AGP Executive Report

Children’s Publishing & Events: Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler marked the latest Gruffalo installment with reflections on a 20+ year partnership, while libraries and festivals keep pushing family reading—Shreve Memorial Library’s Family Literacy Nights and Milwaukee Public Library’s author event for young readers. New Books & Author News: Gillian Anderson’s More leans into anonymous women’s desire via letters, and Rachel J. Lithgow hosts a signing for her memoir My Year of Really Bad Dates. Publishing Industry & Access: Canada’s publishers are debating what makes a “classic,” with McClelland & Stewart and HarperCollins Canada launching classic lines, and a new report flags how self-published books are reshaping the market as AI and TikTok change discovery. Reviews & Culture: The week’s entertainment coverage includes Marvel’s Wolverine game reviews and a look at the documentary Untold Mr T: I Pity The Fool.

AI & Publishing/Media: Meta launched “Muse,” an AI assistant that can send emails and book trips, pushing shares up as the company pivots from AI tools to consumer revenue. AI & Reading/Books: A new report says self-published books now outnumber traditional titles as AI and TikTok reshape discovery and publishing economics. Tech, Copyright & Translation: An AI tool reportedly produced a near-instant Chinese translation of Haruki Murakami, reigniting debates about speed, quality, and rights. Literacy & Access: Book Aid International is shipping 18,000 new books to Sudan to support students and libraries hit hard since 2023. Community Book Culture: The Bowes Museum is starting a curator-led book club that links literature with art and design, with museum access built in. New Fiction Releases: Physician S.A. Lonky’s debut medical thriller imagines AI-run healthcare; ten-year-old Makiz Orokzai debuts a children’s friendship novel. Publishing Business/Legal: Amazon is asking a court to deny an e-book antitrust class certification. Books & Society: A new analysis of the FIBRES trial adds support for fibryga® over cryoprecipitate in cardiac surgery bleeding—another reminder that “books” now include peer-reviewed medical writing.

War & Memory in Books: Author Matthew Walthert spotlights the largely forgotten hockey star-turned-soldier Scotty Davidson, tying his life to the names carved on the Canadian Vimy Memorial. Local Publishing & Events: Wagonbridge Publishing promotes Terri Karsten’s cozy colonial mystery “A Player’s Exit,” with a Sept. 12 author event, while Texas Center for the Book’s free #TXBookChat webinar (Sept. 23) features C.S. Jennings’ “My Big Book of Texas.” Books vs. School Censorship: The E-town Rejects Book Club’s “Speak” returns to the spotlight after a Warwick school board rejected Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel over concerns about age-appropriateness. Reading as Public Service: Kentucky’s All in for Ag Education Week will send “Farm Adventures with Willie B.” to 700+ elementary schools, and Give A Child A Book campaigns keep pushing free books into classrooms. AI, Publishing, and Health Tech: Magic EdTech touts ezSuite™ for AI-native publishing workflows, while ARPA-H plans $62.7M for FDA-authorized AI agents to help treat heart failure. Education Outcomes: Scotland’s Pisa results land as a grim publishing-adjacent story about literacy and schooling performance.

School Funding Fight: Arizona’s Prop. 320 could force districts to rethink budgets by redefining what counts as “direct instructional expenses,” with Litchfield already above the 60% instruction threshold. Cultural Policy & Film: Vietnam is weighing VAT refunds for foreign film crews and other incentives for cultural industries, plus added support for publishing. AI on the Consumer Desk: Minisforum and rivals are previewing 192GB “AI mini PCs” that promise huge local model runs, with pricing still murky but eye-catching. Publishing & Reading Life: A new guide for writers, The Journey of a Storyteller, targets the gap between finishing a manuscript and getting published; meanwhile, local literacy pushes keep spotlighting book access. Energy & Electricity Costs: Europe’s electricity prices are spiking again, driven by gas-market dynamics rather than supply shortages. Health & Evidence: A review finds limited, very low-certainty support for hospital-to-outpatient follow-up interventions for alcohol use disorder. Book Culture: September release roundups highlight major fantasy and literary returns, including Leigh Bardugo and R.F. Kuang.

