BTW News Briefs

Griffin Poetry Prize Announces Shortlist Reading

On April 18, the Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry announced that a reading will be held for poets on the Canadian and International shortlist for this year's prize on Tuesday, June 5, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. at the MacMillan Theatre in Toronto. The C$100,000 Griffin Poetry Prize is awarded annually for the two best books of poetry, including translations, published in English in the previous year.

Judges John Burnside, Charles Simic, and Karen Solie read 483 books of poetry, including 18 translations, received from 15 countries around the globe. The winners, who each receive C$50,000, will be announced on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 at the seventh annual Griffin Poetry Prize Awards Evening.

For more information and the list of finalists, visit www.griffinpoetryprize.com.

BBC Audiobooks America Acquires The Audio Partners Publishing Corporation

On April 18, BBC Audiobooks America announced the acquisition of The Audio Partners Publishing Corporation's audiobook publishing assets. In the deal, BBC Audiobooks America will acquire over 400 titles, including classics like Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, nonfiction titles such as Brian Tracy's Goals and John Hersey's Hiroshima, and the work of bestselling mystery authors Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, Dick Francis, Dorothy L. Sayers, and M.C. Beaton.

Featured titles in the deal are Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare, and an extensive licensing deal encompassing all unabridged Agatha Christie audiobook titles.

President and Publisher of BBC Audiobooks America, Jim Brannigan, said, "The Audio Partners Publishing Corp has an extremely strong backlist that is well-established in the trade channel. The addition of these publishing assets will expand our recently launched trade initiative and will strengthen our already strong library market offering."

The Audio Partners titles will immediately be brought into the BBC Audio trade list and will be distributed by Perseus Distribution.