to our super star colleagues and read their stories below.

Brothers Andrew (l) and Lee (r) Child. Photo © Tasha Alexander.

Delacorte Press has acquired four new JACK REACHER thrillers in the #1 internationally bestselling series—to be written by Lee Child and Andrew Child. President of the Ballantine Group Kara Welsh and Editor-in-Chief Kara Cesare acquired North American publishing rights and the first title in the new deal will publish in 2024 , becoming the twenty-ninth in the Jack Reacher series. The most recent Reacher thriller, THE SECRET, published on October 24, is a #1 New York Times bestseller.

There's a Book for That: Debuts Novels for NaNoWriMo
November 8, 2023

Did you know that November is National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo is a nonprofit organization that encourages writers to find their voice and channel their creativity. Writing a novel is such a brave, imaginative endeavor and National Novel Writing Month is a perfect occasion to celebrate debut novels published in 2023. Spanning genres, eras, and settings, the following novels have received honors and widespread praise. May they inspire writers and readers alike!

Editor and publisher Lauri Hornik at her home office in New Jersey in October 2023. COURTESY LAURI HORNIK

Lauri Hornik saw firsthand as her daughter struggled with anxiety and depression and reached for books she could relate to that chronicled mental illness. This experience set Hornik out to find literature aimed at young children and teenagers that centers mental health, and inspired her to launch Rocky Pond Books, an imprint at Penguin Young Readers committed to publishing books that shows kids they're not alone.

November is Native American Heritage Month– a time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of Indigenous peoples. It is also an opportune time to raise awareness of the challenges Indigenous peoples have faced and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges. In commemoration of the culture and people who were the original settlers of this land, we present the following recently published, and acclaimed, titles for adults and young readers alike:

Author & Lifestyle photos: © Laura Murray.

Change the way you think about cooking! A practical, information-packed, and transformative guide to becoming a better cook and conquering the kitchen, Sohla El-Waylly's START HERE (Knopf) features over a dozen technique-themed chapters! From “Temperature Management 101” and “Break it Down & Get Saucy” to “Go to Brown Town,” “All About Butter,” and “Getting to Know Dough", Sohla El-Waylly explains the hows and whys of cooking, introducing the fundamental skills that you need to become a more intuitive, inventive cook. We spoke with Tom Pold, Senior Editor, Knopf about the Knopf Cooks list, how this newest addition subverts the formula, and which recipes we should all be reaching for. Discover more below!

Raul Palma's A HAUNTING IN HIALEAH GARDENS (Dutton) is a genre-bending debut with a fiercely political heart. Set in Miami, the novel explores what happens when Hugo Contreras, the resident babaláwo at a botanica, receives a phone call from his nemesis and debt collector, Alexi Ramirez, who is in desperate need of a spirtual cleansing. If Hugo can successfully cleanse his home before Noche Buena, Alexi will forgive Hugo’s debt. Hugo reluctantly accepts, but there’s one issue: Despite being a babaláwo, he doesn’t believe in spirits. We spoke to Raul Palma about writing a Miami that's rich with culture and magic, writing characters that feel authentic and compelling and how to subvert genres! Discover what he had to say below.

There's a Book for That: Halloween Reads!
October 25, 2023

In the Halloween mood yet? Whether you have your costume picked out, are chaperoning kids, on door duty, or sitting this one out, we’ve got books full of frightful delights! From ghost stories, to witchy lit, vampires to haunted houses, the real tricks and treats are to be found in these pages for all ages:

This week, the American Library Association announced the 2024 Carnegie Medals for Excellence longlist. 12 Penguin Random House titles, and its client publishers, made the list. The six-title shortlist—three each for the fiction and nonfiction medals—will be announced on November 14, 2023. The two medal winners will be announced in a livestreaming event at LibLearnX in Baltimore on Saturday, January 20. A celebratory event will take place in June 2024 at the American Library Association's (ALA) Annual Conference in San Diego. Congratulations to all honorees!

Random House Children’s Books will publish MAXINE GETS A JOB, a picture book about @madmax_fluffyroad, one of the world’s most popular and recognizable dogs, with over six million social media followers. The exciting news was announced today by Mallory Loehr, EVP & Publisher, Random House Books for Young Readers. MAXINE GETS A JOB will release on May 7, 2024, and was written by Alexandra Garyn and Bryan Reisberg, dog parents to Maxine, with illustrations by Susan Batori.

My grandma and I in 2019 at Fort Greene Park.

This essay was written by Talisa Ramos, Manager, Multicultural Marketing. For me, Living Latine is a kaleidoscope of so many joyous things. As a Puerto Rican who is the 2^nd generation to grow up in New York and not Puerto Rico, I feel a deep reverence for being Nuyorican.

Fans wait for a galley giveaway.

New York Comic-Con was back in full swing this year with over 150,000 attendees! Despite Hollywood’s labor strike and the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, attendees showed high enthusiasm, as was noted by Publishers Weekly in an article that commented on the excitement around PRH's many genre imprints.

Penguin Random House exhibited from Thursday, October 12 through Sunday, October 15 as Book World Presented by Penguin Random House, utilizing our full brand power to make a splash on the show floor and to drive book sales, discovery, and buzz around upcoming titles.

Popular Company News

There's a Book for That: Thanksgiving
November 20, 2023

George Smiley, John le Carré’s Signature Creation,To Return
November 17, 2023

A Double Honor: THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE Now Amazon Book of the Year, B&N; Book of the Year
November 16, 2023

Divya Sawhney Appointed Chief Strategy Officer of Penguin Random House
November 15, 2023

Manuel Sansigre Named Chief Financial Officer of Penguin Random House
November 15, 2023

James Johnston Retiring as Chief Financial Officer of Penguin Random House
November 15, 2023

There's a Book for That: Transgender Awareness Week
November 15, 2023

PRH Audio’s 3 GRAMMY® nominees: Obama, Rubin, Sanders
November 13, 2023

Congratulations to Our PRH Colleagues & 2023 NYC Marathoners!
November 10, 2023

Delacorte Press to Publish 4 New JACK REACHER Thrillers
November 9, 2023

There's a Book for That: Debuts Novels for NaNoWriMo
November 8, 2023

Lauri Hornik, President & Publisher, Rocky Pond Books, Featured in People Magazine
November 7, 2023

There's a Book for That: Native American Heritage Month
October 31, 2023

Knopf Editor Tom Pold on Sohla El-Waylly's Master Class in Better Cooking
October 31, 2023

Debut Novelist Raul Palma on Subverting Genre & Not Disclosing Secrets
October 30, 2023

There's a Book for That: Halloween Reads!
October 25, 2023

Friday Reads: Carnegie Medals for Excellence Longlist
October 20, 2023

Maxine the Fluffy Corgi, Social Media Sensation, Makes Her RHCB Debut
October 20, 2023

"Living Latine is a kaleidoscope..." an essay from Talisa Ramos
October 19, 2023

Book World by PRH Takes on New York Comic-Con With Book Giveaways, Author Signings & More!
October 19, 2023

“My name made stand out…” an Essay from Ximena Gonzalez