AGP Executive Report

Publishing & Design: Heirloom Project’s Mumbai food visual archive is nominated for the James Beard Awards in visual design, a rare spotlight on how Indian food books can look as bold as they taste. Book Bans & Censorship: Knox County, TN rolled back its “Roots” ban after backlash, while other places keep wrestling with what kids should read. Media Standards: India’s NBDSA ordered Aaj Tak to edit a Sudhir Chaudhary broadcast that amplified the disputed “Taj Mahal was a Shiva temple” claim. Literary Culture: Translators and writers are using festivals and fairs to build bridges—Bulgaria’s guest-of-honour push at Warsaw Book Fair leans on translation as connection. Crime & Sports Books: New reads range from a football corruption takedown (“Red Card”) to a crime-fiction spotlight on county lines and drug networks. Reading Life: Libraries keep driving community buzz, from author road-trip talks to summer reading programs. Education Tech: CBSE opened Class 12 re-evaluation/verification applications online, continuing its shift to digital post-results review.

North Carolina Weird Tour: Liz Z Pardue is taking her “Keep NC Weird” storytelling show on the road, spotlighting the state’s strangest people, places, and legends—from cryptids to infamous local lore. YA Award Loss: Amy Mathers, creator of the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award and a “Marathon of Books” reader who logged 365 YA titles in 365 days, has died at 43. LGBTQ+ Book Ban Fight: Wisconsin’s DPI avoided ruling on whether removing an LGBTQ+ family picture book is discrimination in the Menomonee Falls case, leaving families and lawyers still pressing for answers. Crime Festival Lineup: Hillingdon’s Hillingdon Crime Festival returns with talks and writing insights from major mystery voices. New Fiction Buzz: Courtney Maum’s “Alan Opts Out” heads to shelves June 2, satirizing ambition and consumerism through a high-powered ad man who quits the rat race. Pride Story Time: Edmonds Bookshop’s June event celebrates Pride with a read-aloud and rainbow craft featuring queer illustrator Michelle Jing Chan. Cultural Spotlight: Warsaw’s book fair opens with Sharjah as Arab Guest of Honour, with translation and literary ties taking center stage. Obituary/Legacy: Māori leader and academic Sir Hirini Moko Mead dies at 99, remembered for founding Māori studies in New Zealand.

Hospitality & Travel: Eid Al Adha is driving a staycation surge across Qatar, with hotels rolling out family packages, kids’ perks, and late checkouts as occupancy climbs. Romance Publishing: Quercus has acquired Amelie Rhys’s enemies-to-lovers romance The Season for Hating You. UN & Power Politics: A UN-focused piece revisits how “cheque-book diplomacy” tainted elections and appointments in earlier decades. History & Law: France repealed the 1685 Code Noir, the slavery-era law that treated enslaved people as property. Books & Community: A new bouldering guide for Guernsey aims to lower the entry barrier, while Kyiv’s Book Arsenal Festival opens with 240 events and 150+ exhibitors. Censorship & Schools: Neal Shusterman spoke to Windsor High students after Scythe was temporarily blocked, reigniting debate over what teens can handle. Consumer Protection: Busan authorities warn hotels about accommodation price gouging ahead of BTS concerts. Awards & Indie Publishing: IndieReader named winners of its 15th Discovery Awards, topping 1,000 submissions. Reading & Learning: CBSE opened Class 12 answer-sheet re-evaluation/verification after massive demand tied to on-screen marking concerns. Memoir & Civil Rights: George Takei’s They Called Us Enemy is the focus of a One Book, One Coast watch party at Umatilla Public Library.

