We’re delighted to announce that John Maher will join the Book Review as our news editor.
John joins us from Publishers Weekly — the trade magazine that covers the book publishing world — where he began as an assistant news editor in 2016 and ended his career as news director. At P.W., John edited or reported stories on some of the biggest issues of the day in the book business, including industry-wide diversity efforts, how publishers responded to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the federal antitrust trial over Penguin Random House’s bid to acquire Simon & Schuster.
To mark P.W.’s 150th anniversary in 2022, John compiled a history of the magazine that also served as something of a history of the publishing business in miniature. His interest in history extends beyond books and into the world of animation, which he reported on for years at publications including Polygon and Vulture. He has also dabbled in voice acting, lending his voice to “Archive 81” and “The Deep Vault,” two narrative fiction podcasts cocreated by the Times audio composer Dan Powell.
John was born in Pittsburgh, and grew up on Long Island, where he began his journalism career in 2013 at The Long Island Herald. He went to Skidmore College, where he studied history and English, with a concentration in poetry, which he still occasionally writes. When not working, he can be found at one of New York City’s many literary and publishing events — if that counts as not working — or concocting any of a number of overly complicated multi-course meals in his Brooklyn kitchen, which he wishes had room for a pizza oven. He also sang in a men and boys choir for a decade, but says, “Mostly now I just sing while I cook.”
John will work alongside Scott Heller, our features editor, and our reporters on much of our non-review coverage. Please join us in welcoming him to the Book Review.
—Gilbert and Tina