AGP Executive Report

Publishing & Community: Northern Ontario writers’ grassroots anthology Born of Boreal Bones debuts with 28 contributors, while Mullingar’s Inklings Writing Club launches its first collection, The Inklings Anthology of Stories and Poems, featuring 100 pieces by 33 local writers. Book Culture & Events: Shelbyville’s first annual Summer Book Fair lands June 27, and Westmeath Libraries’ “My Little Library” school bags offer free books plus parent tips to kick off reading. Literary Spotlight: A tribute to Jorge Luis Borges spotlights how Greece shaped his imagination, from Heraclitus to Zeno. Adaptations & Media: Prime Video’s Every Year After continues to draw attention with showrunner and author reveals, and HBO Max’s A History of Violence (from DC/Vertigo) is already a streaming hit. Books & Health Research: A new review in Nutrients links brain-health food patterns to life stages, with animal-sourced foods prominent early and plant-based foods later.

Publishing & Pricing: A new look at how book prices are set argues that publishers decide cover numbers long before readers buy, with hardcovers rising while many readers increasingly choose subscriptions and free online content. Health & Reading Research: A Nutrients review says the foods most linked to brain health shift by life stage—animal-sourced foods early on, plant-based later—based on 54 studies. Food Safety: Another review compiles nearly 300 studies tying chlorpyrifos to multi-organ damage, as regulators reassess whether the insecticide should keep being used on major crops. Books & Society: A new novel review spotlights George Saunders’ “Vigil,” returning to questions of death, memory, and moral reckoning. Colonialism in Focus: “Interrogating Macaulay” is promoted as a short rebuttal to T.B. Macaulay’s 1835 arguments, aiming to challenge colonial narratives. Kids’ Books: Miles Alexander III launches “Mr. Miles World of Dreams,” a children’s series built around confidence, leadership, and purpose. Tech & Attention: A debate piece warns that “safety” and “age verification” tools can become a new kind of gatekeeping in digital life.

Publishing & Pop Culture: Marvel teased X-MEN ’97 Season 2 with the “Roll Call” trailer, confirming a July 1, 2026 Disney+ premiere as the mutant team fights across eras. Book-to-Screen Buzz: Prime Video’s Every Year After continues to draw attention for its adaptation choices, with cast interviews spotlighting how the show diverges from the novel. Literary Culture: Bangladesh’s Bangla Academy held a seminar on fiction writer Shahidul Zahir, praising his polyphonic, memory-driven approach that challenges grand historical narratives. Mental Health Memoir: Northern Ontario–Alberta author Danny Blanchard (Mark Daniels) released Pinstripes & Blondes, a Gen X-focused memoir on addiction, trauma, and men’s mental health. Gaming & Tabletop Reading: D&D’s horror sourcebook Ravenloft: The Horrors Within lands June 16, promising new subclasses, Domains of Dread, and a horror-focused bestiary. Global Publishing Watch: Oricon’s May 2026 rankings put Classroom of the Elite: Year 3 at #1 for light novels, with other major franchise adaptations following. UFO Files: New releases on Project Blue Book reiterate the program’s final totals—12,618 sightings and 701 unexplained—as researchers dig into how reporting was handled.

Rare-Book Theft Crackdown (France): Six Georgians were sentenced in Paris for an organized theft ring targeting rare Russian classics, including Pushkin editions, with penalties up to seven years. Heritage Learning in Zimbabwe: SCOPE Zimbabwe wrapped a four-day validation and teacher induction for heritage-based learning resources, including facilitator guides and an indigenous foods series aligned to the national curriculum. Publishing & Books for Readers: A gift-book pick spotlights Thomas W. Laqueur’s The Dog’s Gaze: A Visual History, while a local Big Book Sale fundraiser in Lancaster is set to move a quarter-million items this weekend. New Fiction Spotlight: Kevin Powers’ Children of the Wild returns to World War I with a love story framed by loss and friendship. Community Reading in Prison (Canada): Dorchester Penitentiary’s book clubs show how inmates choose books to keep, turning reading into a rare, human constant. Science & Health (Nutrients): A new review links brain-health food patterns to life stage, with animal-sourced foods prominent early and plant-based foods later.