New Book Spotlight: Mord McGhee’s The Seven Children of God lands as public worry about cults and trafficking trauma spikes, positioning the psychological novel as a survivor-centered look at how belief can be weaponized. Local History & Society: Roy Bodden’s Deconstructing Development digs into Caymanian “duality” in “Paradise and the Plantation,” arguing prosperity masks deeper splits over race, land, identity, immigration, and inequality. Publishing & Craft: Max Evry’s Stranded on Earth: How Night Skies Became E.T. traces Spielberg’s path from UFO fascination to the making of E.T., mixing film history with behind-the-scenes reporting. Reading Culture: West Dunbartonshire rolls out a Reading Pledge tied to the National Year of Reading, pushing access to books and reading for pleasure. Author News: Maureen Duffy, a major voice for writers’ rights and gay rights, dies at 92. Community Events: Nantucket Book Festival returns for its 15th anniversary (June 11–14) with a free-to-attend lineup featuring Ann Patchett, Tayari Jones, and others. Media Watch: CBS names Nick Bilton as the new top producer of 60 Minutes, signaling changes aimed at modern audiences.

Publishing Deals: Tor (Pan Macmillan) snapped up T Kingfisher’s A Devil of a Crime plus a second novel, while Canongate acquired Delia Smith’s political essays Us: Nine Ingredients to Change Our World and Orbit UK set MR Carey’s next fantasy for publication. Book Awards & Shortlists: Graham Watson’s The Invention of Charlotte Brontë earned a Plutarch Award shortlist spot, and Bloody Scotland announced its first all-female debut shortlist with Richard Osman as a headline. Author & Community Events: George Takei is set for a library livestream tied to They Called Us Enemy, and Decatur crash survivor Amber Hooker will release Impact: From Crash to Coma to Comeback at Millikin University. Books in the Real World: A Himachal Pradesh High Court upheld compensation over unsafe road repairs, and a Jeju beach theft case led to an embezzlement charge after CCTV recovery of a tourist’s bag. AI Backlash: Celebrities’ push for women to use AI more sparked online backlash, with critics warning against sharing sensitive financial info.

Book & Author News: Essayist Dara Horn brought her blunt, funny anti-antisemitism message to the Jerusalem International Writers Festival, arguing that honesty is a “weapon” against denial. Obituaries: Robert Daley, prolific author of police-and-corruption classic “Prince of the City,” died at 96. New Releases & Events: A debut children’s picture book, Morning Bird, Whale Song, launches with live music at Gosford Regional Library; local author Ronnie Deaton held a signing for The Ghost Bride of Cumberland Falls; and Winona’s Shipwreckt Books imprint announced Jake Griggs’s poetry debut A Midwestern Introvert’s Atlas with a June 4 launch. Publishing & Culture: Skirball’s exhibit Inventing America: The Comic Book Revolution spotlights how comics shaped U.S. history. Literary Awards: Helen Phillips’s climate novel Hum won a £10,000 climate fiction prize. AI & Books: A new book argues AI “answer engines” are reshaping how readers find services and how professionals should market.

Three-Body Problem Fallout: China executed Xu Yao, convicted of poisoning billionaire gaming tycoon Lin Qi of Yoozoo Games—linked to the Netflix “3 Body Problem” adaptation—after a professional dispute over deal access. Publishing & Culture: Eric de Bellaigue, who turned prison writing into “Guarded Words,” died at 95; his work also spotlighted William Chester Minor, a Victorian-era figure tied to the Oxford English Dictionary. Community Reading: Goalhanger’s “The Book Club” is adding a weekly newsletter starting May 30, built to help listeners run their own clubs. Local Access Fight: A Scottish council’s plan to close the Hall of Remembrance on weekends sparked calls for a booking system or CCTV to keep the Book of Remembrance reachable. Tech Meets Books: IKWAGO launched a WhatsApp-first AI intake tool that turns messy multilingual messages into structured listings and booking workflows. Food & Fandom: Handrolls keep spreading in London; meanwhile, Netflix’s “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” returns with a podcast twist.

