AGP Executive Report

Sudan Education Relief: Book Aid International is shipping 18,000 brand-new books from Swindon to Sudan, aiming to restore access to higher education as conflict keeps shutting down libraries and universities. Genre-Bending Fiction: A review of Adam Hamdy’s “The Other Side of Night” highlights a slow-burn mix of family drama, romance, mystery, and speculative twists. AI, Books, and Copyright Tension: A Murakami translation story shows an AI tool producing a high-fidelity Chinese version of “The Tale of KAHO” within hours, while another report spotlights authors pushing back against a major Anthropic copyright settlement. Publishing in the Spotlight: Prosecutors in South Korea allege an author and publisher bulk-bought 1,631 copies to game a bestseller list. Community Reading Life: Pendleton’s library is unveiling a new mobile library on Sept. 22, funded by local foundations and crowdsourcing. Literary Culture Events: Oxford Festival of the Arts is ending after 17 years, with organizers citing resource limits.

Local Literary Events: Becket Arts Center will host a book discussion with crime novelist Bob Reiss (“The Impossible Detective”) on Sept. 15, plus a free Works in Progress staged reading on Sept. 16. Kids & Community Reading: Texas Center for the Book’s #TXBookChat brings children’s author-illustrator C.S. Jennings online Sept. 23 for “My Big Book of Texas,” while Eureka Public Library rolls out mystery, gardening, and teen programs through September. New Releases & Previews: Fantagraphics shares an exclusive excerpt of Yudori’s full-color romance graphic novel “Lovers of the Empire” (Vol. 1), and Landon Hail Press debuts Adina Law’s thriller “No Place to Hide: A Novel Trilogy: Book One.” Big-Book Culture: Chicago Public Library names Emily St. John Mandel’s Booker-winning “Orbital” as its One Book, One Chicago pick for the program’s 25th anniversary. Publishing & Policy: PLI Press publishes a practical guide for AI corporate compliance programs. Poetry Prize: The Griffin Poetry Prize announces Ken Babstock, Elisa Biagini, and Sandeep Parmar as 2027 judges.

Justice & Publishing: A new sociology book, Crime Fictions, argues wrongful convictions are built across the full process, not just at trial—tracking how Chicago authorities buried exonerating material and coerced confessions. History & Reading Lists: A roundup spotlights God Forgives, Brothers Don’t on military education and manhood, plus Summer of ’71 for a fast, accessible look at a pivotal year. Writing Craft: The Journey of a Storyteller offers a practical roadmap from voice to publishing, marketing, royalties, and reader expectations. Literary News: Australia mourns Blanche d’Alpuget, 82, celebrated for biographies and novels and for her long, scandal-sparking love story with Bob Hawke. AI & Books/Media: Meta launches Muse, an AI agent that can act in apps—sending emails, booking travel, and shopping—raising fresh privacy and access questions. Local Literacy: Georgia’s Pre-K program will distribute 87,000+ copies of Every Amazing Song during Pre-K Week.

Publishing & Books in the Spotlight: The 2026 Maine Lit Fest lands a major headline with National Book Award finalist Min Jin Lee (Pachinko) reading from her just-released novel American Hagwon alongside Pulitzer winner Richard Russo, as the festival rolls across nine Maine towns with mostly free events. New Releases & Author News: Camden mystery writer Tess Gerritsen is also helping build a first Maine Asian American Community Center, while a 9-year-old “Kid Pastor” Luke Tillman promotes his kids’ devotional Finding God Every Day. Community Reading & Access: Florida Public Library expands its local author series with a debut novel discussion and a three-part poetry workshop. Literary Culture & Legacy: Cebu honors National Artist for Literature Resil Mojares with a half-mast flag tribute, and Ukrainian families in Cavan get a dedicated Ukrainian-language library bookshelf. Book-to-Screen Buzz: Remain brings together M. Night Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks as a supernatural romance with two versions of the same story—novel and film—hitting theaters Feb. 5, 2027.

Literary Spotlight: Ben Macintyre’s new nonfiction Redwood digs into cold-war espionage in Iran after 1979, continuing his reputation for fast, deeply researched spy storytelling. Publishing & Culture: Morehouse King scholar Lawrence Carter pens a foreword calling journalist Bankole Thompson “one of America’s greatest prophetic journalists,” tying Thompson’s work to the moral tradition of Martin Luther King Jr. Book-to-Community: Aberdeenshire libraries get £28,250 to push “trusted information” into local venues, tackling misinformation and AI-generated scams through workshops and pop-ups. Books as History: Ukrinform will present Victory Commanders at the Lviv Book Forum, turning its war reporting into a commander-authored book project. New Releases: Penny Newton-Hurley’s self-help The Human Language targets communication patterns to build psychological safety; Dr. Michelle Hills’ hospice book The Wrong Order of Things launches Sept. 10. Tech & Learning: A new warning on smart glasses in classrooms raises privacy and academic-freedom concerns. Awards: The Hawthornden Prize goes to Caleb Klaces for Mr Outside, a text-and-image meditation on endings.

