AGP Executive Report

Publishing Partnerships: The Arab Book Award and the Arab Publishers Union signed a cooperation deal to boost Arabic-language publishing through joint events, seminars, and shared industry know-how. Book Retail Openings: Two Friends Community Books is reopening as a new pay-what-you-can shop on Springdale’s East Emma Avenue, adding a cozy reading nook for kids. Accessibility in Books: Bloomsbury will publish a dyslexia-friendly edition of Stephen Graham and Orly Klein’s Letters to Our Sons on the same day as the standard book, with larger, clearer text and reduced glare. Literary Awards: The Washington Center for the Book named winners of the 2026 Washington State Book Awards, including Alterations (memoir) and Sinkhole, and Other Inexplicable Voids (fiction). Copyright & Music: Songwriter Cyril Vetter’s team urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a landmark music termination ruling, arguing publishers are exaggerating the fallout. Community & Culture: Drag Story Hour El Paso continues expanding LGBTQ+ literary programming amid ongoing legal battles over public performance rules. Book Theft/Publishing Buzz: Earl Spencer’s Diana memoir Swan Song reportedly had thousands of copies stolen in the Netherlands ahead of serialization.

Publishing & Fairs: Qatar will spotlight its books at the Amman International Book Fair’s Silver Jubilee (Sept. 24–Oct. 3), with a cultural program that includes talks on AI’s impact on writing and publishing. Book Industry Deals: Macmillan Children’s Books acquired Candice Carty-Williams and Dapo Adeola’s picture book Family Is a Feeling, while HarperMagpie snapped up two new entries in Kristen Ciccarelli’s Crimson Moth series. Health & Reading Research: A Cambridge review says reading for pleasure can boost mental health and school performance and may lower dementia risk; it also urges letting kids choose what they enjoy. Local Book Culture: North Charleston’s “Book Club in the Park” is growing into a community hub beyond books. Books in the Spotlight: Reviews and media coverage highlight Emma Cline’s Switzy and Emily St. John Mandel’s Exit Party as major fall reads. Tech & AI in Hiring: USIQ released a 90-day plan to help employers show up accurately in AI search answers during job hunts. Space & Work Conditions: NASA engineers say repeated lab moves during the Roman telescope rollout hurt testing capability ahead of launch.

Publishing & Politics: A South Africa textbook procurement fight at the Department of Basic Education is under fresh scrutiny after investigators’ reports were released, with claims of wrongdoing disputed and the catalogue process itself targeted. Libraries & Reading Habits: A new study commissioned by publishers and authors argues that public library e-lending is nudging readers away from buying, reigniting the e-book debate. Book Industry & Events: Cambridge Public Library launches “CPL Reads,” a community-wide thriller pick with Shari Lapena set to appear Oct. 30. Author News: Dolly Parton reportedly secretly recorded a 15-track album as a literacy gift tied to Kim Michele Richardson’s novel. Tech & AI: Lina Khan says existing laws can rein in risky AI, while separate coverage highlights the need for “guardrails” against rogue AI agents. Local Book Culture: Touch a Book brings authors and readers together in Dalkeith, and a Lafayette school speaker series focuses on parent-student connection.

AI & Publishing Rights: Singaporean author Terence Ang won an NYC Big Book Award for an AI-narrated poetry audiobook, using a digital recreation of his own voice after aphasia. Legal Tech: Startup Legora is expanding into verified legal research to help firms avoid “bad law” and reduce AI output mistakes while challenging LexisNexis/Westlaw dominance. AI “Slop” Backlash: New reporting highlights how AI-generated books are flooding online marketplaces, raising concerns for human authors’ paychecks and originality. Music Industry Lawsuit: Warner Music and Sony sued Anthropic over alleged large-scale piracy used to train Claude. Book Trade Integrity: Korea’s best-seller charts face renewed scrutiny after an author was indicted for buying 1,631 copies of his own book, with bulk-buying tactics evolving. Community & Events: Mansfield’s ManAfest returns Sept. 19, while the Salish Sea prayer walk spotlights Indigenous-led action to stop oil tanker traffic. Rare Books: Fontana Books will publish Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s unfinished novel.

