AGP Executive Report

Publishing & Books in the News: Chrystia Freeland is set to publish Unreliable Boyfriend (Simon & Schuster Canada), a political memoir and analysis of the U.S.’s shifting role, landing in October. Memoir Spotlight: Deb Haaland’s A Voice Like Mine (Henry Holt) hits shelves after her New Mexico primary win, detailing her rise from poverty and hardship to Cabinet leadership. Children’s Publishing: Vermont’s Youth Book Awards named Whalesong (K-4), Impossible Creatures (4-8), and Not Like Other Girls (high school). Bookselling & Community: Tacoma’s Grit City Books is drawing major buzz from booksellers, while Minnesota’s Black bookselling legacy is spotlighted through the story of Challenge Books. Library Culture: A roundup highlights how public libraries are expanding beyond books with “Library of Things” borrowing. Censorship & Policy: The Pentagon revised its faith-tracking religious codes after criticism over how “Christian” labels were applied, including the LDS church. International Publishing Support: Hawaii’s Hui Hānai received funding to publish unpublished Kalākaua family letters, including Queen Liliʻuokalani’s correspondence.

Sales Spike & Awards: Sarah Wynn-Williams’ Careless People jumped about 305% week-on-week after the author was “silenced” at Hay, adding fuel to the Freedom to Publish conversation. New Releases: Skyward Imprint set June 23 for Virtuous Business: A Model Approach (ethics and leadership) with pre-sales live, while Sibylline Press released Pam Troy’s immigration fantasy The Newcomers: The Chronicles of Touperdu, Book I (paperback/ebook/audio). Children’s & Career Books: Courtney Kelly’s Celeste Paves the Way follows runway design in Atlanta and is available worldwide ahead of its June 30 release. Publishing Culture & Politics: A Berlin bookshop’s state prize listing was pulled after a minister’s intervention tied to “intelligence information,” landing the store in a Kafkaesque real-life trial. Community Reading Events: Sylvan Lake Municipal Library’s July 11 Book Expo spotlights local authors via panels; Inverness Comic Con returns Aug. 1 with traders, retro gaming, and cosplay. Industry Watch: The Nebula Awards named Stephen Graham Jones’ The Buffalo Hunter Hunter as Best Novel, with Murderbot winning for dramatic presentation.

Parking Meter Transparency: Chicago aldermen are pushing for details on the city’s long-criticized parking meter deal, rejecting a transfer to a new company unless the mayor provides transparency. Publishing & Books: A new distribution deal has Battle Quest Comics bringing its Summoner Wars comic to Universal for the hobby/game market, with an omnibus follow-up planned. Book Industry & Rights: Penguin has pulled an Indian release of Joe Sacco’s graphic narrative on the Muzaffarnagar riots, reigniting debate over publishing and political sensitivity. Literary Loss: Gordon S. Wood, the influential historian of the American Revolution, has died at 92, leaving a major mark on how the founding era is taught and argued. AI, Data & Reading: A San Francisco report argues AI companies are increasingly stuck on the “layer beneath the models” as websites resist automated reading via paywalls, logins, and anti-bot systems. Memoir Scrutiny: Questions continue around Belle Burden’s bestselling memoir Strangers, as readers weigh a recent challenge to its veracity. Kids & Travel With Pets: Virgin Australia is expanding its in-cabin pet trial, adding cats on new routes as demand grows.

Publishing & Rights: Penguin Random House India won’t distribute Joe Sacco’s graphic reportage The Once and Future Riot in India, citing internal concerns after review of the UK publisher’s materials. Graphic Memoir Legacy: Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis continues to draw attention as the author dies at 56; the book’s history of bans and challenges in U.S. schools remains a flashpoint. Children’s Books Launch: Raindrop Production debuts nature-rooted picture books for ages 3–8, starting with The Big Symphony, positioning the brand for calmer, read-aloud family reading. Local Publishing Spotlight: Fresh Water Press in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, is expanding its small press catalog with community-first publishing and upcoming releases. Book-to-Screen: Amazon MGM Studios is developing a live-action Jem and the Holograms series with Kilter Films and Hasbro, reviving the 1980s animated franchise. Community Reading Events: Burlingame State Campground upgrades include new restroom/shower facilities, while local used-book sales and library events keep summer reading moving.

