AGP Executive Report

Publishing & Books in Cuba: Las Tunas brings 18 new titles to the Havana International Book Fair, adding QR codes for digital access and offering PDF copies for free during anniversary events. Author Events: Clare Balding heads to Tatton Park for a paperback launch event for Pastures New, with a guided dog walk and Q&A/book signing. Finance Meets Publishing: Alphabet has mandated banks for its first inaugural Australian dollar bond issue, signaling how tech giants keep funding AI spending through capital markets. Indigenous Rights & History: George Abbott’s new book argues British Columbia’s Indigenous rights struggles stem from long-running government decisions, as courts and politics collide over title and rights. AI in the Book World: A major publishing uproar follows a reported $2.4M AI-linked crime deal that saw an author dropped over suspicions of AI authorship. War Hits Book Markets: Russian strikes on Kyiv reportedly sparked major fires at the city’s book market, destroying stalls and injuring civilians. Libraries & Literacy: Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation’s Verse & Vino fundraiser lands major authors like Walter Mosley for a push to expand access to reading. Literary Culture & Adaptations: Mad Ones Films has optioned Darcy Green’s queer romance After the Siren for screen, with a sequel novel due in 2027.

Edinburgh Book Festival: Scotland’s Culture Secretary opened the Edinburgh International Book Festival, calling it a home for “curiosity and open-mindedness,” with a packed lineup of major writers and a theme of “changing your mind.” Istanbul Arab Book Fair: Oman is taking part in the 11th Istanbul International Arab Book Fair under “The Story Continues,” spotlighting Omani cultural identity through publications and programmes. Exam Shake-Up: India’s NTA ordered fresh UGC-NET re-exams for English, Commerce and Sociology after complaints flagged multiple question-paper problems, including spelling and translation errors. Translation Watch: A warning is making the rounds about low-quality AI-assisted translations sold online as if they were professionally done, raising ethical concerns for readers and translators. New Releases & Adaptations: Netflix’s “My Brilliant Career” is drawing praise for its lively take on Miles Franklin’s classic, while Maggie O’Farrell’s “Hamnet” heads to new UK streaming homes after its cinema run. Community & Culture: In Cebu, “Letters for Pride” is building queer safe spaces through poetry and fundraising, using literature as advocacy.

Crypto ETF Push: Cboe asked the SEC to greenlight new 3x bitcoin and ether ETFs, but the plan hinges on a tricky rule that could block the whole lineup unless regulators sign off. Publishing & AI: Axios publisher Nicholas Johnston says he now uses AI to “read” books for him, sparking fresh debate about what that means for readers and writers. Book-to-Screen Buzz: Anne Hathaway is set to adapt Caro Claire Burke’s thriller satire Yesteryear, while Prime Video’s Reacher is moving beyond Lee Child source material with an original spin-off. Literary Spotlight: Jeet Thayil discusses his novel The Elsewhereans, and Marie Darrieussecq’s How to Make a Woman gets attention for its brutally vivid pregnancy narrative. Global Reading Culture: Alaska’s Cirque literary journal returns with a hefty new issue, continuing its free online model for the North Pacific Rim. Local Books & Community: A Utah debut novel draws on family shipwreck history, and an Okanagan creator releases a kids’ coloring book that reframes insects as helpers. Science & Food: A review links higher ultra-processed food intake with lower key nutrient levels, though it stops short of proving cause.

AI & Copyright: Anthropic’s Risk Report says human-written books still power advanced AI training, while safeguards for blocking biological-weapon help were reportedly switched off for months, letting tens of thousands of users generate huge volumes of exchanges. Publishing & Culture: Meg Mason’s new novel “Sophie, Standing There” leans into how books can “save us” at the exact moment we need them, while Jennifer Givhan’s “The Sleeping Sisters” reworks the West Mesa Murders through multiple voices and lyrical dread. Community Reading: Crowne Plaza Dhaka Gulshan launched FLOR (“For Love of Reading”), a book-focused lobby space with curated categories and a daily pick. Local Literary Events: Menominee’s M&M Authorfest returns with 30 regional authors, signings, and raffles supporting the Spies Public Library. Literary History: A new local history presentation in Pennsylvania spotlights Asa Packer’s family story, based on documented sources and long-circulated myths. Books & Society: A new book on public bathrooms argues they’ve repeatedly shaped American inequality and civil-rights battles.