Abu Dhabi Book Fair: Under UAE President patronage, the 35th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair opened at ADNEC with a “Turn The Page, Read The World” theme, drawing 95 countries and spotlighting digital and audio publishing alongside major pavilion visits. Arabic-Russian Publishing Links: Sharjah Book Authority signed an MoU with a Moscow fairs organization to expand Arabic-Russian translation, rights exchanges, and year-round literary programming. Library Access in the UAE: Abu Dhabi libraries are shifting from “come to us” to “we go to you,” expanding e-books/audiobooks and public reading spaces as busy readers demand 24/7 access. Children’s Books & Community Fundraising: St. Marys’ Dolly Parton Imagination Library is pushing toward a $300,000 endowment to keep monthly book gifting going for about 300 local children. Book Events in the UK: Waterstones opened a Gruffalo Granny pop-up in London’s Piccadilly, with weekend activities and a sold-out signing for Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Publishing & Politics: West Bengal’s CPI(M) hit back at a chief minister’s Durga Puja bookstall criticism, defending a broader mix of titles including Indian figures.

Abu Dhabi Book Fair Opens: Under UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s patronage, the 35th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair kicked off at ADNEC (Sept. 13–18) with 1,500+ cultural events, Balkan Culture as Guest of Honour, and Cervantes’ Don Quixote as Book of the World. Censorship Fight in Libraries: A new push in Arkansas would make it a crime to make “harmful to minors” books available in public libraries and stores, continuing a long-running legal battle over state censorship. Reading Under Pressure: One opinion piece argues democracy can’t survive the death of reading, pointing to how fast, phone-driven information habits leave young people without a clear view. Book Culture Events: Lucknow’s Gomti Book Festival (Sept. 12–20) launches with 250+ stalls and author programming, while Sofia’s Book Alley lines up major Bulgarian writers for reader meetups. New Books & Literary Moments: A new Agatha Christie-themed stay at a Peak District manor leans into the current Christie screen revival, and a Venice win for Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love spotlights how publishing and storytelling keep crossing into film.

AI & IPO Watch: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tells Fortune it’s “ill-advised” to IPO now, citing safety work and saying he doesn’t expect a 2026 public listing. Prison Reading Rights: Dallas County faces a federal lawsuit over a jail policy that rejects mailed physical books, with a prisoner-rights publisher arguing it blocks access to its publications. Publishing & Community Events: Philadelphia’s Latin American Book Fair returns to the Kimmel Center with dozens of authors and family activities, while the Palm Springs Pride on the Page festival books Ty Herndon for Nov. 14. Books, Libraries & Kids: A Wilmington Memorial Library fairy-house workshop and other fall programming highlight how libraries are leaning into hands-on reading experiences. Literary Culture: A new BBC horror podcast, The Haunted Library, launches Sept. 21 with Katie Leung narrating Stevenson’s classic. Research Meets Manuscripts: DNA from sheep pox virus has been detected in medieval manuscripts, including the York Gospels, adding a surprising layer to book history.

Publishing & Community Events: The Golf Heritage Society brings its 55th convention to Binghamton (Sept. 14–17), with a free Sept. 16 trade show featuring golf memorabilia, books, and appraisals. Libraries & Reading Programs: Miles City Public Library wraps summer reading and tees up a winter program (Dec. 1–Feb.) plus kids’ brain education and a Sept. 29 costume swap. Book Festivals in Focus: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath backs the Gomti Book Festival in Lucknow, while Qatar joins the Costa Rica Reading Festival as guest of honor with a Qatari pavilion and Spanish-translated titles. New Releases & Rights: TOKYOPOP announces five manga licenses for 2027, including Can’t Buy My Love and A Fangirl’s Guide to Learning How to Date 3D Men. Author/Book Culture: A review spotlights Allen Levi’s Theo of Golden as a long-running bestseller; another piece highlights Henri Nouwen’s enduring readership decades after his death. Media Tie-Ins: Johnny Flynn discusses taking Lucius Malfoy in HBO’s Harry Potter series, and Gary Oldman backs Jack Lowden amid Bond casting chatter. AI & Books: A mainstream panic over “brain rot” and AI’s role in society shows up alongside renewed debate over AI in academia and publishing.