Liquor-Licence Pressure: A New Zealand country pub is facing a possible liquor licence loss after a licensing officer flagged a “21st yard glass” photo as violating the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act—police and council revisited the site in early May. Mining Watch: Forgent has applied for a maiden drilling program at Peak Hills, targeting three gold prospects (Karalundi, Junction, Curley’s) with an aircore rig provisionally booked. Book Buzz: Annabel Monaghan’s “Dolly All the Time” is the GMA Book Club pick for June, a seaside fake-dating romance about second chances. AI Books Row: Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt says AI-written books are fine if they’re clearly disclosed—prompting backlash over whether labels are enough. Culture & Community: Sharon Hurley Hall is named a finalist in the Caribbean Global Awards for Diaspora Literary Impact, while a Manitoba powwow controversy has parents demanding answers after kids allegedly received condoms and explicit materials. Scam Alert: Travelers are warned about AI-made fake vacation rentals and scam emails that mimic booking sites.

AI & Advice: A new analysis asks what financial advisors should tell high-net-worth clients using AI for guidance—fast answers, but not yet the personal touch or accountability regulators expect. Wealth Management Shake-up: Switzerland’s independent wealth managers are reassessing tech after a report found many aren’t investing, with leaders pointing to succession timing and “exploration” rather than full transformation. Politics & Process: Spain’s Congress is set to vote on allowing remote neighborhood meetings and digital communications for owners, pushing the pandemic-era model into law. Integrity in Sport: South Africa’s top jockey S’manga Khumalo has been found guilty in an NHA inquiry tied to corruption and race manipulation. Health & Travel: A measles outbreak is dampening Eid tourism in Bangladesh’s Srimangal and Kamalganj, with bookings reportedly down sharply. Books & Culture: Belfast’s Jan Carson hails the pay-what-you-decide Belfast Book Festival as welcoming—and a new Nora Roberts thriller keeps the “creepy follower” plotline front and center.

Cost-of-living squeeze on faith: A Sydney delivery driver says he’s forced to delay Hajj because rent, electricity, and bills leave him too exhausted to save for the pilgrimage. High-speed crime in Oregon: Two suspects were arrested after a stolen car allegedly rammed a Multnomah County patrol SUV and other parked vehicles before police used a PIT maneuver to stop it. True crime’s next twist: The Murdaugh case is back in motion after convictions were tossed and a retrial is set, feeding a fresh wave of public attention. Ukraine’s cultural blow: Russian strikes over the weekend damaged major Kyiv cultural sites, with officials calling it an attack on Ukraine’s memory and identity. AI and money warnings: Australia’s MoneySmart urges people not to rely on AI for financial decisions alone, citing inaccuracies. Education admin shake-up: CBSE says it has sent a Class 12 student the correct Physics answer sheet after a viral mix-up claim. Book world buzz: Delivery Hero shares jumped on takeover chatter tied to Uber, while readers also chased big literary moments—from banned-book lists to award longlists.

Agriculture Watch: Malaysia’s agriculture minister says 65% of MADA paddy areas are now ready, with farmers expected to start sowing after Aidiladha as water reaches fields and dam levels rise. Consumer Protection: India’s consumer affairs minister has ordered an investigation into alleged excessive cancellation charges by online flight booking platforms, including claims they can be far higher than airline fees. Education Systems: CBSE’s Class 12 scanned answer-book portal is closing tonight, after earlier technical glitches triggered deadline extensions—while IIT Madras is now being pulled in to review the revaluation infrastructure. Publishing & Culture: UK charity Bookbanks is expanding to Leeds and Ipswich, adding two more food-bank book pop-ups as it pushes toward 30 sites by 2030. Tech & Trust: A new push for healthcare AI highlights a recurring problem: people don’t trust tools that forget them. Sports Drama: In Serie A, Como and Cesc Fabregas secured Champions League spots while AC Milan missed out after a home loss.

New Hawking Diary Twist: Newly uncovered diaries from Stephen Hawking’s father, Frank, reveal early worries that the teen was “lazy” and lacked drive—adding a messy, human prelude to the legend behind A Brief History of Time. Local Crime: A Lake County man is accused of killing a woman and then launching a road-rage shooting spree that ended with a chase and arrest in Napa County. Books & Culture: Toronto is in World Cup mode with FIFA 2026 festivities ramping up, while Rachel Homan is in North Bay promoting a curling-themed kids’ book. Education Admin: India’s CBSE has pushed the deadline for scanned Class 12 answer-book requests to May 25 (midnight), after earlier extensions. Privacy Watch: South Africa’s information regulator is moving to rein in what gated buildings collect at entry points and how long they keep it. Health Angle: A new menopause book argues the gut microbiome may hold key clues to symptoms.

