AGP Executive Report

Publishing’s Digital Shift: Japan’s Diamond Inc. will end the print edition of Diamond Weekly in April, moving fully online as print sales decline and digital subscriptions grow. AI and Copyright: Publishers are urging a US court to reject OpenAI’s fair-use defense in a dispute over books used to train AI. A writer’s reported 370 AI-assisted books in 20 months is also fuelling debate over speed, quality and authorship. Reader Demand: Sarah J. Maas’s sixth ACOTAR novel sparked sellouts and crowds at midnight launches. Waterstones has named 20 contenders for its 2026 Book of the Year, including Douglas Stuart’s John of John.

AI and Copyright: Four publishing and copyright groups have urged a US court to reject OpenAI’s fair-use defence, arguing that training on copyrighted books threatens authors’ livelihoods and licensing markets. Romantasy Fever: Sarah J. Maas’s new ACOTAR novel has sparked midnight launches and intense fan demand, while leaked plot details have raised fears of spoilers. Booksellers’ Picks: Waterstones has unveiled its 20-title Book of the Year shortlist, led by Douglas Stuart’s John of John and including Maggie O’Farrell’s Land. Bestsellers and Prizes: Louise Penny’s Miss Wolcott’s Ghost tops Canada’s weekly fiction list, and Tara Bergin has won the Forward Prize for Best Single Poem for “The Fear.” Literary Milestone: Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels marks 300 years in print, its satire still drawing readers.

Press Freedom: Filipino journalist Philip Lustre says he will continue a book about Vice President Sara Duterte, including her Senate impeachment trial, despite facing a cyberlibel case and concerns for his safety. Publishing Under Attack: A Russian strike on a Ukrainian publisher’s Kharkiv warehouse has disrupted planned November releases. Industry Watch: Publishers gathered in Seoul to debate AI’s impact on books, as a separate report highlights growing tensions between publishers and authors over AI tools. Awards: Waterstones has named its 2026 Book of the Year shortlist, including Douglas Stuart’s John of John; the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize also announced its shortlist. Reader Buzz: Sarah J. Maas’s new ACOTAR novel has sparked fan frenzy, with launch tickets snapped up within minutes. Writer Alert: A report on literary scams describes a suspicious book-club invitation that sought an unspecified fee from an author.

Romantasy: Sarah J. Maas’s new A Court of Splintered Harmony has sent fans to midnight launch parties and shot to the top of Amazon Australia’s charts. Bookshops: Persephone Books is returning to London with a new Fitzrovia shop, opening November 4 after relocating to Bath in 2021. Publishing Under Fire: A Russian strike on a Kharkiv publisher’s warehouse has disrupted November releases, underscoring the risks facing Ukraine’s book industry. AI and Books: Publishers are tightening scrutiny of prize submissions after AI traces led one house to drop a Goncourt contender. New Fiction: Jason Reynolds is moving into adult fiction with Father, Father, a road novel about two brothers.

Publishing Under Fire: A Russian strike on a Kharkiv publisher’s warehouse has disrupted planned November book releases. Fantasy Launch: Sarah J. Maas’s new A Court of Splintered Harmony sparked midnight release parties, underscoring the series’ huge fan following. Censorship: An institute in Pune removed activist Umar Khalid’s book from its library, citing fears of unrest. AI and Authorship: A French publisher dropped a Goncourt contender over suspected AI traces, as Australian publishers discuss how they check manuscripts. Literary History: Historian Bridget Brereton’s revised book expands Trinidad and Tobago’s shared story, giving Tobago a fuller place in the national narrative. Booker Watch: Six novels are shortlisted for the 2026 prize, with the winner due November 9.

Publishing Under Fire: Russian strikes hit KSD’s warehouse in Kharkiv on Oct. 27, forcing the publisher to postpone new releases. No employees were injured, but ongoing attacks have delayed damage assessments. Big Fantasy Launch: Sarah J. Maas’s new ACOTAR novel, A Court of Splintered Harmony, arrived to midnight queues and brisk sales; the next book is due Jan. 12. AI and Authorship: AI detectors flagged award-winning fiction, while a publisher dropped a Goncourt contender over alleged AI traces, sharpening debate over trust in the publishing process. Books and Protest: Children’s authors Chris Haughton and Nicola Davies pledged UK book royalties to Sally Rooney after her titles were withdrawn from British sales over her announced support for Palestine Action. Graphic Memoir: Fantagraphics will publish British cartoonist R.E. Burke’s account of 19 days in ICE detention in May 2027.

