BTW News Briefs

Amulet Announces Laydown Date for Fifth Wimpy Kid Book

Number five will be purple.

Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams, isn't sharing the title of the fifth book in Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, but the publisher confirmed in a press release that the book's cover will be purple.

The fifth Wimpy Kid book will go on sale November 9, 2010, and Abrams will announce the book's title in July. Abrams will also be promoting the new book at BookExpo America, where Kinney will be autographing in booth #4640 at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 27.

Gayle King to Interview Barbra Streisand for BEA Opening Keynote

Gayle King, editor-at-large of O, The Oprah Magazine, will interview Barbra Streisand at BookExpo America (BEA). King will talk with Streisand about her upcoming book, My Passion for Design(Viking, November 16, 2010), for the Opening Night Keynote Reception, on May 25 in the Javits Convention Center's Special Events Hall.

In addition to her role at O, The Oprah Magazine, King is a special correspondent for both The Oprah Winfrey Showand Good Morning America, as well as the host of The Gayle King Show, a national radio show on Oprah & Friends XM Satellite Network.

The Opening Night Keynote with Barbra Streisand is an "all convention" event and is open to all BEA badge members; however, a free ticket to the event must be picked up at a designated kiosk area upon arrival at BEA in order to gain admittance. BEA released special instructions about ticketing and queuing last week.

Senate Passes Amendment on Debit/Credit Card Swipe Fees

Last week, the Senate approved a measure that would allow stores to give customers discounts for paying with cash or for using credit or debit cards with cheaper fees. The Washington Post also noted that retailers would be allowed to set price thresholds for accepting credit cards. The Federal Reserve would have the task of crafting regulations for determining when swipe fees for debit cards are "reasonable and proportional."

The amendment by Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) is part of a broad overhaul of financial regulations, "but it is a piece that ordinary consumers could feel most directly," said the Post.

The National Retail Federation noted that the measure is part of a bill that still must pass the Senate, and that may need to be conferenced with the House's version of financial reform.

Nebula Award Winners Announced

On May 15, the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America announced the Nebula Awards® winners for 2009 at a ceremony in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

The winners are:

Novel: The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (Night Shade Books)
Novella: The Women of Nell Gwynne's by Kage Baker (Subterranean Press)
Novelette: "Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast" by Eugie Foster (Interzone)
Short Story: "Spar" by Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld)
Ray Bradbury Award: District 9 by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell (Tri-Star)
Andre Norton Award: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente (Catherynne M. Valente)

Joe Haldeman was honored as the next Damon Knight Grand Master, and Neal Barrett, Jr., was named Author Emeritus. Vonda N. McIntyre and Keith Stokes received SFWA Service Awards. The SFWA Solstice Award, honoring individuals who have made a significant impact on the science fiction or fantasy landscape, was presented to Tom Doherty, Terri Windling, and the late Donald A. Wollheim.