Publishing & Culture: Saudi Arabia wrapped up its guest-of-honor run at the 2026 Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair, using a pavilion packed with seminars, arts, heritage fashion, rare manuscripts, and translation-focused programming. Books & Community: La Crosse Public Library kicked off its summer reading program at Red Cloud Park, pairing games and family events with a push to keep kids reading through the break. Literary Life: In Kashmir’s Aragam village, homes are turning into “mini libraries,” with teens reading and retelling stories to younger siblings as the community builds a new identity around books. Publishing Industry & AI: A new debate is heating up around AI in education and publishing ethics, after a university pro vice-chancellor’s opinion piece was flagged as AI-written despite claims it was “with” AI. Books on Screen: Daniel Radcliffe shared a positive update on the upcoming Harry Potter TV series after meeting John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, while AMC’s Interview With the Vampire relaunch, now titled The Vampire Lestat, is drawing major critical buzz. Local Literary Events: Bazm-e-Rooh Rihan marked Atta Muhammad Bhanbhro’s death anniversary with talks on his writing, translation work, and the legacy of his banned magazine Hoshoo.

World of Publishing & Culture: Saudi Arabia wrapped up its guest-of-honour run at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair, spotlighting literature, translation, heritage crafts and public events across the city. International Book Fairs: China and Malaysia kept the momentum going at the same fair with multi-language publishing showcases and China-ASEAN youth dialogues aimed at deepening cultural ties. Local Books & Community: A pop-up campaign in Colchester backed residents’ push for safety upgrades on the A120, using newspapers and a petition drive to keep the dualling plan in the spotlight. Publishing Industry & Policy: A new push for collective licensing is framed as a way to make AI use of books and journalism more lawful, transparent and properly paid. Creator Credit Dispute: Rob Liefeld is calling out Marvel’s New Mutants omnibus listing for crediting him for art but not writing, reigniting creator-legacy concerns. Health & Reading Adjacent: A new meta-analysis reports omega-3 supplements are linked to a modest drop in aggressive behavior, adding to the nutrition-and-emotional-regulation conversation.

YA & Death-Resort Romance: Northern Irish writer Kelly McCaughrain’s Just Another Dead Boy (Walker) blends euthanasia debate, class, and a Romeo-and-Juliet-style “death date” setup into a twisty enemies-to-lovers story. Author Spotlight: Niamh Campbell talks through the hard reset after motherhood, using her own “red lipstick” survival strategy as a lens on identity and writing. Comics on the Shelf: Marvel’s Black Cat #11 tees up Felicia Hardy vs. Frank Castle; DC confirms Firestorm can take on the whole Justice League solo in Fury of Firestorm. Publishing in the Real World: India’s NCERT reworks a Class VIII civics chapter after a judiciary-corruption controversy, with a revised version set for release later this month. Book Trade Pressure: Australia’s independent bookshops keep closing fast, raising alarms for local publishing and access. Community Reading: A free Bicester Methodist Church showcase offers books and jigsaws, plus local events and signings. Cultural Loss: Marjane Satrapi dies at 56, with Persepolis again underscoring how graphic memoirs can reshape history in print. Libraries & Learning: A new book, SocialsVoice, explores how social media clips affect Latino teens’ mental health—both harms and supportive voices.

Immigration & Education: Florida’s proposed rules would restrict immigrant students’ access to adult education and state colleges, with critics warning the policy is vague and could block many learners. Publishing & First Amendment: Southern LitFest kicked off with a panel on journalists-turned-authors, defending local journalism as a safeguard for community history. Rights in Print: NYC schools released a 32-page “Know Your Rights” comic for immigrant families, using real scenarios to prepare kids for possible ICE encounters. Translation & Cultural Exchange: Saudi Arabia and Malaysia’s translation groups signed an MoU at KLIBF 2026 to boost translation and publishing cooperation. Book Promotion: Attorney/author Kara Vaval is set to keynote at Miami’s Busy Woman White Summer Soirée, spotlighting her Amazon bestseller on reclaiming self-worth. Local Literacy Push: United Way of the Lakeshore and Michigan’s Adventure are teaming up for “Ducks for Dolly,” a rubber-duck fundraiser supporting early reading. Children’s Books: An Indiana teacher launched a picture book teaching problem-solving for ages 3–8, while Minnesota’s Emily Kilgore is set for a library event for her friendship-themed picture book.