Film & Books Crossover: “Practical Magic 2” returns Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman to Alice Hoffman’s witchy world, but critics say the sequel leans on familiar beats and an overlong, predictable third act. AI in Publishing & Research: A UCLA-led review finds AI tools may flag subtle breast-cancer patterns on mammograms, yet clinical benefit remains uncertain; meanwhile, France’s paper-mill crackdown highlights how AI-generated writing is stressing scientific trust. Editorial Process: A new take argues AI detection should be only one step in a broader content review, not the final judge. Literacy on the Ground: Marion Public Library’s first “Big Read” ships 3,000+ books for a community push around McCullough’s “1776,” while schools and libraries promote daily reading routines and shared book experiences. Publishing Industry Moves: Scholastic UK wins a four-way auction for Dave Rudden’s LitRPG series “Dungeon Defender.” Citizenship & Language: Irish groups warn proposed citizenship language tests could create “permanent exclusion,” sparking fresh debate over access and rights.

Publishing & Books in the spotlight: Penguin’s new 700-page commission on the British novel spotlights how fiction became a national story, from Defoe onward. Children’s books: An Idaho Falls mom turns her family’s eczema routines into “Sticky Pajamas,” aiming to reflect everyday struggles kids rarely see in print. International literature: Taiwan’s culture minister touts the global reach of translated Taiwanese fiction after “Taiwan Travelogue” won the International Booker. Book culture & events: Sedbergh in England’s Book Town circuit leans into independent shops and community swaps, while Dublin’s Book Festival marks its 20th anniversary. Publishing industry & AI: A new prize honors late thriller writer Andrew Pyper, and separate coverage keeps circling the pushback against AI “slop” and the changing rules for journalism discovery. Food & consumer safety (publishing-adjacent explainer): Reuters breaks down India’s food-safety crackdown and warning-label push.

Publishing & Reading Culture: A new essay argues the “end of reading” is already here, pointing to a widening gap between casual readers and the small group whose reading drives most book consumption. Math Textbooks: Dr. C Bryan Dawson’s follow-up calculus title, “Multivariable Calculus Set Free: Infinitesimals Ride Again,” aims to bring the third course in line with the “infinitesimals” approach from his earlier “Calculus Set Free.” Children’s Books & Literacy: Martin Horn Helps takes over as the local affiliate for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Charlottesville, restoring a free book-a-month program; in St. Maarten, Angelique J.G. Romou launches “Saint Martin, I Love You Just the Way You Are” for International Literacy Day. Book Safety: Ireland recalls a Groovy Baby “I Spy a Fly” board book over detachable fly wings posing a choking risk. AI, Faith & Meaning: A founder of a cross-faith AI spiritual platform says people increasingly use chat tools for guilt, grief, and identity—raising questions for traditional religious institutions. Streaming Adaptations: Amazon Prime Video confirms Stephen King’s “Crouch End” will become a six-part UK limited series.

Publishing & Politics: President Barzani’s new Kurdish volume, Kurdistan and the New Iraq 2003-2016, is set for release, promising a detailed account of 13 years of political change across Kurdistan and Iraq. Public Sector Reform: Nigeria’s public-sector overhaul is framed as the make-or-break driver of sustained growth, with Prof. Franca Ovadje arguing reforms must outlast leaders. Food & Books: Jay Rayner’s latest cookbook, Nights Out in the Kitchen, lands with a Belfast tour and a Northern Ireland food spotlight. Reading Culture Abroad: South Korea’s “K-Book Week” opens in Paris to promote Korean titles and rights deals, marking 140 years of ties with France. Tech & Translation: A student-built AI tool enables a fast, unlicensed Chinese translation of Haruki Murakami’s The Tale of KAHO, sparking debate in China’s literary circles. Libraries & Access: Piedmont Regional Library System launches Comics Plus, offering unlimited, simultaneous reading for cardholders. Digital Identity: Bangladesh publishes budget and rollout details for its One-ID digital identity platform, including chip-card issuance. AI in Publishing/Commerce: “AI slop” storefront food images are confusing customers and eroding trust, as small businesses adopt cheap image generators. Book Fairs: Baghdad’s International Book Fair reports record participation from 28 countries. Workplace Engagement: A new essay argues many organizations “measure” engagement while quietly destroying it through conflicting directives and needless safety processes.