Craft Supply Access: Brooklyn Public Library launched a Craft Supply Library, letting cardholders rent tools and kits like Cricut machines, linocut sets, and button makers—aimed at lowering the cost barrier to trying new hobbies. AI & Publishing Economics: A new wave of frontier AI claims is challenging U.S. companies’ revenue assumptions, with open-weight models and lower compute costs putting pressure on the “premium API” business thesis. Children, Screens & Health: A physician-focused piece highlights links between early smartphone use and worse outcomes like depression, obesity, and sleep problems, urging families to manage device habits. School Book Removals: Florida reported nearly 600 books pulled from public schools in 2025–26, with Clay and Escambia counties driving most removals amid ongoing First Amendment concerns. New Books & Events: Stationery history gets a 304-page deep dive; a new crime novel spotlights a trans detective; and Julia Donaldson’s long-awaited third Gruffalo book, Gruffalo Granny, lands after two decades. 9/11 in Books & Memory: Multiple anniversary-related narratives and reflections continue to circulate, including accounts tied to Flight 93 and newsroom memories.

Independent Publishing: Ithaca’s Terrazzo Editions, a kitchen-table press focused on sustainable production, will debut “The Art Of Conjuring” on Sept. 22. Rights & Licensing: Intercontinental Literary Agency has acquired The Marsh Agency, expanding translation and English-language rights operations. AI Transparency in Research: Oxford University Press updates author guidelines after a survey found AI use is “measurably under-disclosed,” with many researchers unsure what to reveal. Children’s Books & Inclusion: A new Reflecting Disability report says only 10% of children’s books include disabled characters, often only in the background. Community Reading: Everett’s Strange Ways Bar and Stage adds a weekly poetry slam, building on the city’s long-running open-mic culture. Library Support: Ireland launches Lullaby Library, encouraging parents of premature babies to read aloud during hospital stays. Book Collecting: A UK Agatha Christie first edition “The Secret Adversary” bought for 37p could be worth up to £80,000 with the dust jacket. Local Author Events: Rakestraw Books’ Local Author-Palooza brings kids’ and adult writers together for readings, signings, and workshops.

AI & Research Ethics: OpenAI’s Navier-Stokes breakthrough and Anthropic researchers’ worries about superintelligence control are fueling a new debate over who “operates” AI tools and what gets shared—plus fresh scrutiny of how private research and attribution work in AI-assisted science. Publishing & Adaptations: Peacock has ordered a series based on Kennedy Ryan’s romance novel Before I Let Go, with Attica Locke and Tembi Locke writing and showrunning, and Ryan plus Malcolm D. Lee among the exec producers. Local Libraries & Community: Clackamas County’s Oak Lodge Library earned a spot in the American Library Association’s 2026 Library Design Showcase, spotlighting a $22.8M project that “stitches” the campus together. Books & Events: Daniel Mason’s new Vermont-set novel Country People lands on shelves with an author talk at Shelburne Town Hall, while St. Marys’ Dolly Parton Imagination Library pushes toward a $300,000 endowment to keep books flowing. 9/11 in Books & Memory: A full text of Osama bin Laden’s 2002 “Letter to America” is circulating again as communities mark the anniversary through readings, exhibits, and memorials.

Opioid Crisis & Memoir: Pacific Grove author Stephanie Wittels Wachs turns grief into guidance with Last Day; How to Stop Losing Loved Ones to the Opioid Crisis, built from her Last Day podcast and aimed at helping readers “highlight it and pass it along.” Literary Spotlight: Quebec debut novelist Thélyson Orélien’s C’était ça ou mourir makes the Prix Goncourt shortlist, a rare Quebec moment for a Haitian-born writer. Publishing & Access: A new report says self-published books now outnumber traditional titles as AI and TikTok reshape discovery. Book Retail & Film Crossover: Korea’s The Odyssey movie boom is spilling into bookstores, boosting adult classics and Greek-myth titles. Policy Watch (UK): The DWP’s PIP update signals “welcome” improvements while the Timms Review continues, with possible changes to assessments and reviews. Kids & School Costs: Nigeria’s new academic session brings higher textbook prices, with parents facing steep jumps in core subjects and related costs. Tech & Reading: A fresh push argues paper books still matter for deeper reading and better sleep, even as devices spread. Community Events: Amelia Island Book Festival brings Kristin Harmel to discuss Meet Me in Paris ahead of a Sept. 27 author talk.