MCU X-Men Reboot: Marvel has locked in a major cast for its new X-Men movie, naming Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Adam Driver as Mister Sinister, Maya Boyd as Storm, plus Christopher Abbott (Professor X), Sadie Sink (Jean Grey), Kit Connor (Cyclops) and Samara Weaving (Emma Frost). Health & Food Research: A new review links higher ultra-processed food intake with lower levels of key nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin E, selenium and carotenoids, while stressing the findings show associations, not cause. Publishing & Books in the Spotlight: Stephen King pushes back on Utah school bans, arguing teens discover reading through his work; meanwhile, a Cambridge academic, Jason Arday, is reported dead days after plagiarism allegations and a memoir release. Independence Day, Literature-First: India’s 2026 celebrations spotlight “Vande Mataram,” tracing how the song moved from literature into protests and national identity. New Releases & Reviews: Highlights include Guy Walters’ WWII thriller “Stealing Hitler’s Rocket,” Adam Cohen’s “Captain’s Dinner” (a survival-at-sea murder trial), and Claudia Rankine’s “Triage,” a grief-and-debate hybrid on truth, art and fiction.

DCU Spotlight: HBO’s Lanterns premieres Aug. 16, and early reviews say it’s a grounded, True Detective-meets-Watchmen-style mystery that finally gives Green Lantern a prestige makeover. Local Publishing & Community: Coventry author Itoro Abigeal Oyewobi launched three connected books—My Ready Helper, The Prepared Teen, and EdgeCraft—to build confidence skills from childhood through work. Book Festivals: Rutherglen is getting its first Book Festival this autumn (free events, Oct 29–Nov), while Whitby Lit Fest lines up big names including John Boyne and Si King. New Releases: Veronica Roth teases The Sixth Faction (Divergent universe) with an exclusive chapter, and Palmetto Publishing releases Jeffrey Conrad’s military thriller The Last Lesson. Controversy in Bookselling: London outrage grows after Arabic Mein Kampf copies appeared on sale at a new shop. AI & Authors: A new report claims AI-written books are squeezing human authors by crowding the market and boosting sales without matching growth.

AI & Ancient Texts: China’s digitisation push is using AI to make classical works easier to search, read and study, including the public Shidian Guji database with modern-language versions and chatbot-style exploration. Publishing & Books: A new children’s interactive rhyming picture book, My Friends in the Alphabet Zoo, turns letter learning into hidden-letter games for early readers. Book Culture & Events: The Verb Readers & Writers Festival returns Sept 23–27 with 26 events and major voices, including Michelle de Kretser and Doireann Ní Ghríofa. History & Literature: Singapore historian Lim Shao Bin argues that uncovering Japan’s Unit 731/9420 biological warfare history needs broader international cooperation and more released records. Books & Society: A systematic review links higher ultra-processed food intake with lower levels of key nutrients, while another review highlights Mediterranean-style eating patterns for brain aging. Tech & Publishing Industry: Printing/packaging machinery maker Ruian Koten Machinery touts expanded global capabilities for bookmaking and rigid packaging.

Publishing & Adaptations: Disney is developing a live-action feature of Miye Lee’s The Dallergut Dream Department Store, with Patrick Ness writing the screenplay, after the trilogy’s massive South Korean success. Book-to-Screen: Anthony P. Jones’ thriller Sorrowful Mysteries has been greenlit for movie development/production. Literary Events: The 7th annual Maine Book Festival returns Aug. 22 at Thomaston Public Library, with 110+ authors and free admission. Community & Libraries: NAASR’s Mardigian Library was enriched by Bloomsbury’s Armenian history series donation from Prof. Bedross Der Matossian in memory of his father. Children’s Books: An Ibanag children’s book, Papa Teyo, was selected for IBBY’s world collection for young readers in Indigenous and endangered languages. Health & Learning (Books): A new comic approach to Crohn’s disease aims to help kids and parents understand medical conditions in a more accessible way. Reviews Roundup: Mine by Adam Ouston is praised as a relentless single-sentence, claustrophobic reading experience.

