AGP Executive Report

Vermont Youth Book Awards: 17,437 students voted across 2024 titles, with Whalesong (Zachariah Ohora) winning the Red Clover Award (K–4), Impossible Creatures (Katherine Rundell) taking the Golden Dome (4–8), and Not Like Other Girls (Meredith Adamo) earning the Green Mountain Award (high school). Face-blindness memoir: Science writer Sadie Dingfelder’s Do I Know You? explores prosopagnosia alongside aphantasia and autobiographical memory gaps—arguing writing is her way to “make sense” of a different inner experience. Pride reading spotlight: A curated queer/trans art-and-photo list for Pride highlights books on Vaginal Davis and LGBTQ+ nightlife archives, tying publishing to political urgency. Children’s publishing pipeline: New Zealand’s 2026 Book Awards shortlist (30 finalists from 159 entries) spotlights emerging voices and themes of identity, empathy, and grief across te reo Māori and English categories. Author expansion beyond the stage: Jazz saxophonist Jackiem Joyner is pushing into books, education, and a 2026 national tour, building on his sci-fi and mystery titles. World Cup scam warning: A guide flags FIFA 2026 ticket fraud, citing thousands of phishing domains and a “Ghost Stadium” clone operation. Local access to books: Jonesboro Public Library launches “Library To Go,” delivering up to four books twice monthly for homebound residents. New book release: The Prehistoric Brain in the Modern World promises practical ways to get unstuck by working with “survival wiring” rather than willpower.

Publishing Deals: Simon & Schuster UK is extending RL Killmore’s Cinnamon Falls series with two more novels, while Baskerville has snapped up Andrew Cotter’s debut crime thriller The Owl Carver in a two-book deal. New Books & Launches: Dorianne Ashe’s Origins fantasy The Children of Triune debuts in a world where no child has been born for centuries, and Liz Fraser launches imprint Vignette Editions with a short-story/memoir collection by Stephen Makin. Reading Culture & Literacy: The Booker Prize Foundation rolls out a new Quick Reads short-story collection, All Around the World, aiming to tackle the adult reading crisis and representation gaps. Social Media & Anxiety: A new piece digs into how BookTok/Instagram can turn reading from pleasure into pressure, shaping what people feel “allowed” to enjoy. Book World in Court: Seven Georgian nationals go on trial in Paris over thefts of rare Russian classics from French libraries, including Pushkin. Community & Education: A UK driving test overhaul targets no-shows and booking abuse, and London educator Wahida Mohamed is launching a storytelling-based education framework and upcoming book. Housing as a Bookish Issue: Leilani Farha’s Massey Lectures argue housing has been treated like an asset class—an idea that lands hard for anyone who reads about rights.

Publishing & Sales Buzz: “Lead with Empathy,” co-authored by Chris Voss and a rotating roster of professionals, keeps climbing after its June 4 launch, hitting Amazon best-seller status and even #1 in Direct Marketing across business and leadership categories. New Wellness Title: Luisa Ocampo’s debut “Relatos Físicos” (memory, emotion, healing through the body) heads to a U.S. debut in Miami this September after FILBo in Bogotá. Crime Writing Spotlight: Louise Penny, Ray Critch, and Iona Whishaw are among the winners of the 2026 Crime Writers of Canada Awards, with Penny taking best crime novel for “The Black Wolf.” Book Culture Controversy: The BookTok “Hot Girls Read” trademark fight escalates as the founder faces backlash for trying to monetize a community slogan. History & Books: Karen Tei Yamashita revisits WWII Japanese American incarceration in “Questions 27 & 28,” drawing fresh material from the JERS archive. Publishing Business: Rare Bird Books sets July 14 for Michael Levine’s “Authentic PR,” with an audiobook deal from Blackstone.

Publishing & Community: Lone Star Lit’s June issue is out, with features on storytelling, authenticity, and Pride Month reading picks, plus a “Summer Reads 2026” program launching next week. New Books & Deals: Pellerin Books acquired Fiona Barton’s psychological thriller and Lizzy Dent’s F1 sports romance series; Viking snapped up Nick Hornby’s “Cash Out” for Jan. 2027. Literary Events: Nigeria’s “The Imperative of State Police” is set for public presentation as insecurity spreads; Abuja also hosts a book launch on Nigeria’s sports development. Reviews & Culture: Andrew Sean Greer’s “Villa Coco” gets a sunny Tuscan review; Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s “A British Childhood” review asks whether we’re raising a “bookless generation.” AI & Society: “AI Japan” argues Japan could become the first “AI-ready” society by redesigning work and dignity. Education Tech: India’s CBSE says the verification/re-evaluation portal stayed fully functional, with 1.6 lakh candidates submitting requests. Immigration & IDs: South Africa moves to stop recognizing the “green ID” amid fraud concerns and ramps up digital ID plans.

