AGP Executive Report

Publishing Appointments: Bonnier Books UK names Stella Giatrakou group rights director, while Picador promotes Andrea Henry (non-fiction) and Sophie Jonathan (fiction) after a “record year.” Deal Watch: Tor UK snaps up debut author Sonja Howard’s A Melody of Bones plus a sequel in a two-book deal, with the first due in 2028. Community & Access: Namibians are being urged to put more books in children’s hands as BookSprint Namibia adds four new titles for ages 3–8. Literary Culture: Bernardine Evaristo and Margaret Busby become patrons of the Black British Book Festival. Book-to-World Links: Sampath Bank launches a community-powered “book finder” for the Colombo International Book Fair, using visitor tips to help readers locate titles across 150+ stalls. New Voices: Amandeep Singh announces debut Hachette India poetry-and-reflection collection Mere Khayal Tumse Nahi Milte. Debut & Local Stories: North Carolina author Adrienne Palma releases A Manteo Christmas, tackling development pressures and wildlife displacement. Industry Spotlight: ICv2 hosts a Comic Industry Social Hour ahead of Insider Talks on the future of fandom.

Bestseller Momentum: Beth Mazza and Victoria Sivrais’ Entrepreneur Like a MOTHER (Wiley) jumped from No. 145 to No. 13 on the USA TODAY Best-Selling Books list, signaling strong reader pull for its mother-centered business model. Faith Publishing Launch: Thumbs Up Media LLC debuted in Brandon, Mississippi, aiming to publish KJV-rooted books and distribute worship music across major platforms. Civil Rights Biography: Gloria Ray Karlmark’s Gloria Ray: The Little Rock Nine and the Fight for Civil Rights lands Feb. 9, with co-writer Elisabeth Åsbrink and a translator credited, pointing to an international collaboration. Major Screen-to-Book Buzz: Netflix’s East of Eden coverage keeps rolling with multiple reviews, while Game of Thrones movie news adds a new release date and ties back to Martin’s Fire & Blood. Publishing & Policy: A UK briefing highlights that hairdressers and barbers face voluntary practitioner licensing, not a universal mandatory system. Community Reading Events: Libraries and festivals—from Weyenberg’s used book sale to Astoria’s “Urgency of Words” writing fest—keep local book culture front and center.

Publishing Deals & Rights: Ebury Edge acquired Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new book, while Hachette Children’s Group signed a five-book Tom Tinn-Disbury deal. Fast-Track Bookmaking: Ten Malaysian academics proved full-length books can be written and published in a weekend via Lulu.com. New Releases & Series Buzz: Rick Riordan and Annabelle Oh launched The Wild Zone, the first in a new Camp Half-Blood run. Adaptations in the Spotlight: Netflix’s East of Eden (based on John Steinbeck) is getting major review attention, with Florence Pugh’s Cathy Ames at the center. Thriller/Pop Culture Watch: Multiple takes on Colleen Hoover’s Verity keep rolling in as the film lands. Book Fairs & Community: Winnipeg Book Festival returns with a new name and streamlined format; Bhubaneswar’s Rajdhani Book Fair is set for Nov 15–22. Industry & Policy: Korea’s publishers move toward voluntary AI rules for books; Utah bans more books in public schools. Finance Meets Publishing: SG Finserve reported a sharp jump in its loan book, and INOX Air Products filed for an IPO.

Banned Books Week & local library programming: Ferris Public Library is marking Oct. 4–10 with a display of challenged and banned titles, plus a kids’ trivia event on Oct. 8 and a roundup of new releases. Major book festival return: Decatur Book Festival is back Oct. 2–3 with 80+ authors, free public events, and a keynote by Pulitzer-winning Brian Goldstone. New thriller release: Richard Multack announces “The Coran Chronicles,” a murder-and-conspiracy crime thriller built around detectives and a calculated assassin. AI and publishing rights: A class-action settlement tied to Anthropic’s AI training faces pushback from authors who say compensation doesn’t answer whether training on created work is theft. Literary events calendar: Ipswich Book Festival and Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival headline October programming, with poetry, nature writing, and author talks across the UK. Horror & genre buzz: Coverage highlights the cultural rise of horror and new reads like “Carrying” (body-horror debut) and “Horror Collector” (middle-grade horror). Book-to-screen spotlight: Multiple reviews and previews keep Colleen Hoover’s “Verity” in the conversation as the film lands in theaters. Community book-sharing milestone: Greater Victoria’s little free library network hits 150,000 books delivered, including a new Indigenous-authored title. NHL romance tie-in: The NHL launches “Hot for Hockey,” short romance-style stories based on real NHL storylines.

