The Guardian reports that the Kim Scott Walwyn prize, set up in 2004 to celebrate outstanding achievements by women in publishing, has been awarded to the head of the Nature Publishing Group, Annette Thomas. Thomas beat Rebecca Carter, editor-at-large at Random House, and Oxford University Press‘s head of marketing, Susanna Lob, to take the 3,000 pound prize. It honors a career that includes 14 years at Nature Publishing Group, where Thomas rose from the role of assistant editor to her current position as managing director, and her appointment in 2000 to an executive director’s position at Macmillan Publishers.

• HarperCollins gets the UK rights to Andre Agassi‘s memoirs. (PN)
• Sceptre gets UK dibs on Michael Chabon‘s NYT-serialized adventure novel GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD. (PN)
• Arcadia pays largest-ever advance for biography of London mayor Ken Livingstone. (The Bookseller)
• Ali Gunn gets Jenny Colgan a 1 million pound-plus deal for her next novel. (PN)
• Kim Scott Walwyn Prize created to honor women in publishing. (The Guardian)
• Random House gets Exporting Nibbie. (PN)
• And according to the LBF Guide, we’re in the Year of the Potato. Awesome. (WFHIT?)