Bestseller Rush: Sarah J. Maas’s sixth ACOTAR novel hit shelves on October 27, drawing midnight-release crowds; the seventh book is slated for January 2027. Library Dispute: IISER Pune removed Umar Khalid’s book on Adivasi history after online objections, saying it wanted to avoid “misunderstanding or unrest.” Stage and Screen: Graeme Armstrong’s gang-culture novel The Young Team is headed to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe next summer, with a London and Glasgow tour to follow; a BBC series is also filming. Festival Fallout: Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah is returning to Adelaide Writers’ Week in 2027, a year after her removal sparked a boycott and the festival’s cancellation. Mumbai’s Past: At the Godrej Literature Live! festival, Jehangir Sorabjee launched Bombay: An Illustrated History, tracing the city’s changing identity through photographs and illustrations.

Literary Loss: Japanese novelist Ryū Murakami, author of Almost Transparent Blue and Coin Locker Babies, has died at 74. AI and Publishing: South African author Coral Hart says AI helped her publish more than 370 books in 20 months, intensifying debate over machine-written work. A French publisher also dropped a Goncourt contender over suspected AI traces, prompting publishers to rethink prize submissions. Major Release: Sarah J. Maas’s first new ACOTAR novel in five years, A Court of Splintered Harmony, is due in bookstores this week. Literary Awards: Mumbai’s Godrej Literature Live! named Rahul Bhattacharya’s Railsong its fiction book of the year and Westland its Publisher of the Year. Rare Books: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust acquired a first edition of Reginald Scot’s 1584 The Discoverie of Witchcraft, a major addition to its collection and a window into the era’s supernatural beliefs. Publishing Industry: Catapult Books is being sold, drawing concern from authors about the loss of a notable literary press.

AI and Publishing: A new book, Your AI Upgrade, urges readers to use AI to strengthen learning and judgment, while publishers face harder questions over machine-written work: South African author Coral Hart is defending her 370 AI-assisted books, and textbook authors are suing OpenAI and Microsoft over alleged use of copyrighted books in training data. New Releases: Sarah J. Maas’s next A Court of Thorns and Roses novel arrives October 27, with bookstores holding midnight parties for fans. Festivals: Bournemouth Writing Festival is returning in a hybrid format, with 55 online sessions and monthly in-person events. Book Access: A judge has ordered Harford County schools to restore the YA novel Flamer to library shelves, reversing a ban. Literary News: Japanese novelist Ryu Murakami, known for Almost Transparent Blue, has died at 74.

AI and Publishing: South African author Coral Hart says she has sold more than a million books produced with AI since 2025, reigniting debate over authorship. A Quebec publisher has also cut ties with Thélyson Orélien over alleged AI use, as publishers revisit how they assess prize submissions. New Fiction: Emma Cline’s Booker-longlisted Switzy follows an elderly man with dementia on a final journey to Switzerland, focusing on the stories people tell themselves as their control slips away. Library Access: Public libraries can pay $55 or more for an e-book license that may expire after two years and allow only one borrower at a time, helping explain long waits for popular titles. Literary News: Anne Carson has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature, while a new novel by Murakami tops South Korea’s bestseller list. Writing Life: Harlan Coben says even a successful writer can feel like an impostor, adding that he wants readers to stay up late turning pages.

Literary Festival: At Mumbai’s Godrej Literature Live!, Jerry Pinto discussed Yuri And The City, his sequel set amid the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition. He said even fiction rooted in dark times can hold out hope. Publishing Watch: AI-authorship disputes continue: a Quebec publisher cut ties with Thélyson Orélien over alleged AI use, while another dropped a Goncourt contender after finding AI traces. Authors are also mourning the sale of Los Angeles literary fixture Catapult Books. New Books: East Riding author Emily Maguire’s Creative Careers Unlocked, due November 6, aims to make creative-industry paths clearer and more accessible. Jim and Steve Leslie conclude an 18-year research project on Highland hospitals with The Hospitals of Caithness. Memoirs & Legacies: Former Indian Supreme Court judge Sanjay Kishan Kaul’s forthcoming memoir raises concerns about judicial appointments and institutional independence. Japanese novelist Ryu Murakami, author of Audition and Almost Transparent Blue, has died at 74.