AI & Research: OpenAI says an internal system proposed a solution to the Navier-Stokes “existence and smoothness” problem, while Anthropic reports separate advances in research math and proof generation—raising the stakes for AI that can produce candidate results humans must verify. Publishing & Books: Oratia Books releases He Kete Kiīwaha, a new guide to more than 180 Māori idioms by professor Hona Black, with graded difficulty and examples. Poetry Honors: The Poetry Foundation gives former U.S. poet laureate Robert Pinsky a $100,000 lifetime achievement award and names Nikki Grimes the next Young People’s Poet Laureate. Book Culture Events: Sint Maarten’s Third Reading Festival runs Sept. 25–26 with author visits, workshops, and literacy games for families and students. Local Book Life: The Butler Institute of American Art opens its 87th Area Artist Annual submissions for a juried show featuring regional artists. Media/Books Crossover: Keanu Reeves is set to star in Kill Current, adapted from Oliver Lowe’s upcoming novel, with publication planned for May 2027.

Book Launch & History: Lancaster’s Pocket Books Shop and LancasterHistory will host NYT bestselling author Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz for a free Sept. 10 event launching “The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker,” ahead of the 175th anniversary of the 1851 Christiana Resistance. Community Education: Liberia’s MCSS teachers are threatening a boycott over unresolved pay and employment grievances, raising concerns about disrupted instruction for thousands of students. Publishing & Crime: Canongate is commissioning a new true-crime series edited by Denise Mina. Picture Books: Farshore will publish two picture books by illustrator/designer Micaela Alcaino. AI & Reading Tools: Meta unveiled Muse, a personal AI agent that can read email, plan travel, fill forms, negotiate, and pay—positioned as an ad-free assistant. Digital Access: A St. Paul man is loading obsolete Kindle-style e-readers with public-domain and open-licensed classics for Little Free Libraries as Amazon ends support for older devices. Controversy in Genre: A look at how dark romance is surging via social media while critics debate whether it romanticizes violence and coercion.

International Publishing: Taleb Alrefai’s novel “Shadow of the Sun” is now available in Greek, marking the first Gulf novel translated into the language, with Irini Publications highlighting decades of cross-cultural literary translation. Book-to-Screen Buzz: Lauren Asher’s romance “Throttled” is headed for a feature film, with “Off Campus” star Josh Heuston set to lead. Local Library Life: Atchison County Library branches are rolling out a busy September calendar, including book clubs, Battle of the Books practice, storytimes, and “renew-and-get-popcorn” promos. Community Reading Events: Nelson’s Elephant Mountain Lit Fest is teaming up with the Nelson Public Library for a free writers’ panel and multi-author reading on Sept. 25, with books available for purchase afterward. Children’s Books & Literacy: A new holiday picture book series installment, “The Fly Who Flew to the North Pole,” launches in November, tied to a program that helps students build home libraries. Publishing Industry Watch: Microsoft’s latest legal claims around AI training and books continue to fuel debate over what counts as fair use.

Budget & Poverty: Ireland’s Children’s Rights Alliance chief Tanya Ward urges Budget 2027 to tackle child poverty fast, citing ESRI data showing 1 in 10 children deprived and 200,000 living below the poverty line, and calls for targeted boosts like higher child payments and help with childcare and energy costs. Publishing & Culture: A new interview with German writer Mithu Sanyal digs into how novels, journalism, and scholarship intersect in debates on race, gender, identity, and “shitstorms.” New Books: Mr. Kind’s picture book “Tina’s Trumpet” follows a lonely girl and the stray dog who becomes her family, while Ann Patchett’s “Whistler” gets a spotlight review for its museum-set reunion plot. Middle-Grade Deal: Simon & Schuster lands Danielle Jawando’s middle-grade fantasy debut in a six-figure overnight pre-empt. Kids Reading Picks: Children’s Books Ireland shares its “Best Irish Books of 2026” guide highlights for ages 0–12. Libraries & Literacy: Ghana Publishers Association marks International Literacy Day 2026 with a push for literacy as a right and a driver of opportunity. Education Pressure: A PISA 2025 report reports steep global drops in reading and math, adding urgency to reading-focused efforts.