AGP Executive Report

Ukraine Culture Relief: After a Russian strike destroyed a Kharkiv warehouse, charred books from Ranok Publishing House and others were salvaged for a Lviv festival fundraiser, with officials estimating about 8 million copies lost. Identity & Literature on Air: Claire Mitchell’s The Ghost Limb is now being adapted into an RTÉ Radio 1 series, using a “ghost limb” sense of divided identity to revisit Irishness and the 1798 rebellion. Publishing Under Pressure: A Minnesota man was convicted for threatening federal judges via a manuscript titled How to Kill a Federal Judge, adding to a wider pattern of judicial threats. Censorship Watch: Maharashtra banned 114 literature items tied to extremist groups, citing radicalisation and materials allegedly describing violence. Big Tech vs Books: Three new books—We Are Not Machines, Users, and The Nerd Reich—argue Big Tech is reshaping work, democracy, and daily life. Book-to-Screen Buzz: USA Network’s Anna Pigeon adapts Nevada Barr’s novels, borrowing storylines from Track of the Cat and The Rope for a new series launch. Children’s Books for a Cause: A UK author’s The Tale of Lucky, the Tiptree Chicken raises funds for a village boy needing medical equipment and therapies.

Publishing Controversy: Cambridge sociology professor Jason Arday’s memoir “Great and Unfortunate Things” is still slated for Simon & Schuster release, but reports say late edits toned down or removed claims after plagiarism allegations and questions about his life story, including a “months-long coma” detail. Classics & Adaptation Debate: Scholar Emily Wilson’s viral critique of Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” adaptation is reigniting arguments among authors and academics about how the epic should be translated and filmed. Censorship Crackdown: A Russian court sentenced Popcorn Books publisher Dmitry Protopopov to a suspended term for distributing LGBT-themed books, underscoring tightening content controls. Global Manga Access: Shueisha launched “Manga Million,” offering over a million translated pages in 100+ languages, including Tagalog. Book Community & Local Culture: Independent bookstores are leaning into book clubs as “third spaces,” from Arkansas shops to a Seoul bookstore reading group. Law & Media Policy: ICE is rolling out body cameras, but footage release will be governed by the agency’s “best interests,” raising concerns for transparency. Industry Watch: Cambridge is reviewing its hiring process after the Arday fallout.

Publishing & AI Rights: Anthropic’s “Project Panama” reportedly involved buying millions of physical books, destructively scanning them, and pulping originals to build a private research library for Claude—sparking fresh debate over whether printed knowledge is being treated as disposable training material. Book Safety & Preservation: Ukraine’s Ranok Publishing House says a Russian drone strike destroyed about 8 million books, including 2,000 donated Japanese picture books translated into Ukrainian. Legal Scholarship Launch: India’s Supreme Court Justice Vikram Nath praised “IBC Mantra” for making insolvency and bankruptcy commentary freely available to the legal community. Children’s Books Spotlight: Barbra Streisand announced her first children’s picture book, “And By the Way…,” due March 2027. Local Book Culture: Philadelphia’s Bookstore Crawl returns Aug. 22 with nearly 60 independent stops, author events, and giveaways. Community Reading Push: Michael Rosen urged authors to create “special pleasures” from reading that screens can’t match, as UK rail mini-libraries roll out. Censorship Watch: Maharashtra banned extremist literature and ordered forfeiture of radical publications. Language & Tech Accuracy: Niuean institutions raised concerns about a Niuean phrasebook’s accuracy, questioning whether AI-generated content was used without proper linguistic verification.

AI Bookselling Fallout: A used-bookseller says four rare titles were sold to AI firms, then likely de-spined, scanned, and dumped—fueling fresh outrage over how training data is sourced. Book Return With Apology: A California store got back a book stolen 40 years ago, complete with a handwritten apology and $100. Faith Publishing: Jennie Allen’s new 365-day devotional, When Jesus Is Everything, arrives Oct. 6, aiming to “quiet the noise” with daily prayers and reflections. Community Literacy Push: Recruiting for Good launches “Love Books and Chocolate,” turning corporate referrals into paid youth book-review work in LA. Global Manga Access: Shueisha debuts “MANGA MILLION,” a free, no-registration platform offering one million pages across 100+ languages. Tour News: John Green adds Brandon Sanderson as a special guest for his “Hollywood, Ending” tour stop in Salt Lake City. Book Festival Fundraiser: Decatur Book Festival holds an Aug. 13 fundraiser to unlock early access to its 2026 author lineup. Literary Recognition: An Irish debut, Djamel White’s All them Dogs, lands on the Booker Prize 2026 longlist.