Publishing Deals & Rights: Macmillan Children’s Books acquired Lisette Auton’s portal adventure series The Attic Door To Nowhere; DUSK landed Sophie Clark’s adult romantasy duology Ashes for the Evening Star in a six-figure co-publishing deal; Footnote Press bought Saraid de Silva’s Men I’ve Killed In My Sleep; Hachette Children’s Group will publish Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper: The Mini-Comics; W&N acquired Sarah Brooks’s literary fantasy The Sea Library; and Plotsy signed award-winning author Jonathan Yanez for a Plotsy vBook™ adaptation of Legend Rising. Industry Watch: Quarto’s adult publishing director Denise Bates will step down; Quarto’s adult publishing director Denise Bates to step down; and Quarto’s adult publishing director Denise Bates to step down. AI & Authorship: Estonia’s publisher Tänapäev says AI-written manuscripts remain rare, but AI is already showing up in translation and illustration; separate coverage highlights the need for fairer ways to judge AI-era authorship. Royal Books Backlash: Earl Spencer escalated his fight with King Charles over claims in Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, after Buckingham Palace pushed back. Literary Prizes & Lists: The Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize 2026 longlist is out, with Rs 15 lakh for the winner. Culture & Reading: A new D.H. Lawrence re-launch event is set in Eastwood, and Game of Thrones: Aegon’s Conquest is scheduled for a 2029 film release.

Publishing & Adaptations: Amazon MGM Studios drops four new clips and a featurette for Verity, its big-screen take on Colleen Hoover’s bestseller starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett. Franchise Film News: Warner Bros. sets Game of Thrones: Aegon’s Conquest for June 9, 2029, directed by Owen Harris and based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood. Book-to-Book Buzz: Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing universe expands with Threshing Day, a multi-POV companion that reframes dragon-bonding lore and teases future romances. Awards & Recognition: Poet Chyrel J. Jackson wins the 2026 POTY Book Award (Non-Fiction–Poetry) for Unsung Canaan Ballads. Local Literary Life: Elk River Books and Arts & Lectures host Mark Spragg for a free Oct. 8 reading and conversation; Frank Carlson Library’s Fall Fest fundraiser raises $2,100 for its AWE Learning Station. Community & Access: Ottawa’s Reddick Public Library joins the “See You at the Library” initiative with BRAVE Books on Oct. 3, offering activities, bookmarks and prizes. Nonfiction for Readers: Priya Parker’s The Art of Fighting argues that group conflict can be transformative, not just something to “make go away.” Industry/Tech Context: Tech Asia reports AI infrastructure demand is booming despite slowdown chatter, with order books “bursting at the seams.”

Publisher Accountability: A new Bookseller editorial calls out a widening gap between what publishers promise authors and what they deliver, arguing for real accountability in the industry. Crime & Publishing Loss: Scottish crime writer Peter May has died in the south of France; his final novel, Island of the Dead, is due in January 2027. Rights & Deals: Ladybird wins a seven-way auction for Ana Stretcu’s debut in a three-book deal; Farshore will publish Louise Greig’s illustrated Little Prince rose story; Picador pre-empts Evie Wyld’s first crime novel in a two-book deal; Mantle acquires Kate Morton’s Christabel; Viking pre-empts Kit Haggard’s speculative debut. Book Culture & Reading: Libraries launch adult Book Bingo via LibraryPlus, with themed challenges and a prize draw. AI in Publishing: A UC Irvine faculty member warns that “AI slop” has entered library collections via Springer Nature, raising concerns about machine-generated books reaching students. National Curriculum: NCERT releases a new Class 9 Social Science textbook, Understanding Society: India and Beyond, Part 2.

College Sports Law: The U.S. Senate is set to vote on the Protect College Sports Act, which would give the NCAA limited antitrust exemption to enforce national rules on athlete eligibility and curb super-league style changes. AI & Work in Publishing: Qatar National Library is leaning into AI for programming while keeping books and reading culture central, and a new report on nurses shows AI rollouts can feel like surveillance—changing workflows instead of easing them. Adaptation Fallout: Tomi Adeyemi says she’ll never adapt another novel after her Children of Blood and Bone film experience, while Viola Davis’s fantasy adaptation troubles keep spotlighting author control. Royal Memoir Drama: Earl Spencer claims King Charles made a “we’ll forget her soon enough” remark about Princess Diana, as new Diana-related books keep inflaming palace backlash. Local Books & Events: Sparta Books hosts Jane Loeb Rubin’s Mayhem in the Mountains talk, and a Belarusian edition of Nasta Rahatko’s Carry with You expands the author’s political backroom stories. New Releases: Dark Horse previews Shift, a prestige sci-fi comic from Jonathan Hickman and Mike del Mundo.