Clean Energy Pivot: West Virginia energy reporter Ken Silverstein argues the UAE’s Masdar playbook shows how fossil-fuel regions can fund and build a credible green future. YA to Stage: Landless Theatre Company brings Michelle Knudsen’s “Evil Librarian” to a Bethesda run (June 11–21), with author meet-and-greet and talkback. Audiobooks as Reading: A push during Audiobook Awareness Month highlights how listeners use drives, chores, and libraries’ digital apps to keep up with books. Book-to-Book Deals: Amazon’s Prime members get three months of Audible free, turning summer downtime into a low-cost reading experiment. Literary Events & Community: A 10th annual Readers, Writers & Runners 5K backs the Phillips Public Library, while local book signings and festivals keep feeding the author-to-reader pipeline. New Fiction Releases: Leah Vasquez’s sequel “His Girl” lands in 1948 Northwest Territories, and Lisa See’s “Daughters of the Son and Moon” continues her Civil War-era, multi-voice sweep. Publishing Culture: A debate over “the death of the male novelist” points to shaky stats and one study driving outsized claims. Global Books & Translation: Taiwan’s Li Ang opens Poland’s Authors’ Reading Month with supernatural folklore, and Bulgarian writers spotlight how translation “grows up” a book.

Church Power Struggle: Cardinal Robert McElroy’s Washington archdiocese removed an exorcist over claims linking UFOs to demonic presence, reigniting debate over doctrine and who gets to speak for it. Heritage on Stage: Sarawak’s Tun Openg legacy gets a theatrical spotlight in “Sebuah Montaj Sejarah,” using narration and drama to preserve regional history. AI & Business Books: Satish Viswanathan’s “The Weight of Intelligence” argues AI progress now stacks in reinforcing waves, not isolated breakthroughs. Historical Fiction Spotlight: Marianne Sulser’s “Like Snow Before Sun” draws on Acadian expulsion and Mi’kmaq-French ancestry to frame “impossible choices” in 1750s Nova Scotia. Representation Search: A children’s author is hunting two lesbian grandmothers who inspired “The Proudest Bird in the World,” after a Blackpool Pride encounter left their identities unknown. Publishing Industry Pressure: Australia’s independent bookshops keep closing fast, with rising costs and online competition squeezing long-running stores. Big Author Event: Kristin Hannah’s Michigan appearance is set for a massive crowd at Kent District Library after ticket demand exploded. Caribbean Lit Round-Up: Bocas Lit Fest’s monthly bulletin highlights new Caribbean releases, from macabre hotel tales to diaspora and WWII histories.

Courthouse Crash: A Spectrum worker, Pierre Purys, was charged after allegedly ramming a Henry County courthouse security gate and driving off early Saturday, sparking interference-with-government-property and hit-and-run allegations. Targeted Violence: Prosper, Texas police arrested Mariha Marie Bullock, 20, after a string of early-morning shootings at a home, with investigators saying more suspects may be involved. Memoir & Faith: Cesar Torres released Mom, Dad, I’m Gay: A Father’s Journey, aiming to help parents and faith communities navigate coming-out conversations with love and acceptance. Spiritual Reading: Chuck Queen’s The Way of the Living Jesus reframes the Gospel of Thomas for modern seekers, while Mary Anne Bedington’s UNSEEN offers a faith-centered guide to rejecting limiting labels. Literary Events Abroad: Bulgaria’s Joanna Elmi and Elena Aleksieva brought Romanian-translated novels to Bucharest’s Bookfest, spotlighting “illusion of freedom” themes. Author Loss: Iranian-French graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi, creator of Persepolis, died at 56. Reading Culture: A CNN report highlights Silent Book Club-style meetups as a growing antidote to screen fatigue.