Publishing Under Fire: Russian missile strike destroyed BookChef’s reserve warehouse, burning 100,000+ books and forcing pre-order delivery revisions. Libraries Boom: Türkiye reports record library growth—members up to 7.2 million and users to 39.2 million—plus major new space and tech upgrades. Manga Print Slump: Weekly Shonen Jump print circulation fell to 985,000, the first time it’s been under 1 million in a quarter. AI Authorship Trust: UK’s Society of Authors backs a voluntary “Human Authored” label as AI accusations keep hitting prizes and publishers. Local Books With Real Impact: A memoir-linked Sudbury event raises funds for a short film; a Melksham anthology donates proceeds to a foodbank; and Arad’s heritage village gets a new book to finance rebuilding. Education Admin: CBSE opens Class 10 post-result steps for scanned answer sheets, then verification and re-evaluation.

Library Policy Fight: Massachusetts lawmakers sent Gov. Maura Healey a bill (S.2696) to give librarians more protection and say over what stays on shelves as book challenges rise, with removals requiring hearings, votes, and court appeals. AI & Publishing Backlash: Emily Wilson, translator of “The Odyssey,” escalated her public war with Christopher Nolan’s film, calling it “emotionally empty” and “abysmal,” reigniting debates over adaptation and authorship. Comics & Publishing Releases: 2000 AD will launch “Judge Dredd: Compact Crimes” in January 2027 for the franchise’s 50th anniversary, collecting the original black-and-white strips in monthly £9.99/$12.99 volumes. Kids’ Books Roundup: Canada highlighted fresh fall 2026 picture books for ages eight and under, including “Backpack” and “Have You Ever Seen a Ghost?” Local Author Spotlight: A Minnesota city sued the state over election software, while elsewhere County College of Morris acquired the Joe Kubert School to expand comic and graphic art training. Book Culture & Events: Whitelam Books’ “Find Waldo Local in Reading” wrapped with a community prize party, and Anita Selzer urged museum bookstores to stock more women artists’ work.

Publishing & Books in the News: The 12th Baku International Book Fair returns Oct. 21–27 with a seven-day program aimed at getting children reading in a screen-first world. Literary Sales Boost: Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is driving a big jump in Homer-related book demand, with Emily Wilson’s translation surging in US print sales and libraries reporting sharp increases. Book Culture & Events: Newburyport Public Library’s August calendar mixes author talks, workshops, and community events like a free crop swap. AI, Data, and Reading: A new report warns that AI travel tools are only as reliable as the data behind them—an issue that echoes broader concerns about how AI handles information. Legal/Policy & IP: A guide to intellectual property law breaks down when books, logos, and catchphrases can (and can’t) be protected. Community & Access: Oak Bluffs Public Library hosts an author conversation on tourism’s costs and benefits for places that want to stay livable. Controversy & Debate: A prison policy debate asks whether releasing female prisoners could help ease overcrowding. New Releases & Reviews: A memoir-style collection of journal excerpts, plus multiple new fiction and children’s titles, keep the week’s reading list busy.

Addiction & Boundaries: Dr. Nzinga Harrison’s new book, Un-Addiction, argues that compassionate, boundary-setting conversations can help families navigate substance-use disorder. Local Book Industry Support: Ukraine’s parliamentary committee backed an urgent appeal to the prime minister for real fixes to book-industry support, citing non-functional library procurement and bookstore rental compensation after Russian attacks. AI & Publishing Visibility: A new guide, The AI Visibility SEO & GEO Playbook, targets authors and publishers trying to stay present in AI answers as search behavior shifts. AI Spend Reality Check: A CIO-focused report warns that most AI projects stall before delivering measurable outcomes, pushing for ROI-linked metrics. Carbon Trading Rules: Kenya released a detailed national rule book for international carbon credit trading, including a cap on overseas sales through 2030. Romance & Adaptation Buzz: Netflix is moving forward with This Summer Will Be Different, based on Carley Fortune’s novel, with casting details emerging. Publishing Controversy: A Tennessee bookstore canceled a Jewish author’s launch of White. Blonde. Jew. after online backlash, drawing condemnation over rising antisemitism. Crime Fiction Release: Crossing the Lines by Charles Searle returns to occupied France in a WWII thriller set for August. Fantasy Author Update: George R. R. Martin says he’s been battling sadness and depression, while also highlighting Emmy nominations for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Book Trade Events: WriterCon 2026 (Sept. 4–7) announced its lineup and programming for writers and publishing professionals. Literary Awards Spotlight: Nigeria’s Prize for Literature named an 11-title longlist for 2026, highlighting standout contemporary poetry.