Publishing & Tech: Google Vids adds “Docs to Video,” turning PDFs/Word/Docs into AI video summaries with bullet-point scripts and voiceover, plus editable narration and visuals. Books & Community: Odisha’s MEMU “Gift A Book” campaign put 200 books into commuters’ hands, pairing reading with author and scholar talks. Literary Events: Sunbury’s Books & Booze Fair drew local authors and vendors to Iron Vines Winery. Author Spotlight: Western Australian novelist Holden Sheppard discusses how his “Yeah the Boys” follows characters from “Invisible Boys,” with TV rights sold and a U.S. screen adaptation in the works. Culture & Language: Konkani weekly Raknno held Raknno Award 2026 in Mangaluru, pushing everyday use of the language. Media & Reading Habits: A Stephen King roundup highlights his wide TV tastes, while another piece notes his early push for a Shudder horror release. Consumer Fraud: BBB Scam Tracker says Palestine, Texas tied for 97th in July with three scam reports, including a recurring-payment Bible study book charge.

Nature & Legacy: Y Lolfa is releasing Flowers of the West Wales Coast, a posthumous hardback by late conservationist Mike Alexander, built around 200 photographs and meant as a celebration (not a field guide). Pilgrimage Publishing: Stacey Wittig’s Camino guide earns Amazon Top New Release status, spotlighting overlooked sacred sites along the 500-mile Francés route. Digital Classics: Lanzhou’s exhibition turns the Qing-era Siku Quanshu into digestible visuals, digitizing a near-800-million-character encyclopedia once locked away. Publishing & Controversy: Simon & Schuster publishes Jason Arday’s memoir Great and Unfortunate Things in line with his family’s wishes after intense media scrutiny around his life and career. Children’s Books & Social Issues: Duckbill’s BLUE uses story and illustration to make caste visible to children without turning it into a lecture. Crime/TV Adaptations: Netflix is in talks to adapt Richard Osman’s We Solve Murders as a series, with a sequel We Chase Shadows due Sept. 15. AI & Authorship: Authors push back against “AI slop” at an indie book fair framed as anti-generative AI, arguing readers want human connection.

AI & Copyright: The Trump DOJ urged withdrawal of its “fair use” stance in the OpenAI copyright fight, arguing Big Tech shouldn’t get unlimited scraping rights. AI for Teens: OpenAI launched ChatGPT for Teens with stronger safety defaults and study-focused tools. Publishing & Platforms: BookWalker marked 10 years with Kodansha via a Sept. 4–14 global manga promo. Books & Readers: Goodreads editors shared September picks, including Meg Mason’s Sophie, Standing There. Backlist Returns: Octavia Butler’s Survivor goes back into print after nearly 50 years, despite her objections. Book Culture & Events: A Cherokee youth book-signing tour spotlights Riding the Trail ahead of the Oct. 1 Remember the Removal ride. Tech & Security: CrowdStrike Falcon faced a newly published Windows privilege-escalation exploit, prompting mitigations. Controversy in Branding: Adidas drew boycott calls after featuring an Israeli amputee veteran in a single-shoe campaign.

Obituary: Wendell Berry, the Kentucky agrarian writer who warned against industrial excess and championed place-based life, has died at 92. Publishing & Culture: Resil B. Mojares, National Artist for Literature and a key voice in Filipino literary history, died at 83. Books & Society: A new study argues microplastics can act as “pollutant shuttles,” moving toxins and antibiotic resistance through ecosystems. Reading Access: Trinidad and Tobago’s education minister defended late distribution of school supplies and book grants, saying verification delays left many families waiting. Human Rights Literacy: A talk on the UN Universal Periodic Review aims to explain how countries judge each other’s rights records. Literary Spotlight: Harvard University Press publishes Anna Arno’s biography of Paul Celan, tracing the poet’s multilingual life and wartime losses. AI & Books: Reports say AI firms are destructively scanning used books to train systems, raising ethical and legal alarms. Kids & Libraries: Australia’s school-library and reading-for-pleasure groups push for mandatory, properly funded libraries as Book Week costume culture worries educators.