Literary Spotlight: Ann Patchett brought big-name book talk to her Nashville store, Parnassus Books, highlighting peers like Elizabeth Strout and keeping the author-bookseller conversation front and center. Faith & Dialogue: The University of Scranton hosted Rabbi Abraham Skorka, a longtime collaborator of Pope Francis, discussing their friendship and co-authored work. New Releases & Reviews: Maggie O’Farrell’s Land lands as a sweeping, history-and-family-driven novel of Ireland’s hidden fault lines, while Caitríona Lally’s memoir Home Economics digs into the real work behind writing. Publishing Decisions: Penguin Random House India won’t distribute Joe Sacco’s graphic nonfiction on the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, citing legal and content concerns. Reading Culture: York St John’s “Big Summer Read” crowned joint winners Hex House and Featherfall after a record vote. Tech Meets Books: Meta’s AI glasses debut with hands-free demos, pushing AI further into everyday reading-and-life routines. Health Memoir: Periodic Bitch reframes PMDD as lived experience, stigma, and survival.

New Releases & Author News: Lisa See is set to discuss “Daughters of the Sun and Moon” on June 15 in Lewes, drawing on post–Civil War Los Angeles and the survival of three Chinese women. Publishing & Genre Buzz: Romance is getting a spotlight in “Check This Out,” featuring dark dystopian romance “Daggermouth” (Book 1 of “The Heart Duology”), plus a segment on why romance still drives modern publishing. Book Reviews: “Home of the American Circus” by Allison Larkin leans on small-town character work, using circus history as metaphor for reinvention and hidden pain. Poetry & Awards: Kevin Young won the 2026 Griffin Poetry Prize for “Night Watch,” exploring loss and renewal. Global Literary Culture: Bulgarian children’s writer Petya Kokudeva brought “Lupo and Tumba” to the Bucharest Book Fair, with Bulgaria as guest of honour. Book-to-Screen: “It’s Dorothy” (streaming June 12) revisits the cultural afterlife of Dorothy Gale across decades of adaptations.

Publishing Deals: Simon & Schuster Children’s Books acquired Charlotte Moore’s Sherlock Holmes-inspired boarding-school mystery series, The Murderous Chronicles of Fenella Banks. Literary Rights: Verso pre-empted Juliet Mitchell’s “radical reappraisal” of Louise Bourgeois, adding fresh psychoanalytic context to the artist’s legacy. New Fiction & Reviews: Ann Patchett’s Whistler gets a mixed take, while Lisa Owens’ Natural Disaster earns praise for sharp, comic early-parenthood realism; Wendy Holden’s The Queen’s Painter and Emily Howes’ Mrs Dickens spotlight Tudor and Dickens-era women. Book Industry News: A new prize launched in honour of Sareeta Domingo backs under-represented writers. Author News: Marjane Satrapi, creator of Persepolis, died at 56. Reading Culture: Fiona Mozley returns to York for Awake Awake, and a phone-free Phoebe Bridgers arena show shows how fandom is adapting to new rules.

Publishing & Community: Strange Light Coffee and Books marked its first year in Morgantown, growing on word-of-mouth and giving local artists a home. Books & Culture: Ellena Savage’s The Ruiners review spotlights a playful, subversive take on Great Expectations themes. Author News: Marjane Satrapi, creator of Persepolis, died at 56; reports say “sadness” after her husband’s death. Literary Events: Mullingar Literary Festival returns July 3–5 with talks, workshops, poetry, music and kids’ events. Book Market Watch: Kolkata’s College Street hawker eviction rumors were denied by the KMC commissioner—no eviction plan or notices. Industry & Safety: A wildfire threatening Mattagami First Nation in northern Ontario has tripled in size, with evacuations and road closures underway. Pop Culture-to-Page: Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters is expanding into book releases after major awards and streaming success. Rights & Trust: A warning on impersonation scams targets literary agents as AI accelerates publishing fraud.

South Asia in the Spotlight: Sadanand Dhume, an Indian American journalist and author, is joining the Council on Foreign Relations as a senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia, focusing on the region’s political economy and foreign policy. Summer Reading, Curated: The Week Junior Book Awards released its 2026 shortlist (73 titles across 12 categories), while Maggie O’Farrell’s Land is singled out as a summer must-read. Kids’ Learning Through Books: Michigan students created movie trailers after reading Phases of the Moon, turning comprehension into a creative showcase. Publishing Meets Community: Tomi Adeyemi headlines Indianapolis Public Library’s 9th Annual Book Fest and Juneteenth celebration, and Bolton Library’s Festival of Libraries brings comics, workshops, and performances. Book-to-Screen Buzz: Netflix’s adaptation of Sue Nyathi’s The Polygamist is framed as proof that African stories are ready for global screens. Policy & Oversight: Kenya’s gambling regulator plans to end operator self-reporting by tracking transactions in real time.