Manhunt Pressure: Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. urged Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to cooperate as authorities continue tracking him over an ICC arrest warrant tied to Duterte’s drug war, stressing restraint and human-rights rules after earlier claims he’s “presumed armed and dangerous.” Education Relief: CBSE moved to calm Class 12 scanned-answer-sheet chaos, refunding excess fees from May 21–22 glitches and saying students won’t need to reapply. Justice System Shock: Karnataka authorities booked a life convict after he allegedly walked out of Bengaluru jail in 2018 using forged Supreme Court release documents—sparking questions about how the fraud passed prison checks. Tech + Books Buzz: The week also kept rolling with AI-in-writing scrutiny and major publishing debates, while readers got plenty of fresh reviews—from reMarkable’s Paper Pure to new fiction and festival picks.

Local Justice: A Moses Lake man was arrested and booked for a 2021 homicide in the Kristopher Vincent case, after years with no public suspects. Use-of-Force Review: Virginia Beach’s sheriff’s office got an independent check after Rolin Hill’s 2024 in-custody death; the report calls it “isolated and atypical” but issues 40 recommendations. War on the Ground: A Russian drone strike hit a police patrol in Novhorod-Siversky, injuring three officers, with more blasts reported nearby. Publishing & Tech: Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt says the chain could stock AI-written books if they’re clearly labeled—prompting fresh author backlash. Books & Culture: Spoleto Festival USA opened with a Martha Graham Dance Company centennial celebration, while Tucson’s Stacks Book Club is expanding to a bigger Broadway location. Education/Exams: India’s CBSE warned students about fake claims that re-evaluation was cancelled, saying the portal and timelines are still in play.

Local Governance: Mumbai’s BMC is pushing a 40% parking-fee hike, but the opposition says the plan is riddled with gaps—especially around illegal parking enforcement, the smart-parking app, and “pre-booking” options—urging the city to revive the stalled Mumbai Parking Authority. Faith & Resilience Books: Dr. Joan A. Knowlin’s new A Seed, a Prayer, and a Promise leans into waiting as sacred growth, while Doug Stevenson’s Fear Not Breaking Free targets fear fueled by nonstop bad news. Heritage & Memory: Evelyn Creekmore’s Saving Elkmont revisits an Appalachian community’s displacement and what survives when places are taken. International Booker: Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ (translated by Lin King) wins the 2026 International Booker Prize, a layered postcolonial romance set in Japan-controlled Taiwan. Education & Reintegration: Gujarat reports 44 prisoners passing Class 10 and 12 exams—study support inside jail aimed at rebuilding confidence for life after release. Crime & Accountability: Philippines authorities say more ICC arrest warrants could be coming as the search continues for Sen. Ronald dela Rosa.

AI vs Books: Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt says the chain won’t “endorse or intentionally sell” AI-written books, but would stock them if demand is clear and they’re labeled—while the wider literary world keeps arguing about AI-made fiction after a Granta prize story sparked backlash. Publishing & Markets: Uber is reportedly weighing a full takeover of Delivery Hero to better compete with DoorDash outside the U.S., and flight-simulator firm CAE is pitching defense-focused growth after a profit surge plan. Local Book Life: A Nevada shelter says donations are pouring in after police recovered 100+ dogs from an RV; and Sioux Center departments shared 2025 highlights at city council, including police staffing and awards. New Releases: South Chatham’s Deborah G. Felder drops a 644-page LGBTQ almanac, while Nepal’s Sushila Karki readies a children’s novel, “Mitty and the Wild Cat.” Court Watch: India’s Supreme Court softened its NCERT row stance, letting institutions decide independently.