Book Awards & Publishing Recognition: Manhattan Book Group scored big at the 2026 Manhattan Book Awards, taking Bronze for Bernie Hayne’s “The Friendship Party” and Gold for William Ledbetter’s “Six Weeks: A Literary Memoir,” spotlighting fresh voices in independent/hybrid publishing. Freedom to Read Legislation: Massachusetts lawmakers passed a “Freedom to Read” bill (S.3241) setting clearer rules for how schools and libraries handle book access amid rising challenges. Cultural Loss From War: Ukraine’s publisher Ranok says a Russian strike destroyed about 8 million books in a Kharkiv warehouse, calling it an attack on education and culture. Global Reading Initiatives: Moldova’s Diaspora Days opened in Chisinau with book launches and a folklore art exhibition, while Texas’s Talking Book Program reminded families that dyslexia-eligible students can access 180,000+ audiobooks for free. Book-to-World Connections: A virtual event with historian David O. Stewart promotes “The Democracy We Must Keep,” tying U.S. founding documents to today’s democracy debates. Poetry Spotlight: Clarkston poet Rupert Fike won Georgia Author of the Year for “All Things in Common: Poems From the Farm,” plus Passager Poet of the Year. Translation for Deaf Readers: Deaf Pathway Global is rolling out a new ASL-based Bible translation approach starting with the Book of Esther, using shared “sign roots” across sign languages.

Royal & Journalism Awards: Queen Camilla has been named patron for the Journalists’ Charity’s new Queen Camilla Future of Journalism Awards, continuing her long-running push for reading and storytelling. Literacy & Access: A new menB vaccine push in the UK is giving tens of thousands of young people their first dose before university, after deadly outbreaks. Book Bans & Representation: Research highlights how children’s books featuring Black and LGBTQIA+ characters keep getting banned, arguing these stories help all kids explore what it means to be human. Publishing & New Releases: Min Jin Lee returns with “American Hagwon,” with Korean-language rights acquired for a translation release; and “Intelligence in an Insecure World” gets a serious review for reframing intelligence as governance-linked activity. AI vs Books: Multiple reports this week keep spotlighting how tech firms are buying and destroying books to train models, raising fresh alarms for rare titles and public access. Local Book Culture: Islamabad’s Ejaz Books is profiled as a decades-long literary archive, showing how reading habits shift with social media and trends.

AI & Rare Books: Tech giants are reportedly buying and shredding rare books to train smarter chatbots, raising fresh alarms about cultural loss and the ethics of using print for AI. Publishing & Policy: A new push for free expression in Massachusetts targets political book bans, while the FTC alleges Publishing.com misled consumers. Literary Awards: Georgia Writers Association named Clarkston poet Rupert Fike Georgia Author of the Year (poetry) for “All Things in Common: Poems From the Farm,” plus Passager Poet of the Year. Author Spotlight: J.K. Rowling sent a letter and “Harry Potter” book to a Ukrainian marine released after more than four years in Russian captivity. Culture & Community: A new Ayr bookshop hosted an author visit and raised over £100 for charity, and a school reading initiative is delivering hundreds of new books to primary pupils. Global Books & Rights: Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin renewed calls for a Uniform Civil Code across India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan to reduce discrimination against women.

Children’s Publishing & Community: UT Press released its first children’s picture book, “My Magic Tux,” a courage-and-confidence story tied to a real Tennessee football moment. Kids’ Books in Action: In Assam flood-hit Dibrugarh, a planned launch was scaled down to a symbolic unveiling of 14 children’s novels at a street library. Book Fairs & Reading Culture: South Korea’s young adults are driving a reading boom even as overall participation dips, with queues at the Seoul International Book Fair. Author Spotlight: Patrice Lawrence, named Children’s Laureate, shared five favorite inclusive reads. Book-to-World Events: A barn owl named Sparky will star in a Thirsk launch tied to “Sparky – My Barn Owl Story.” Publishing Industry & Tech: A debate over AI’s impact on books continues as South Korea’s reading renaissance intersects with heavy generative AI use. Controversy & Classics: Joyce Carol Oates pushed back hard on translator Emily Wilson’s critique of Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” reigniting arguments over translation and adaptation. Rare Books & Preservation: Jerry Garcia’s rare art book returns to print for his birthday. Local Book Access: Ang Mo Kio Library in Singapore closes for relocation to AMK Hub in November.