Literary Controversy: France’s Prix Goncourt shortlist was rocked after Haitian–Canadian author Thélyson Orélien’s novel was pulled amid AI-writing accusations; Orélien denies using AI and says he’s faced racist attacks. Friendship & Breakups in Fiction: Téa Mutonji’s new novel My Person digs into the messy fallout of a decades-long friendship turning sour, with the author framing it as as wrenching as romantic loss. Publishing & Prizes: Range by Dorthe Nors gets a close read as an astrophysicist protagonist clashes with reality, while J.K. Winn’s Out of the Shadow is named Overall Winner of the 2026 Global Book Awards. Books in Public Life: Delhi High Court asks Tihar Jail to respond to Sharjeel Imam’s plea for offline access to PhD research on a pen drive. Book Culture Events: Penn Bookstore hosts Lindsey Palmer for Salt Sisters; the International Book Fair in Santo Domingo opens with 70+ authors and a focus on Jose Marmol. AI in Everyday Reading: A new plain-English guide, AI Made Simple, aims to demystify AI, genAI, machine learning, and LLMs for non-technical readers.

Scottish Education & Libraries: The Scottish Greens want £3.54m over two years to fund unstaffed lending libraries in the one in four primary schools still without library provision, pairing it with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library-style monthly book drops for under-fives. Royal Publishing Culture: A fresh wave of Diana-related books and commentary is reigniting debate over how royal stories get packaged and amplified, with critics pointing to a media cycle that blurs journalism and entertainment. Local Book Events: Grand Rapids’ MacRostie Art Center is tying a book launch and signing to Indigenous storytelling and a pottery exhibition during First Friday. New Fiction Release: Maryland author Michelle Carey’s political crime thriller The Crofton Triangle follows a teen hacker who uncovers corruption and surveillance-linked bribery. Publishing Tech & Reading Platforms: Kobo’s 6.0 beta is reported to disrupt some models, causing missing books and sync issues, with a fix promised. AI & Publishing Debate: A new push to rethink AI’s role in tourism and broader culture keeps resurfacing, alongside arguments that AI can’t replace authors. Reader Engagement: Hawaiʻi’s 2026 Summer Reading Challenge drew 25,000 readers and 180,000+ books, totaling 8.8m minutes. Book-to-Screen Buzz: Fablehaven is moving toward a film adaptation, with author Brandon Mull “cautiously optimistic” as production takes shape.

AI & Authorship: At Qatar National Library’s “Write to Inspire,” author-AI specialist Mohammed al-Qassabi argued AI can generate pages fast, but writers must keep the human perspective—using tools to organize ideas or explore design, not to replace thinking. Publishing Finance: Bajaj Housing Finance allotted 81,500 secured redeemable NCDs via private placement, raising about ₹807.82 crore at a 7.79% coupon, with listing planned on BSE’s Wholesale Debt Market. Literary Events: The Mississippi Book Festival drew thousands to Jackson, while Turkey’s 10th Amed Book Fair opened with 125 exhibitors and a focus on young readers. Community Reading & Care: Wisconsin Book Festival programming spotlights dementia and resilience through talks with Dr. Nathaniel Chin and Robert Kolker, and Kentucky’s Glenn Funeral Home hosts free grief workshops led by Dr. Bill Hoy. New Releases & Genres: A new horror bookshop, Horrifically Good Books, is set to open in York for Halloween, and Lucy Foley’s Miss Marple mystery “Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel” gets renewed attention as an autumn pick. Controversy in Culture: A memoir by Colin Kaepernick (“The Perilous Fight”) sparked fresh debate after Bears legend Brian Urlacher criticized the locker-room protest described in the book.

Publishing & Policy Watch: New Zealand’s Treasury is set to release its Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU) on Sept. 29, with economists expecting few dramatic surprises as forecasts update ahead of the Nov. 7 election. Author Events: Food writer Toni Tipton-Martin headlines a free Evansville literary event Oct. 22 with Q&A and book signing, while Shashi Tharoor released a poetry debut by IIM-K director Debashis Chatterjee (Seven Shades of Love) via Penguin Random House India. Books & Culture: Banned Books Week returns Oct. 4–10 with the theme “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read,” and a new Wendell Berry remembrance program highlights community reading and local author talks. Comics Spotlight: DC’s Poison Ivy #48 preview tees a Gotham under Mayor Ivy’s rule, and Amazing Spider-Man #1000 reworks Spider-Girl lore with a Frank Miller/Peach Momoko twist. Tech & Power in Print: Mezha’s September picks spotlight books on copyright, propaganda, genomics, military AI, and surveillance, including MIT Press’s Soviet Blocks on Tetris’s legal and geopolitical journey.

