Sweepstakes to Award Visit by Jan-Philipp Sendker

To thank indie booksellers for their support of Jan-Philipp Sendker’s The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, Other Press is giving ABA members a chance to win a visit from the author this summer. In a random sweepstakes drawing, five bookstores will be chosen to host a visit from Sendker during his July 30 - August 9 tour of the U.S.

Other Press decided to bring Sendker — who is from Germany — to the U.S. after hearing that Page & Palette in Fairhope, Alabama, had sold more than 300 copies of The Art of Hearing Heartbeats within the first six weeks of the book’s release, said Other Press Publicity Director Sarah Reidy.

An Indie Next List pick in February and the number 3 pick on the upcoming Indie Next Summer Reading Group List, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats has become a handselling and book club favorite at stores around the country. “Indie booksellers have shown it a lot of love, so Other Press and Jan-Philipp would like to reward them for it,” said Reidy.

“It is unbelievable and deeply gratifying how independent booksellers have embraced my book and spread word of mouth,” Sendker said in a statement. “The story of Page & Palette makes me so happy.”

During this summer’s tour, Sendker will visit Page & Palette and five other bookstores chosen at random from sweepstakes entries. To qualify, bookstores must have sold more than 24 copies of The Art of Hearing Heartbeats and serve an active reading group that has chosen to read it. The store must send POS proof of sales and a list of its associated reading groups to Reidy at Other Press by Wednesday, June 6. Winners will be announced at the close of BookExpo America on Thursday, June 6. Tour dates will be finalized the following week.

For more information, contact Reidy via e-mail or at (212) 414-0054 ext. 204.