One Book, One Halton Hills: Halton Hills Public Library named The Cure for Drowning by Loghan Paylor as its 2026 community read, a Canada Reads winner blending historical fiction and magical realism. Honours for authors: Malorie Blackman and Julia Donaldson were made Dames in the King’s Birthday Honours, with Blackman celebrated for Noughts & Crosses and Donaldson for The Gruffalo; Peter James also received an OBE. Publishing & kids’ books: Scholastic’s Graphix will publish Yūsuke Saitoh’s Chuck and the Girl in English, releasing a single black-and-white volume on Aug. 3, 2027. New fiction/TV buzz: Ryan Murphy’s 1980s-set thriller The Shards (based on Bret Easton Ellis’s novel) gets an Aug. 6 UK release on FX/Disney+. Literary events: The Hammer Museum’s free Bloomsday 2026 celebration returns June 16 with readings from Ulysses plus live Irish music.

Local Literature & Community: A Norfolk sea-rescue story is being turned into a children’s book after an RNLI rescue saved a woman lost on a coastal walk, with the husband writing and a local illustrator bringing it to life. Literary Events: Mullingar is hosting Bloomsday walking tours tied to James Joyce’s brief visits, with guided stops at key landmarks and €5 adult tickets. Publishing & Rights: Little Island has signed a two-book deal for Tony Griffin’s previously self-published Teenager’s Book of Life, while Electric Monkey/Farshore’s YA imprint acquired The Fox Bride plus another standalone title by Sasha Peyton Smith. Awards & Recognition: Virginia Evans has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction for The Correspondent, with the book set for a film adaptation. Page-to-Screen Buzz: Summer adaptation lists keep growing, including a spotlight on Hayley Kiyoko’s Girls Like Girls moving from book to film. Industry & Policy: Hungary’s Book Week opening featured promises to guarantee free book-market operations and review fixed-price rules and e-book VAT.

Community Book Retail: Strive Bookstore in downtown Minneapolis spotlights Mary Taris’s mission to close the “library gap” for Black readers, turning a bookstore into a civic anchor. Publishing & Science Leadership: Harbour BioMed appoints Luisa Salter-Cid as Scientific Advisor, adding heavyweight immunology leadership as it pushes antibody therapeutics and a generative AI model. Local Author Momentum: A Valley City State University graduate publishes two self-penned books after reconnecting with writing through helping a student; in Michigan, a second grader’s story lands in the Kaleidoscope young authors journal. Book-to-Screen Buzz: Carley Fortune’s Every Summer After becomes Prime Video’s Every Year After, with casting and adaptation details drawing fresh attention to the romance duology. Manga & Light Novel Updates: Fluffy Paradise signals its final 21st novel volume, while Nobunaga Concerto resumes in July and ends in three chapters. Faith & Conversation: A “Matters of the Heart” seminar uses Delayed, Not Denied to spark candid talks about singleness and growth. Sportswashing Debate: FIFA’s World Cup host-city costs face scrutiny in Vancouver, where many say the disruption isn’t worth it.

Publishing & Rights: Pan Macmillan lands Johnny Mercer’s political memoir No Way to Run a Country, while 4th Estate acquires Jordan Tannahill’s “mesmerising” new novel The Living Realm and Eriu (Bonnier) signs three next-year novels from Gary Grace, Patrick Holloway and Rebecca O’Connor. Debuts & Prizes: Imani Thompson’s Honey keeps drawing major buzz after a competitive bidding war, and Bloody Scotland’s Debut Prize 2026 goes all-women with five shortlisted authors. Local Literary Life: Great Dunmow BookFest aims to turn Essex into a “book town” despite having no bookshop yet, and a Scottish debut crime shortlist spotlights new voices. AI & Accuracy: A study warns AI memory and personalization can make chatbots less accurate by pulling them toward a user’s own misconceptions. Health & Regulation: The EPA is reassessing chlorpyrifos after a review of nearly 300 studies links it to multi-organ damage and chronic disease. Screen Adaptations: Prime Video’s Every Year After (from Carley Fortune’s book) is now streaming in the UK, with eight episodes available.

