Daunt joins National Book Foundation board

James Daunt has been elected to the National Book Foundation's board of directors.

The chief executive officer of Barnes & Noble and Waterstones m.d. is one of three new appointments, alongside Amandeep Kochar, executive vice-president and general manager at Baker & Taylor, and Kimball Hastings, vice- president of global communications at Ralph Lauren.

"We are gratified to welcome three new members to the board of directors, who bring with them significant corporate leadership experience as well as a deep commitment to the written word. We look forward to working with them in support of the foundation’s mission," said board chairman David Steinberger.

The US foundation's board now stands at 22 governing members.

"All of NBF's work is done with the aim to reach as many communities of readers as possible,” said Lisa Lucas, executive director of the National Book Foundation. “We are lucky to welcome these talented new board members who will have valuable input on broadening the work of the foundation, will work to secure additional resources for the organisation, and can help spread the word about the foundation‚Äôs work to communities far and wide."

The mission of the National Book Foundation, presenter of the National Book Awards, is to celebrate the best literature in America, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in American culture.