Author Tour Buzz: John Green’s fall tour stop in Salt Lake City gets a major boost with Brandon Sanderson joining him for a special event at The King’s English Bookshop. Publisher Accountability: Simon & Schuster’s planned republish of Susan Abulhawa’s novels draws fresh backlash over the author’s antisemitic rhetoric, raising pressure on major imprints to explain their decisions. Literary Craft & History: A new Irish-women anthology, Shapechangers, spotlights how writers are shaped by Ireland’s shifting social landscape. AI in the Arts: Cartoonists warn that AI-generated illustrations are squeezing their industry, even as publishers cite labeling rules. Health, Diet, and Evidence: A review links higher ultra-processed food intake with lower nutrient biomarkers, while another review argues diet patterns matter most for brain aging. Community Reading: Libraries and local groups keep the momentum with book sales, reunions, and award-winning bookstore staff recognized for championing authors. New Fiction Launches: A mix of debut novels and genre releases keeps rolling, from dinosaur political satire (A Red Age) to a new Spawn miniseries.

AI & Authorship: A new wave of debate keeps swirling around “AI commodifying human creativity,” with fresh attention on how AI is being used in publishing and research. Publishing Industry: The Commonwealth Foundation will review its 2026 Short Story Prize process and delay 2027 submissions after an AI controversy. Research Publishing: eLife says its open “publish-review-curate” model is being used to make research more machine-readable and improve reader engagement. Tech Meets Daily Life: Google expands Gemini with connected app integrations for productivity, entertainment, music, and lifestyle (including Wix, OpenTable, Ticketmaster, Pandora, and Angi). Books in the Community: Libraries and festivals keep driving summer reading—Moreno Valley’s library programming, Mayo County’s “One County, One Book” pick, and the Los Angeles Kids Book Festival in West Hollywood. Local Book Culture: A Hagerstown-themed illustrated catalog gets a community signing, while picture-book events like Gamble House Musical Storytime spotlight read-alouds and collaboration. Controversy & Culture: A University of Hyderabad talk by Ornit Shani was disrupted by student protests tied to her book and Israel/Palestine politics. Film Tie-In Buzz: “The End of Oak Street” dominates entertainment chatter with multiple reviews comparing it to Spielberg-era thrills and Jurassic-style mayhem.

Publishing & Books in the Spotlight: Penguin India has backed Sadhguru’s new photo essay book Disappearing Faces, launched in New Delhi with a conversation about the Himalayan people and an “era” shaped by direct senses. Crime Fiction & Adaptations: Prime Video’s Reacher Season 4 is getting early praise for darker mystery and more brutal hand-to-hand action, even as some note departures from the books. Literary Events: Jack Jewers is touring Yorkshire with Seething Lane, a fictional Pepys murder mystery tied to the Great Fire of London anniversary, with talks in Haworth and Pickering. Community Reading: Children’s Book Week celebrations kick off early in Campaspe, spotlighting Australian kids’ titles and a “Symphony of Stories” theme. Book Industry Tensions: The Spokesman-Review’s executive editor Rob Curley has been placed on administrative leave amid personnel complaints, with an outside investigation underway. Tech & Writing Backlash: Google’s 2022 Wordcraft Writers Workshop resurfaced online, triggering renewed boycott threats and criticism from participating authors. Local Library Fight: Panama City Beach council voted to keep its Beach Library’s physical adult fiction section on shelves after residents pushed back on a proposed digital shift.

Vaccine Policy Shake-Up: Reuters reports the White House is drafting an executive order pushing HHS to review whether childhood vaccines are linked to autism, with RFK Jr. confirming Trump wants the investigation. Local Literature & Learning: Coastal Senior College is launching a fall course, “Huck, Jim, James, and Frederick Douglass,” pairing Twain’s Huckleberry Finn with Percival Everett’s James and Douglass’s Narrative. Festival Updates: Glasgow’s Aye Write is delayed again—returning in March 2027 for five days—while “Aye Write Presents” adds four headline events this autumn. Publishing & New Releases: Vibrant Publishers released Graph Machine Learning Essentials; Chris Enss’s The Last Ride: Outlaw Laura Bullion and the Wild Bunch spotlights the Wild Bunch’s only known female train robber. Censorship Watch: PEN Georgia says a Georgian prison blocked delivery of Lasha Bugadze’s novel The Observer, calling it political. Tech Meets Books: A new mRNA flu shot for adults 50+ (Moderna’s mFlusiva) is FDA-approved, adding a major health-policy storyline to this week’s reading-and-public-life mix.