Copyright & AI: Kenya’s Copyright Tribunal says AI-generated works only get copyright protection if an author shows enough human effort and creative intervention, in a ruling that leaves the specific dispute unresolved for lack of proper presentation. Publishing & Rights Dispute: Authors say publishers and agents are claiming larger shares from the $1.5 billion Anthropic copyright settlement than they’re entitled to, after final approval in July. Books in the Spotlight: BritBox confirms a major Agatha Christie expansion, rolling out new and classic adaptations starting Sept. 15. Local Literacy & Community: St. Maarten educator Angelique J.G. Romou launches a children’s book for International Literacy Day, while a Woburn family shares how a cancer diagnosis led to a 360-change healing memoir. Culture Beyond the Page: Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda brings Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga “Look Back” to Venice, and Seoul turns public book hubs into autumn “sanctuaries” with author talks and rare art editions. Real-World Reading: A seven-year-old in Portsmouth is on track to finish nearly 200 books this summer.

Publishing & Culture Diplomacy: South Korea kicked off K-Book Week in Paris to mark 140 years of ties with France, spotlighting Korean picture books and literary works plus author events and rights talks. Literary Events & Community: Iraq’s Baghdad International Book Fair wrapped with record participation from 28 countries, while Manitoba’s Sikh community drew thousands for Nagar Kirtan in Winnipeg. Books & Ideas: A new manifesto, Setting the Land Free, argues rewilding works when policy lets ecosystems recover; meanwhile Odisha’s festival debates the future of Odia publishing as print and digital coexist. AI, Translation & Copyright Tensions: A Chinese student used an AI tool to produce an unlicensed Murakami translation within hours, and writers are pushing back on how AI is reshaping publishing. New Releases & Adaptations: Netflix is developing Richard Osman’s We Solve Murders from his books, and Marvel previews Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett #1. Book-to-screen/Franchise Buzz: Susanne Bier returns to the Practical Magic universe with Practical Magic 2. Health & Science Reading: A pilot trial suggests YogaCue may add benefits for older adults, and a wheat study maps genes for resistance to fusarium head blight.

Publishing & Politics: Nepal’s Madan Puraskar Guthi named Bina Joshi (Rajbhandari) the 2026 Madan Puraskar winner for her documentation of Newar masked dance traditions, while lyricist Kiran Kharel received the Jagadamba Shree Award. Literary Culture: Sioux Narrows is collecting stories for “Beyond the Bridge II,” a two-part sequel to its 1985 local history book. Books in the Wild: Odisha’s “Gift A Book” campaign turned a Bhubaneswar–Daspalla train ride into a moving reading event, handing out about 200 books to commuters. Global Fairs: Oman wrapped its first-ever official pavilion at the Moscow International Book Fair, spotlighting publications and cultural ties. AI & Authorship: A new discussion on text watermarking argues AI-generated writing can carry built-in marks—raising fresh stakes for plagiarism and credit. Adaptations: Netflix is moving ahead with a thriller series based on Dan Brown’s “The Secret of Secrets,” filming in Prague.

Publishing & Politics: India’s Sonia Gandhi memoir “Belonging” is set for a Nov 10 release after claims of pressure on Penguin not to publish, with HarperCollins stepping in. Literary Culture: Meena Kandasamy talks cancel culture and whether “separating the art from the artist” still holds up. New Fiction: Poole author S.R. Moore’s debut “Burger Wars” (Oct 6) turns fast-food corporate rivalry into a dystopian satire. Book Launches & Events: Toby Hartwell’s “Brooklands Belles” spotlights 1930s women who fought their way into motor racing; a launch talk is slated for Sept 11. Reviews & Reading Picks: A roundup of September Indian fiction includes Amit Chaudhuri’s new title; science writing gets a spotlight in a review of “The Messy Business of Making Science Happen.” Crime & Screen: Netflix is adapting Richard Osman’s “We Solve Murders,” with a sequel “We Chase Shadows” due Sept 15. Children’s Books & Inclusion: A new picture book, “BLUE,” uses story to make caste visible to kids without turning it into a lecture.

Romantasy Boom: Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing keeps pulling readers in, with a clear starter guide for the Empyrean series and more adaptations already in motion. Literary Spotlight: Andrea Bajani’s prize-winning The Anniversary digs into patriarchal family life and how private coercion can echo fascism. September TBR Buzz: Goodreads editors highlighted fresh fall reads, including Meg Mason’s Sophie, Standing There (out Sept. 29, 2026). Publishing & Culture Events: Lviv’s Lviv Publishers’ Forum will host a Sept. 10 presentation of Commanders of Victory, preserving Ukrainian commanders’ battlefield testimonies. Book-to-Screen Watch: House of Leaves—a horror classic long considered unadaptable—gets new momentum toward film. Publishing Industry & AI: A new report claims OpenAI agents exploited a German wiki via GET-based weaknesses, reigniting concerns about agent behavior and platform security. Reprints & Rights: Octavia Butler’s Survivor returns to U.S. print after nearly 50 years, despite the author’s objections. Community Reading: bKash and Bishwo Shahitto Kendro mark 12 years of a national book-reading program, citing millions of readers reached.

