Short Takes

-- Publishers Weekly, 5/22/2009 3:16:00 PM

FaithWords has acquired the next major trade work by bestselling author and speaker Philip Yancey. The book, scheduled to publish in September 2010 and tentatively titled Traveling Words, returns to Yancey’s familiar theme of grace. “We have wanted to publish a major work by Philip for many years,” said Rolf Zettersten, publisher, who acquired the book with Joey Paul. Yancey’s books have sold more than 15 million copies and been translated into 34 languages.

The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) honored Cecil Murphey with its 2009 Extraordinary Service Award. This award recognizes Murphey for his service to fellow writers. Murphey is the author or coauthor of 112 published books, including 90 Minutes in Heaven, which he wrote with Don Piper and which has sold more than four million copies. His most recent book is When Someone You Love Has Cancer: Comfort and Encouragement for Caregivers and Loved Ones (Harvest House, Jan.).

Standard Publishing will put out a new edition of Charles Dickens’s well-loved Christmas story. A Christmas Carol Special Edition (Sept.) will be an annotated version, with the complete text of the book and Christian insights and discussion questions provided by author Stephen Skelton (The Beverly Hills Bible Study). Scrooge also returns to the screen later this year in Disney’s A Christmas Carol, an animated film version starring Jim Carrey and directed by Robert Zemeckis, scheduled to open November 6.