Book Fair: Belgrade’s 69th fair opened to near-empty halls, with many major publishers absent amid a boycott; an election due Sunday may also have kept visitors away. Obituary: Japanese novelist Ryū Murakami, whose stark portraits of alienation and violence began with prize-winning debut Almost Transparent Blue, has died at 74. AI and Publishing: A French publisher dropped a Goncourt contender over suspected AI traces, while Bloomsbury reported lower profits as it develops an AI strategy—renewing questions about how publishers can verify authorship. Publishing Shake-up: Catapult Books is being sold, prompting concern over the loss of a key home for Los Angeles writers. New Fiction: Barbara Kingsolver’s Partita follows a gifted pianist whose grief and family history shape a decades-long search for wholeness.

Awards: The East Anglian Book Awards unveiled a shortlist spanning fiction, poetry, history, memoir and children’s books; the An Post Irish Book Awards also announced its 2026 finalists. Publishing Deals: South Korea’s Dawoo Kiwoom Group was named preferred bidder for Munhakdongne, the country’s largest trade publisher, in a sale that could reshape its publishing landscape. AI and Books: A South African author defended publishing 370 AI-assisted books in 20 months, while a French publisher dropped a Goncourt contender over suspected AI use. The controversy is sharpening calls for clearer “human-made” labels. Industry Pressures: Los Angeles publisher Catapult is being sold, with staff facing job losses; Bloomsbury also reported falling profits as it develops an AI strategy. Literary Loss: Japanese author Ryū Murakami, known for Audition and Almost Transparent Blue, has died aged 74. Books in the Spotlight: Beth Lew-Williams won the Cundill History Prize for John Doe Chinaman, on legal discrimination against Chinese immigrants in the US. A Glasgow exhibition of 1,984 copies of Orwell’s 1984 invites visitors to reflect on political polarization and cultural intolerance.

Literary Loss: Japanese novelist Ryu Murakami, whose debut Almost Transparent Blue won the Akutagawa Prize, has died at 74. His work, including Coin Locker Babies, explored society’s darker corners. Publisher Shake-up: Independent California publisher Catapult Books has been sold and plans to close within days, with staff jobs ending and the fate of 16 forthcoming titles unclear. Authors and colleagues mourn a major loss to the literary scene. AI and Authorship: Debate over AI use is intensifying: Canadian publisher Boréal cut ties with Téllison Aurélien after finding AI-related traces in manuscript metadata, while a South African author defended publishing 370 AI-assisted books in 20 months. Industry Support: Arts Council England and Inpress will fund places for 12 small publishers at London Book Fair 2027. Awards: The An Post Irish Book Awards unveiled its 2026 shortlist, featuring Maggie O’Farrell, Louise Kennedy and the late Manchán Magan.

AI and Publishing: Canadian publisher Boréal has cut ties with Thélyson Orélien after saying AI was used to write his award-winning debut novel. South African author Coral Hart, who says she has produced more than 370 books with AI since 2025, is defending the practice amid fierce backlash. Awards: The 2026 An Post Irish Book Awards shortlist spans 19 categories, while Nobel laureate Anne Carson is drawing renewed attention to her literary work. Free Expression: More than 150 writers, including Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones, have backed Sally Rooney after her books were reportedly removed from UK sales amid a dispute linked to Palestine Action. Publishing Industry: California’s Catapult Book Group has been sold, with staff set to lose their jobs. New Books: Sonia Gandhi has unveiled her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, due November 10. In Memoriam: Japanese novelist Ryu Murakami, author of Almost Transparent Blue and Coin Locker Babies, has died aged 74.

Irish Book Awards: Maggie O’Farrell, Sebastian Barry and Louise Kennedy are among the Novel of the Year shortlist, as the 2026 awards expand several categories to eight titles. AI and Authorship: Canadian publisher Boréal has ended its relationship with award-winning novelist Thélyson Orélien, saying it confirmed AI was used to write his novel; the dispute adds to mounting questions about authorship and disclosure. Book-to-Screen: New research says Hollywood buyers increasingly favor books with proven readership and series potential. Meanwhile, a film of the bestselling YA series House of Night has a new director, with casting under way and production eyed for early 2027. Book Access: A Maryland school board is taking its fight to remove Mike Curato’s YA graphic novel Flamer to court, challenging the state’s decision to return it to library shelves. Literary Exchange: Berlin’s Arab Book Fair brought together more than 110 publishers, while its inaugural Riwaq Prize honored scholarship on Arab and Islamic history in Arabic, German and English.