Publishing & Books in the Spotlight: John Green kicked off Winston-Salem’s Bookmarks festival with talks around his new novel Hollywood Ending, while Helen DeWitt blasted publisher promotion demands that can block writers from doing the work. Royal Books Backlash: Charles Spencer’s Swan Song keeps sparking debate over claims about Diana and the royal family, with fresh commentary and pushback. AI, Awards, and Trust: France’s Goncourt prize dropped a novel after AI-use accusations, and a separate report highlights how publishers are positioned to spot AI—plus Meta’s “Muse” agent is stirring fresh industry disruption. Censorship & Legal Pressure: A UK court extended a ban blocking a former British soldier from publishing a book about the DusitD2 attack, citing confidentiality. Education & Errors: Odisha says it found 1,741 errors in classes 1–8 textbooks after spending Rs 175 crore, promising expert fact-checking in revised editions. Community Reading Events: Libraries and festivals keep rolling—Decorah’s October book discussions, Wordstock209 in Stockton, and Chennai Book Fair planning all point to steady public appetite for books. Culture & Heritage Books: Nagaland’s governor launched titles on Naga knowledge and textiles, arguing heritage preservation must include living traditions. Health & Sickle Cell: Nigeria’s sickle cell guide launch pushed for free genotype testing nationwide.

Local Book Events & Community Reading: Philadelphia spotlights “weird” attractions in a new guide, while Iowa historian Kevin Mason promotes “Retracing the Dragoon Trail in Iowa” at the Oskaloosa library. Children’s Publishing: Estevan author Marie Donais Calder releases “What Can You Do When You Live in a Shoe?” and Glacier Bay Books expands its manga presence via Sweet Shop. Literary Awards: Manitoba Book Awards return after a hiatus, with Zilla Jones winning for fiction. Publishing Industry & Rights: HarperCollins is rebooting Miss Marple with Lucy Foley, but with strict rules keeping the sleuth unmarried. Royal Memoir Buzz: Sarah Ferguson denies reports of a “tell all” book deal. New Releases & Reviews: HarperCollins’ “Croc” gets a spotlight, and Maggie Burton’s “A Temporary Grace” is reviewed for its tech-and-connection themes. Books as Activism: A juvenile detention memoir “The Light Within the Walls” finds a new audience through a Cleveland launch and panel.

Publishing & Politics: Sarah Longwell’s new book, How to Eat an Elephant, argues that American voters have stopped treating “character” as a deciding factor—urging pro-democracy groups to unite against authoritarianism. Industry Careers: Peter Lee will step down as head of sales at Batsford Books after 26 years, while Echo Bloom Books launches with research-backed, visually energetic education titles. Rights & Trade: Frankfurt Book Fair Agents’ Hotlists 2026 highlights which books agencies are backing as the fair’s format shifts. Education Publishing Crisis: Kyrgyzstan says it needs 48.4 million textbooks to fix shortages, with Okuu Kitebi planning tens of millions using newly allocated funding. Book Culture & Events: Ilkley Literature Festival returns with major names; Dog-Eared Books hosts a midnight release for Rebecca Yarros’ Threshing Day; and Dolly Parton’s Give Like Dolly Day spotlights her Imagination Library letter for Northern Ireland. AI Controversy Watch: A Quebec publisher halts promotion amid fresh AI allegations, as skepticism grows over whether books are AI-written.

Publishing & Books in the Spotlight: John Green returns after nearly a decade with “Hollywood, Ending,” and he’s pushing a spoiler-light approach for early readers. Book-to-Screen Buzz: Prime Video renews “The Beast in Me” for a second season, while “Reacher” Season 5 will adapt Lee Child’s “Make Me,” billed as “brutal and disgusting.” Children’s & Community Reading: Kansas Book Festival marks 15 years with Bill Kurtis headlining; Pine River Public Library launches a monthly kids book club (ages 7–11); and “Omnibird” wins top honors at New Zealand’s PANZ Book Design Awards. Global Publishing & Literacy: Nairobi’s International Book Fair draws Chinese publishers and kids’ activities, and Punjab approves lighter Montessori textbooks with QR video lessons. Controversy & Rights: A man faces a served “book of evidence” in a child pornography case in Ireland, and France’s Orélien denies AI-writing claims after an online viral accusation. Industry/Business Notes: EY’s Robbie Karver discusses hotel demand resilience, and a U.S. Senate report targets fossil-fuel influence tied to a “billion dollar deal.”