Regulation Watch: The CFTC has proposed its first U.S. rules for prediction markets, aiming to decide which event contracts fall outside federal limits on war, terrorism, illegal activity and gaming. Publishing & Pop Culture: Ryan Murphy’s FX/Hulu adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ The Shards has a new premiere date (Aug. 5, 2026), bringing the 1980s LA prep-school thriller to TV. Romance on Screen: Prime Video’s Every Year After (Carley Fortune) is back for Season 2 talk as fans track how Percy and Sam’s story diverges from the book. New Fiction Releases: Lisa See’s Daughters of the Sun and Moon spotlights three Chinese women in 1870s Los Angeles as the 1871 massacre closes in. Local Reading Life: Negaunee Public Library kicks off a free summer reading program with books, prizes, and reading logs for kids, teens and adults. Literary Honors: Julian Barnes wins Spain’s Princess of Asturias Award for Literature, praised for memory, warmth and humor across decades. Genre Debate: Opinion pieces keep pushing back on claims that romantasy is “porn,” arguing the genre is high-selling fiction, not cheap titillation.

Publishing Deals & Rights: Fitzcarraldo Editions has acquired Joshua Cohen’s new novel Dead Herzls, while Canongate snapped up Renny Gong’s debut Ping Pong Kids and Jonathan Cape secured two new independent Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Sarah Perry. Book Bans & Library Policy: Massachusetts House leaders are advancing a bill aimed at curbing book bans in schools by requiring clearer policies for adding and removing materials. Summer Reading Push: Texas released its 2026 Summer Reads catalog, and the UK’s National Literacy Trust reports a small but important rebound in children reading for pleasure. Kids’ Book Industry: BookTrust selected titles for its 2026 Bookstart programme, and Vermont students voted for youth award winners including Whalesong and Impossible Creatures. Culture & Translation: Taiwanese literature translators gathered in Poland to discuss the craft of carrying tone and even curse words across languages. Crime & Mystery Books: A Jersey unsolved-murder author says publicity around his book has generated fresh leads, while a new Red Sheet review spotlights James Ellroy’s Cold War-era fictional investigation.

Publishing & Prizes: Vermont’s Youth Book Awards went to Whalesong (Zachariah Ohora) for K–4, Impossible Creatures (Katherine Rundell) for grades 4–8, and Not Like Other Girls (Meredith Adamo) for high school. Local Literary Life: A Tamaqua grandmother opened “The Grand Chapter” little library to support grandparents raising grandchildren. Children’s Books: Dr. Rod West’s Luna, My Superhero Sidekick teaches kids about PTSD service dogs and invisible disabilities, while The Book of Birds (Robert Macfarlane, Jackie Morris) spotlights threatened species with wonder and urgency. Memoir & History: Laszlo Suhajda’s WWII-and-Soviet survival memoir Twelve Bells to Freedom lands June 9. Culture & Media: Early buzz for Spider-Man: Brand New Day is strong, but a leaked ending has fans debating MCU crossover stakes. Book-to-world links: A Great Salt Lake nature anthology, The Once and Future Lake, argues restoration is possible—and urgent.

Publishing Deals: Simon & Schuster UK extends RL Killmore’s Cinnamon Falls series with two more novels, while Baskerville snaps up Andrew Cotter’s debut crime The Owl Carver in a two-book deal and New Modern acquires Rodge Glass’s intimate Suede biography As One: Remaking Suede. New Books & Authors: Liz Fraser launches imprint Vignette Editions with Stephen Makin’s story-and-memoir collection, and Dorianne Ashe’s The Children of Triune kicks off a dark fantasy saga about a world without children. Rights & Copyright: A Chinese hit drama, The Protagonist, is driving livestreamed readings of its prizewinning novel and sparking copyright debate. Education & Reading Health: The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count Data Book reports children’s overall well-being fell from 2019 to 2024, with education taking the biggest hit. Community & Events: Charleston’s Scene Calendar spotlights author talks and readings, including Cinelle Barnes’s memoir A Way Home. Tech & Books: Meta funds a data-centre technician training programme as AI infrastructure ramps up.