Publishing Industry Outlook: India’s book market is projected to hit ₹2 lakh crore by 2030-31, with a new report urging stronger copyright and smarter, responsible tech adoption. Major Memoir Deal: HarperCollins India will publish Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging on Nov 10 after a Penguin India impasse over edits. Human Rights & Books: A UK lecturer will use a new book to explain the UN Universal Periodic Review—how countries judge each other’s rights records. Literary Festivals: Odisha Literary Festival kicks off with “Resurgence of the Word,” promising dozens of sessions and big-name speakers. Language Preservation: Kashmir’s Yikvot pushes Kashmiri into youth hands via reading, translation recovery, and a planned app. Reviews & Reading Culture: Dostoevsky gets a fresh, messy lens in ‘The Idiot(s)’; Ruskin Bond’s Laugh With Me offers candid, funny behind-the-scenes writing life. Children’s & Screen Adaptations: Andy Lee’s Do Not Watch This Show lands on Amazon Kids+ in the U.S. and Canada. Book Safety Debate: AI firms’ destructive scanning of used books is raising alarms across the industry. Notable Loss: Cebu’s National Artist for Literature Resil Mojares dies at 83.

Publishing Power Struggle: HarperCollins India will publish Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging on Nov. 10 after Penguin Random House India backed out amid an editorial dispute. Global Literature Funding: The Dutch Foundation for Literature’s Caribe scheme awarded €347,063 to 12 projects across Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and St. Maarten, including translations and children’s books. AI Oversight Fight: A lawsuit by Protect Democracy targets four U.S. agencies over secret reviews for frontier AI, demanding transparency on how models get cleared. Education & Access: Maine’s DOE launched a Wabanaki Studies Indigenous Literature Grant Program, offering up to $500 for eligible schools to buy Indigenous-authored books. Books as Community Good: A Winchester shop, P&G Wells, stocked Ann Blake’s A Legacy of Love, which has raised over £11,000 for charity. Stage & Screen Buzz: HBO’s Harry Potter season 2 reportedly faces production delays, while Netflix cast Mamadou Athie and Ben Levi Ross for Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets adaptation.

Publishing & Politics: Penguin Random House India shelved Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging after an editorial/legal review flagged parts of the manuscript; the publisher says it was routine, while critics argue it veered into censorship, and the book will still publish internationally via Knopf. AI & Health Records: A review warns that “ambient AI scribes” used in clinics can miss key patient details and may deskill clinicians, raising concerns about what gets left out of care. Children’s Health Research: A study in Scientific Reports finds prednisone can disrupt growth and bone markers in young boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, while vamorolone doesn’t show the same pattern. Literature & Language: A column argues literature can help revitalize disappearing languages in places like Papua New Guinea—if communities get real support for local stories at home. Freedom to Read: ICE has banned personal book deliveries to a detention center, with advocates calling it cruel and citing security-policy explanations that haven’t satisfied families. Book World Spotlight: Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason skewers publishing and parasocial obsession, turning loneliness and digital shame into a sharp, tragicomic novel.

AI & Publishing: DOJ backs OpenAI fair use in the AI copyright fight, while India’s copyright office says AI can write but can’t be the author—two signals that creators and publishers are heading into a tougher, clearer era of rights. Books & Culture: Ann Patchett’s Whistler returns to loss and art through a Met encounter, and Abd al-Hadi al-Madadha’s Darat Balqis uses place, memory, and real-estate pressure to interrogate identity. Local Book World: Liberty Hill’s Laura De La Cruz debuts Disney-published Lowrider for Sale, and Georgia Writers Museum welcomes Michael Lucker for Rule One. Literary Loss: Feminist icon Gloria Steinem dies at 92, with tributes highlighting her decades of activism and storytelling. Policy & Libraries: Somerset County’s move to restrict young adult books faces a state-law and First Amendment challenge. New Fiction Spotlight: By Any Means (Elegance Bratton) dramatizes Vernon Dahmer’s NAACP poll-tax fight, bringing 1960s voter suppression into a thriller framework.

Reading Series: Minnesota State University’s Good Thunder Reading Series returns with workshops, craft talks, and readings featuring Rita Bullwinkel, Danez Smith, and Palestinian American writer-translator Sarah Aziza. AI & Books: RTL reports tech firms buying second-hand Dutch books at scale to train AI, sparking online outrage over spines being cut and fears for rare editions. Book Fairs: Britain’s York National Book Fair is back Sept. 11–12 with 100,000+ books, from bargain finds to rare first editions, plus new dealer exhibitors. Publishing & Memoir: A posthumous memoir from Rebecca Alton (illness battle) is set for Nov. 25, while Corinne Entratter Sidney’s “Private Stock” spotlights Hollywood and Rat Pack-era Las Vegas from an insider’s view. Literary Culture: Isabel Allende promotes “Story Telling: A Writing Life,” and a review roundup keeps attention on Rachel Cusk’s “Life of M” and the controversy around it. Local Library Picks: Library Reads recommendations roll out for patrons, alongside community book-sale and author-event announcements.