Publishing Deal: Wiley is buying Emerald Publishing in a £337M all-cash deal, expanding Wiley’s research and social-sciences reach and boosting journal and book scale. Controversial Distribution: Penguin Random House India won’t distribute Joe Sacco’s “The Once and Future Riot” over legal red flags including an allegedly inaccurate India map and missing citations. AI & Writing: A novelist argues AI can’t replace the passion behind real writing as publishers and authors debate whether AI-produced books belong on shelves. Graphic Novels & Growth: Marjane Satrapi’s legacy and the fast-rising graphic novel market get renewed attention as publishers chase illustrated storytelling momentum. Local Book Resilience: Storytime Bookshop plans to reopen after a fire, backed by community donations and a new nonprofit “Book Buddy” program. New Releases (Fiction): Maggie O’Farrell’s “Land” and Karen Jennings’s “First of December” stand out in fresh literary coverage, alongside Dublin-set “Dooneen” tackling housing crisis fallout.

Trade War Playbook: A new book, How to Win a Trade War, argues the U.S. has moved into a post–free trade era focused on economic security, not efficiency, as geopolitical rivalry reshapes policy. Literacy in Action: Wooster’s “Reading Under the Lights” marks 10 years, handing students free books and building community read-aloud culture. Music History Spotlight: TSHA Press releases Texas Songbird: The Life and Songs of Cindy Walker, a biography aiming to restore the songwriter behind “You Don’t Know Me” to wider music history. Publishing & AI Debate: A Vatican centenary message from Pope Leo XIV spotlights reading as an antidote to ideological shortcuts, while other coverage flags growing pressure on publishing from AI platforms. Community Stories: A Wordsley Library reading group helps shape a short story for a 2026 anthology, showing how readers can directly influence print. Banned/Protected Reading Culture: Coverage also highlights ongoing fights over access and what communities can read, from local policy to broader cultural tensions.

Major Literary Loss: Marjane Satrapi, creator of the graphic memoir Persepolis, has died at 56; tributes highlight how her work turned Iran’s revolution into a global story of exile and resistance. New Fiction Spotlight: Hannah Murray’s The Make-Believe (Cornerstone) follows an actor’s slide into a wellness cult promising “magic,” mixing memoir, London life, and late-capitalist disillusionment. Publishing & Culture: A new Tank Museum book, Tank Command (with Hamish de Bretton-Gordon), traces how tanks shaped warfare from WWI to today, with personal crew stories. Book Industry Funding: Eswatini’s ESWACOS creative fund is live, offering grants up to E5,000 for music, film, and literature—welcomed by some, criticized by others over how far the money goes. Local Publishing Ecosystem: Pasadena’s Red Hen Press is seeking a GoFundMe amid funding cuts and financial strain, underscoring how nonprofit publishers are coping in a tougher economy. Author News: Maria Reva’s Endling won the Amazon Canada First Novel Award, adding momentum to a novel already recognized by major prizes.

Publishing & Labor: Dark Horse Comics says it will voluntarily recognize the Dark Horse Workers United union and enter good-faith bargaining, after employees formed the CWA-affiliated group. Pop Culture & Books: Apple TV’s “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” based on Rufi Thorpe’s novel, spotlights Fullerton and has already been greenlit for a second season. Book-to-Screen Buzz: AMC IMAX is giving away “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #1,” the Tom King comic that inspired the new Supergirl movie. Trade & Industry: Wiley is buying Emerald Publishing in a $452M deal, a major consolidation move for academic and professional publishing. Book Markets: NielsenIQ data finds translated fiction sales are up modestly, with translated titles still making up about one in every 50 bestsellers tracked. Author News: Marjane Satrapi, creator of “Persepolis,” has died at 56. Legal/Info & Memoir Fallout: John Bolton has agreed to plead guilty over classified information tied to his memoir “The Room Where It Happened.”