Pride Reading Lists: Essex libraries are spotlighting LGBTQIA+ picks for Pride Month, using Rudine Sims Bishop’s “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors” idea to frame books as empathy portals. Literary Landmark Loss: Pulitzer-winning American Revolution historian Gordon S. Wood has died after being struck by a car in a Rhode Island supermarket parking lot. Book-Industry Authenticity Fight: In China, a viral investigation claims a major book influencer fabricated hundreds of reads using AI-style copy, fueling debate over credibility in influencer marketing. Censorship & Kids’ Books: A museum put trigger warnings in a 1949 Janet and John title, saying it won’t remove “outdated views” but will prompt conversation. New Leadership Titles Hit Big: Multiple authors’ co-edited business book Lead with Empathy surged to Amazon best-seller status after its June 4 launch. Special Collections Spotlight: University of Miami Libraries highlighted rare “artists’ books” and historic treasures in its Special Collections.

Publishing & Culture: Saudi Arabia wrapped up its guest-of-honor run at the 2026 Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair, spotlighting literature, translation, heritage crafts, and rare manuscripts. Local Book Life: Mold’s Independent Bookshop Week (June 13–20) is bringing new fiction, crime writing, and live music, with Joanna Miller’s Oxford-set debut The Eights headlining a paperback release event. New Books: Angolan children’s author Vlady Russo launched a rhyming animal poetry book, Mais Estrofes da Bicharada, aiming to make reading fun while boosting vocabulary. Climate & Literature: A National Geographic documentary review spotlights Andri Snær Magnason’s climate work and the grief of disappearing glaciers in Of Time and Water. Industry Moves: Simon & Schuster promoted Yasmin Morrissey to publishing director for business, IP, and brands. Book Trade & Policy: South Africa’s Ramaphosa says the green barcoded ID book will be phased out with a biometric “intelligent population register,” tying identity reform to immigration enforcement. Reading & Reviews: A roundup includes Whistler by Ann Patchett and a June summer-read list, plus 1984 marking its publication anniversary.

Brock University & Ann-Marie MacDonald: Brock will unveil findings from its Mapping Ann-Marie MacDonald research project at a free public symposium June 20 in St. Catharines, with a preview reading from MacDonald’s in-development play Best Soldier. LGBTQ Music History: Barry Walters’ Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969–2000 (Viking) spotlights how queer artists “coded” meaning into songs that mainstream audiences could still dance to. YA to Stage: Landless Theatre Company brings Michelle Knudsen’s YA novel to life with EVIL LIBRARIAN, a new rock musical running June 11–21 in Bethesda, with a June 20 signing by Knudsen. Festival Spotlight (Haiti): Haiti’s Livres en Folie (June 4) honored René Depestre with 1,100+ titles from 114 authors. Global Publishing & Translation: Saudi Arabia wrapped up its guest-of-honor run at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair, while Taiwan’s Li Ang opened Poland’s Authors’ Reading Month with a supernatural-folklore reading. Reading Culture (Lahore): Lahore’s Sunday used-book bazaar is struggling as smartphones and online access reshape how people browse and buy books.

Crisis Playbook in Print: Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) has published “UPSI Berduka,” a detailed account of a fatal student road accident in Gerik, Perak, meant to guide future crisis management and emergency response. AI Backlash Turns Violent: A new report links anti-tech extremism to the fast AI boom, citing manifestos and attacks that frame AI as a driver of political violence. Gothic TV Tie-In: AMC’s “Interview with the Vampire” returns for Season 3 today, with the premiere titled “The Vampire Lestat,” shifting the story into Lestat’s rock-star era. Literary Loss: Canadian mystery writer Alan Bradley, creator of Flavia de Luce, has died at 87. Global Reading Culture: Erbil’s first Kurdish book fair sold 37,000+ books in four days, drawing 35,000+ visitors. New Fiction in Translation: Geetanjali Shree’s debut short-story collection in English, “Once Elephants Lived Here,” spotlights experimental storytelling. Tech Philanthropy: Sim Wong Hoo’s family donated $385,000 to Singapore’s Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund alongside the launch of “Sim Wong Hoo: The Light We Remember.”