Film/TV-to-page Buzz: Anna Kendrick is set to direct the film adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s LGBTQ bestseller The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, keeping the book’s queer romance at the center. Publishing & Awards: American writer Julia Elliott won the 2026 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction for Hellions, a genre-bending collection mixing folklore, Southern Gothic, horror, and the surreal; meanwhile, emerging Canadian writers Renato Gandia, Julia Cottrelle, and Graham Slaughter took RBC Bronwen Wallace Awards. Community Bookselling: Paragraphs and Pages, a new independent bookstore in Liberty Lake, opens June 20 with book clubs and author events; Holt Bookshop in the UK also landed a £150,000 Penguin Random House grant for a free children’s reading program. Controversy/Books & Society: A Bavarian hotel removed from Booking.com after telling an Israeli family “No Jews allowed,” and an investigation is underway. Fantasy Fandom Fallout: George R.R. Martin faces renewed calls to abandon The Winds of Winter as the long wait stretches on. Local/Events: St. Cloud’s Storybook Adventures and Flag Day museum passport events kick off this weekend.

AI & Finance Governance: A new pre-order book, Know Your Agent, argues AI agents are becoming the “unmanaged relationship” in financial services, citing a case where an employee routed daily work through an unauthorized public AI tool and warning that KYC/KYB/AML and model-risk frameworks weren’t built for this. Publishing & Culture: Anna Kendrick is set to direct the film adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s LGBTQ hit The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, a BookTok-fueled bestseller with over a million copies sold. Book World Watch: A Malayalam plagiarism dispute flared over plot similarities between K. R. Meera’s Kalachi and Haritha Savithri’s Zin, with Meera responding on social media. Education & Content Standards: University of Nebraska at Kearney will drop a human sexuality textbook after complaints it included “graphic images,” and will add clearer course-content notice. Local Books & Livelihoods: Kolkata’s College Street booksellers fear eviction tied to rumors of a crackdown, even as authorities deny formal orders. Travel/Reading Lifestyle: Bali tightens rules for influencers and digital nomads on tourist visas, treating many sponsored-content activities as illegal work.

Festival Access: Milford Readers and Writers Festival cut prices to broaden attendance, dropping Main Stage/Author Reception passes from $175 to $125 and individual tickets from $35 to $20. Publishing & Power: Malaysian National Writers’ Association launched Phase Three of the PENA-Malaysia MADANI book project with RM1 million for writers across genres. Book-to-Conversation: Meta whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams sat in silence at Hay Festival after an arbitration ruling barred her from promoting her book. Literary Spotlight: New fiction and memoir picks include Walter Mosley’s love-focused “Ghalen: A Romance in Black,” Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor’s “Something We Said,” and Ann Patchett’s “Whistler” coverage. AI & Learning: A new book warns against outsourcing literacy to AI, arguing it can harm long-term independent thinking. Book World on the Move: York’s Topping & Company is set to open a major new independent shop. Local Culture: A Midway, Wisconsin “storyboard” shop blends book, coffee, and skate culture.

Publishing & Genre Buzz: Beijing International Bookstore spotlighted Chinese mystery and suspense, with Midnight Library founder Xie Gang tracing how the genre grew from niche to a mature, globally resonant form. Rights & Law: Mexico’s San Luis Potosí used an AI-content criminal code to arrest critics tied to a Facebook page mixing AI-manipulated images and real photos, raising fresh free-speech alarms. Book Trade Deals: Titan Books acquired Judy I Lin’s dark fantasy duology Daughters of Misery, while Hodder Press will republish Daniel Kahneman’s influential attention study. Education & Exams: India’s CBSE opened a Class 12 post-result portal for mark verification and answer-book reevaluation requests, with a June 6 deadline. Community Reading: Friends of the East Palestine Memorial Public Library returns with a silent auction and book sale, plus author-led local events. Culture & Learning: A Galilee dig at Korazim National Park turned up a Roman-era nicolo gemstone, discovered by a 12-year-old student during an educational excavation.