AI & Books: ISBNdb quietly pulled pages pitching physical books to AI labs after a journalist investigation, even as the broader market for buying, scanning, and destroying books remains legal. Author Health & Adaptations: Tomi Adeyemi says Paramount’s Children of Blood and Bone film set was “the worst thing” she’s lived through, alleging panic attacks and severe pain after a traumatic behind-the-scenes experience. Comics/Publishing Crossover: DC Studios stalled the live-action Booster Gold pilot again, with creator Dan Jurgens calling it “the most Booster Gold thing ever.” Local Reading & Community: A nonprofit book club on Rikers Island is bringing book access and writing workshops to incarcerated women through Rosebuds Reading Collective. Book Culture & Lists: Barack Obama unveiled his 2026 summer reading list of 11 fiction and nonfiction picks, inviting readers to start at the Obama Presidential Center. Literary Nature: The Book of Birds returns wonder and loss through Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris’ field-guide poetry and art. Publishing/Legal: CBI registered an FIR against Reliance Capital and Anil Ambani over alleged EPFO losses tied to investments in non-convertible debentures.

Library Return Mystery: A Greek antiquities book, “Antiquities of Athens” (1858), was found bricked into a sealed fireplace in Kiama, Australia, and returned to the library about 150 years late, with managers noting the fine could have been around AU$28,000. Reading Culture Spotlight: Rabat, Morocco is highlighted as this year’s UNESCO World Book Capital, tying into broader “National Year of Reading” momentum. Publishing & Authorship Under Pressure: A $2.4m book deal was pulled after AI authorship concerns raised questions about who actually wrote the manuscript. Self-Publishing Rankings: MindStir Media was named No. 1 self-publishing service of 2026 in two separate industry rankings, praised for end-to-end production and author support. Library Safety & Scams: The Patrick Heath Public Library warned authors about a scam email offering paid “Featured Virtual Author” spots for the Boerne Book Festival. Book-to-Screen/Stage Buzz: Netflix’s “Decameron” is reviewed as a darkly comic adaptation of the classic tale collection, while “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” continues to draw attention for its comic roots. AI vs. Books: Multiple reports keep returning to the same alarm: companies allegedly destroying or buying used books to train AI.

Publishing & Labor: 730 publishing workers unionized at Hachette Book Group and University of Chicago Press, adding to a fast-moving wave of organizing across major houses. AI & Copyright Clash: A $2m debut crime novel deal collapsed after agents said they couldn’t authenticate how the manuscript was completed without AI use, while multiple reports keep spotlighting publishers’ fears over AI scanning and destroying books for training data. Book Events & Author News: Theo Dorgan will discuss his philosophical thriller Camarade at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum on Aug. 27, and WickWick’s War and Peace picture-book series expands across languages with a new release. Library Stories: An Australian library found an 1858 book, The Antiquities of Athens, bricked into a fireplace after ~150 years; overdue fines were waived and the book will be displayed. New Releases & Reviews: August’s lineup includes dozens of genre titles, plus fresh reviews ranging from On the Origin of Sex to Pride and Pleasure and Spider-Man: Brand New Day tie-in coverage. Community Reading: KnottyCon Sacramento 2026 spotlights romance readers with a two-day convention of authors, panels, and vendors.

Publishing & Culture: First Things’ nonprofit-backed Portico launches as a conservative literary quarterly, aiming to spotlight beauty, literature, and art amid today’s politicized climate. AI & Books: A new wave of controversy keeps building around Anthropic’s Project Panama, with reports that rare books and manuscripts are being destroyed to train chatbots, reigniting fears for cultural heritage and creative jobs. Book Community: Cairo’s growing scene of book clubs spotlights everything from “weird stuff” reading circles to women-only groups, while Pittsburgh’s new romance bookstores show BookTok talk is spilling into real-world community. Reviews & Reading Picks: Highlights include Gaël Faye’s Jacaranda (Rwanda’s aftermath and forgiveness), and Jonathan Jansen’s Worth the Fight (South African school failure, memoir/case study/call to action). Industry/Access: Indian Railways now lets travelers book extra luggage online via a portal, then collect at destination using a receipt. Rights & Safety: Hong Kong democracy advocate Lam Wing-kei is honored after the Causeway Bay Books crackdown era. Manga Industry: The Independent Manga Alliance forms to help indie creators and smaller publishers with marketing, translation, distribution, and sales support.