AI & Publishing: Anthropic says new Claude models will add an “imperceptible watermark” to AI-written text, aiming to make copying and attribution harder. Tech Meets Everyday Life: OpenAI’s ChatGPT can now book restaurant tables or join waitlists via Yelp Reservations, turning chat into an action. Censorship Costs: Canada’s St. Albert Public Library board estimates about $100,000 next year to comply with Alberta’s new library censorship scheme. Local Books & Events: A Wrexham river residency project is bringing poetry and music to the River Dee, while New Zealand’s Te Papa hosts free “Writers on Mondays” talks. New Releases: Ichijinsha’s “Though I Am an Inept Villainess” heads into its final arc with volume 13 on Sept. 30, and a new middle-grade fantasy, “No Tune Ned,” arrives Aug. 27. Literary Culture: Cuba’s Havana International Book Fair opens with Fidel Castro centennial tributes and Russia as guest of honor.

Literary Awards: Diane Helentjaris’ historical novel The Indenture of Ivy O’Neill has won the PenCraft 2026 Summer Seasonal Competition, adding a second major prize to its 2024 Maryland Writers’ Association win. Academic Fallout: Cambridge professor Jason Arday has canceled upcoming events after resigning amid a plagiarism row tied to his memoir Great And Unfortunate Things. Community & Events: Stanwood’s first-ever Stanwood Book Fest took over Brick Road with about 60 local authors, while LA’s Nisei Week returns for its 84th year celebrating Japanese American culture. Publishing Industry: The Giller Prize gets a major boost: the Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation will add $4 million over multiple years, following a quiet $1 million gift. Books & Culture: MacKenzie Scott is releasing a new novel, Last Days in Two Nations, chapter-by-chapter on Substack instead of major retail channels. Controversy Watch: Bethel Church is pausing sales of The Passion Translation amid plagiarism allegations. Tech Meets Reading: Hinge is launching its first audiobook based on real love stories from its No Ordinary Love campaign.

JNU vs. Umar Khalid Book Event: Jawaharlal Nehru University cancelled an Aug. 10 Students’ Union discussion of Umar Khalid’s jailed-activist book “Fractured Communities,” citing “non-disclosure of full facts,” while JNUSU calls it censorship. Cambridge Plagiarism Fallout: Jason Arday, embroiled in a plagiarism row over his PhD and other disputed claims, has cancelled a UK bookshop event and a conference speech promoting his memoir “Great And Unfortunate Things.” Publishing & Place-Based Guides: A new Hardy guide, “Great Things – Hardy’s Hostelries,” maps 53 inns and pubs tied to Thomas Hardy’s writing, mixing locations, quotes, photos, and visitor notes. Classic Literature Sales Spike: Sales of Homer’s “The Odyssey” jumped about 76% in the US after Christopher Nolan’s film boosted interest in the original epic. Children’s Books With Real-World Purpose: OSCAR’s Paediatric Brain Tumour charity released “When Oscar Lost His Feathers” to help young kids understand diagnosis, with proceeds supporting families. Arts & Adaptation: “Summer Love” heads to the stage in Kathmandu, bringing Subin Bhattarai’s romance novel to theatre audiences.

JNU Book Row: Jawaharlal Nehru University cancelled a Students’ Union event on Umar Khalid’s book Fractured Communities, citing “non-disclosure of the full facts,” and the union says the discussion will still happen outside the building. Publishing & Power: Jill Lepore’s new book The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State argues tech firms are taking over state functions, warning of rule by algorithms and corporations. Literary Spotlight: Netflix’s My Brilliant Career adaptation leans into the novel’s diary-like teenage voice, with star Philippa Northeast describing it as “bonkers.” Book Culture & Community: Avenroth Hybrid Publishers says it’s ranked among the top hybrid publishers for 2026, pointing to major author-promotion campaigns. Memoir & Recovery: York writer Tom Wilson’s debut memoir How to Relapse and Die splits a long manuscript into two books after publisher feedback. Education Policy: Albemarle County schools adopted modest grading-policy changes after teacher and parent pushback.