Publishing & Markets: A new Indiana law expands what homesteaders and small farms can sell directly to consumers, turning “gift only” goods into real retail for growers like Black Sheep Farms. Book Culture & Events: The Louisiana Book Festival announced its 2026 WordShops faculty, while the Delaware Valley readies more festivals and the Latin American Book Fair returns to Philly. Author Spotlight: Wendell Berry dies at 92, with tributes highlighting his refusal to fit “liberal” or “conservative” labels and his critique of corporate power. Rights, Censorship & Access: Reports from schools and libraries point to ongoing friction over what students can read, even as community programs push books into hands. Media Adaptations: HBO’s Harry Potter season 2 reportedly faces production delays, and Crave’s Heated Rivalry season 2 adds Paul Gross to the cast. International Literature Funding: The Dutch Foundation for Literature backs Caribbean projects, including translation and tours for a children’s novel across the Dutch Kingdom. AI & Publishing: A new push to use AI in education and publishing raises fresh questions about what tools can truly replace.

Hospice Basics: A nurse answers readers’ “Toni Says” question with a plain-language guide to what hospice is and what families can expect when end-of-life care shifts. Publishing Law vs. Censorship: The Sonia Gandhi memoir Belonging is shelved in India after Penguin Random House India’s legal review, sparking debate over where risk-checking ends and censorship begins. AI and Education Policy: LAUSD blocks generative AI on district devices while drafting rules, raising the question of how students learn to evaluate AI if they can’t use it at school. Climate Media Clash: Australia’s Climate Change Authority report on “misinformation” reportedly triggers a sharp reaction from News Corp, fueling another culture-war fight over climate messaging. Books & Community: A new teacher library program opens applications, while local book events and festivals keep pushing reading for all ages. Global Publishing Outlook: A report forecasts India’s book market could hit ₹2 lakh crore by 2030–31, citing education growth, language publishing, and digital adoption. Literary Spotlight: Geetanjali Shree discusses Tomb of Sand and the expectations placed on women writers, extending the conversation on language, borders, and identity.

Security Publishing: Omar Rao’s new book The Quiet Door argues breaches often start with ordinary, documented missteps—like reused passwords, propped access, and ignored alerts—rather than flashy exploits. Media & Books/Publishing Culture: New Zealand’s Seven Sharp faces sponsor pressure as Media Insider reports crunch time for the show and its path to RNZ chief executive leadership. Reading as a Craft: Clara Sneed pushes back on AI’s role in writing, saying strong writers are built by strong readers. Children’s Shelf: Disney-published Lowrider for Sale brings a Texas debut story to young readers, while Lax Cat introduces lacrosse to ages 3–8. Literary Spotlight: Ann Patchett’s Whistler returns to themes of loss and art, with reviewers asking whether the novel sets grief against creativity. Publishing Industry & Labor: A commentary on peer review challenges the idea that “unbiased” evaluation must be unpaid, citing faster decisions when reviewers are paid. Film-to-Book Buzz: By Any Means and Marble Hall Murders keep the cross-media spotlight on storytelling and adaptation.

Climate Overshoot: A new UN report says the world will likely pass the 1.5°C warming target by 2030, with a pathway of “overshoot, peak and decline” hinging on steep emissions cuts and carbon removal. Public Health: US medical groups (including the AMA and AAP) issued updated guidance urging flu, COVID and RSV vaccinations, aiming to reduce confusion as federal advice shifts. AI & Books: Tech firms are buying large quantities of second-hand Dutch books to train AI, with critics alarmed by reports of spines being cut and pages scanned. Publishing & Culture: USA TODAY bestselling author J.J. Hebert’s The Breaking of Time won Gold at the 2026 Readers’ Favorite awards; meanwhile, The Paper returns for Season 2 with early reviews calling it faster and funnier. Local Policy: Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer signed broad data privacy bills, lowering coverage thresholds and expanding opt-outs for automated decisions. Tech Consumer Watch: iPhone Ultra foldable pricing rumors put it around $2,000–$2,500.