Bookshop Openings: York’s Topping & Company is set to open June 5, turning a long-vacant Museum Street site into a major independent range bookseller. Library & Community Sales: Cartersville’s Bartow County Library System runs a Used Book & Media Sale June 6, with a specialty/collectibles table and a final-hour bag deal. Local Reading Culture: South Minneapolis’ Wild Rumpus Books spotlights how a “kitty cat bookstore” model keeps families coming back for decades. Anime & Light Novel Publishing: Square Enix Manga & Books’ Always a Catch! anime adds Kana Hanazawa as Zaira, while Crunchyroll streams The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter OVA episode 13. Literary Awards: New Yorker poetry editor Kevin Young wins the Griffin Poetry Prize for “Night Watch.” Publishing Business Watch: SpaceX targets a near-$1.77tn IPO valuation, while Sunshine Silver Mining and Celcuity price major offerings—signals of continued capital appetite that can ripple into publishing deals.

Publishing & Adaptations: Little, Brown and Company says Jacob Tierney’s hockey-romance adaptation “Heated Rivalry” is getting a behind-the-scenes book, “I’ll Believe in Anything,” out Oct. 13, with a foreword by Rachel Reid. Trade & Rights: Coolabi Group and Tencent Video are developing the authorized animated “Warrior Cats” series (based on “The Prophecies Begin”), aiming for a 2028 debut across China and Southeast Asia. New Releases: Literary Lights 2026 will feature Naira Kuzmich’s posthumous debut “Fearcatcher,” with a June 14 virtual event. Book-to-Screen: Lindsey Anderson Beer’s debut novel “Hollow to Putnam” has been sold to a Penguin Random House imprint, with Sydney Sweeney attached for a feature film. AI Policy: The UK’s CMA says publishers can opt out of having their content used to power AI features in Google Search, including AI Overviews. Local Library Impact: Poplarville Public Library’s Friends group wrapped its annual spring used book sale, while other community library events and sales continue to drive new shelf purchases.

Film & Archives Funding: Venezuela’s National Book Center (CENAL) opened its 2026 grants call, adding a new Cinematographic Research track to mark 60 years of the National Cinemateca’s preservation work, with five grants for projects on Venezuelan audiovisual heritage. Publishing-to-Screen Buzz: Lindsey Anderson Beer’s debut novel Hollow is being adapted into a feature film with Sydney Sweeney attached; Putnam fast-tracked the book for a Fall 2027 release. AI in Writing Under Fire: A Sydney academic’s opinion column urging students not to “cut corners” was removed after it was found to be AI-written using Copilot, reigniting debate over academic integrity and disclosure. Education Tech Disruption: India’s CBSE says its re-evaluation portal was hit by a major cyberattack, including a denial-of-service surge and unauthorized access attempts, even as submissions continued. Book Awards & Jewish Lit: The Sami Rohr Prize 2026 shortlist was announced, with finalists spanning memoir and history, and a June 16 winner date. Local Book Culture: A Colorado author launched a children’s book tour supporting The Lost Board, a surfboard adventure tied to themes of letting go and connection.

Major Deal: Wiley is buying UK publisher Emerald Publishing for £337m, a fresh consolidation move in academic and professional publishing. Rights & Editing Debate: Lee Child calls “offensive-passages” edits from earlier books “slightly Orwellian,” arguing novels are historical artefacts that shouldn’t be rewritten for today. Publishing Careers: Fitzcarraldo Editions hires Jennifer Tighe as operations director, signaling internal scaling. New Work to Watch: Audible is backing Russell Tovey’s debut novel Starlings as an Audible Original, with Andrew Scott and George MacKay starring. Book Industry Support: Malaysia’s PENA launches phase three of its MADANI publishing project, opening submissions across genres with RM1m funding. Author-Reader Process: Hay Festival’s Nibbies Salon spotlights how authors and editors collaborate, with Saara El-Arifi and Natasha Bardon. Book-to-Stage/Screen Buzz: The Karate Kid – The Musical announces UK tour casting, with book by Robert Mark Kamen. Tech & Content: Inkitt expands into AI-native action/sci-fi microdrama streaming app Inkitt Ironblood.