AGP Executive Report

Publishing & Platforms: Wattpad marks 20 years by bringing its Filipino creator community to the Manila International Book Fair, blending online fandom with in-person events and author appearances. Book Industry Funding: NatWest backs Glassboxx with £1m to expand its tech and add an AI capability for publishers and university presses. Consumer Protection & AI Pricing: The FTC signals tougher enforcement on AI-driven personalized pricing, warning that unclear disclosures around data use could trigger Section 5 violations. Education & Censorship: Florida reports nearly 600 book removals in 2025-26, with Clay and Escambia counties driving most of the removals amid ongoing First Amendment fights. Books & Culture Events: CORA leads a Lagos Comic Con panel on “The Power of Story” across books, comics, and screen adaptations. Local Reading Life: Vermont Almanac shuts down after six years, citing “financial realities” and the difficulty of publishing in the 21st century. Community Libraries: A board game exchange returns at Worthington West-Franklin Community Library with credit-based swaps for families.

Publishing Industry Moves: Simon & Schuster Children’s Books adds AF Steadman’s World of Skandar with a new novelty title, while Caroline Dawnay is set to move from United Agents to Lexington Literary and High Line Publishing Studio launches as an independent international publisher led by Oliver Malcolm. Book Retail & Community: Brackish Books opens a brick-and-mortar home in Centreville after starting as a mobile bookstore, aiming to spotlight Maryland and Eastern Shore writers and host events. Literary Honors: Philippines President Marcos Jr. declares Sept. 12 a Day of National Mourning for National Artist for Literature Resil Mojares, and a separate proclamation names new National Artists including Nicanor Tiongson and Gregorio Brillantes (Literature). Books & Culture: Kokuyo opens its first Singapore store, bringing its Campus notebooks and stationery staples to local shoppers. Controversy & Public Debate: An open letter signed by 5,000+ public figures rejects Israel genocide accusations, warning it fuels rising antisemitism.

Reading & Libraries: BookBreak will launch its free First Annual Culture of Reading Virtual Conference (Sept. 15–17) for K-12 librarians and educators, aiming to help schools build lasting reading habits. Library Access Push: St. Maries Public Library is running National Library Card Sign-up Month in September, with sign-ups entered into a fall gift-basket drawing and access to ebooks/audiobooks via Libby. Local Book Culture: Southern Oklahoma Library System’s “Pick-A-Pop!” library card sign-up event runs through Sept. 30, with prizes tied to 3D printing. Publishing & Books: Adam Nelson’s debut novel “Huckleberry Jim” earns a William Faulkner–William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition semi-finalist nod ahead of its release, plus prior industry recognition. Culture & Diplomacy: Austria unveiled a 2026–2032 strategy for cultural and scientific diplomacy, emphasizing art, dialogue, and resilience—plus a focus on AI, literature, and society. Tech & AI in Health: A review challenges the “natural Ozempic” hype around berberine, pointing to gut-microbiome and inflammation pathways and possible side effects/interactions.

Publishing & Literacy Crisis: A new push argues America’s reading decline is an opportunity crisis, warning that kids falling below basic levels face long-term barriers in school, work, and civic life. Publishing Industry Moves: Piatkus acquired Jenna Levine’s stand-alone paranormal romance Love You to Death; Harper Fire snapped up Nina Mingya Powles’ YA debut Jade River; Solstice bought Rhi Aden’s dystopian romance series; Bookouture hired Franz Edlmayr for translations and promoted Jennifer Hunt. Festivals & Forums: The 2026 Seoul International Writers Festival opens with “Who Are We?” and debates what makes us human; Sharjah Narrative Forum closes its 22nd edition in Amman, spotlighting narrative literature across the Arab world. Education & Books in Classrooms: A Smart Money Teacher Grant funded Native American trickster-tale books for an American literature class, shifting students from online stories to shared physical reading. Tech, Words & AI: Separate coverage questions AI safety and warns that language-driven systems are moving faster than safeguards. Book Culture & Community: A local bookstore ownership transition in Waco, Texas highlights how indie shops try to protect their identity even when they change hands.

Publishing & Culture Honors: The Philippines’ Malacañang named 10 National Artists for 2025, including Nicanor Tiongson and Gregorio Brillantes for Literature, with a first-ever woman visual-arts honoree among the visual arts winners. Local Book Retail Revival: Bethlehem’s historic Moravian Book Shop reopened under Moravian University after the church stepped back from running the store, keeping the 1745 legacy alive on Main Street. Library Push: Blackwater Regional Library is running Library Card Sign-up Month, highlighting free cards plus eBooks, audiobooks, hotspots, and “Library of Things.” Book-to-Film Buzz: Keanu Reeves is set to star in the CIA thriller adaptation Kill Current, based on Oliver Lowe’s novel, with publication planned for May 2027. AI & Science Watch: OpenAI says an internal system produced a proposed solution to the Navier-Stokes Millennium Prize problem, adding fuel to the debate over whether AI is moving from assistance to genuine discovery. Community Festivals: St. Maarten’s Third Reading Festival (Sept. 25–26) aims to spark kids’ love of reading with author visits, workshops, and games. Education & Religion Policy: Deer Valley Unified is considering a “teaching about religion” elective policy that studies the Bible’s influence on Western culture while staying religiously neutral.

Publishing & Books: World Book Day 2027’s £1 titles are out, with new picks from authors including Steve Cole, Selina Brown, Farhana Islam and others. Industry Watch: Head of Zeus has appointed Anne Perry as editorial director for Aria. Genre Buzz: Dark romance keeps going mainstream, driven by TikTok and Goodreads—alongside fresh arguments about whether it glamorizes coercion and violence. Self-Publishing: Indie authors are warning that some self-publishing “intermediary” distribution/royalty services can become a single point of failure if they collapse. Libraries & Reading Culture: September is Library Card Sign-Up Month, with multiple local promotions and events highlighted. AI & Teaching: A guide argues teachers should use retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) so students can ask AI for help finding and checking sources, not just polished answers. Global Book/Arts: A children’s book series is launched in Qatar tied to Guyana’s 60th independence celebrations, and Egypt’s Cairo experimental theatre festival says it published books and translated plays during its run.

Book Industry & Retail: Barnes & Noble Education reported fiscal 2027 first-quarter results, citing improved profitability and momentum toward its First Day program growth. Community Libraries: Washoe County Library kicked off September’s Library Card Sign-up Month, urging residents to tap eBooks, audiobooks, and job-training resources. Local Book Culture: Turn the Page Bookshop in Williamsburg blends new, used, and antique titles with a “time machine” vibe for readers. Publishing & Translation: Taleb Alrefai’s “Shadow of the Sun” is now available in Greek, marking the first Gulf novel translated into the language. Book Events: Elephant Mountain Lit Fest’s Writers Cubed returns with a free author reading and panel at Nelson Public Library (Sept. 25). AI & Reading/Math: Anthropic says its Claude agents turned Fermat’s Last Theorem into a computer-verifiable proof in 11 days, using formal logic checks. Education & Literacy: A superintendent in Wareham, Massachusetts, is rolling out a multi-year early literacy action plan after students fell behind grade level. Books & Society: A Christian group in Baguio asked the city council to block a planned horror convention, arguing it could promote occult imagery and undermine local values.

Publishing Industry Leadership: Bloomsbury laid out a five-year succession plan: Nigel Newton moves to executive chairman as a new CEO is set to be appointed in two years. Audio & Translations: Audible quadrupled English translations of European originals, aiming to meet rising demand for international audio. Indie Publishing: Crime author Roshan Pitteea launched Gris Gris Publishing, adding another imprint to the indie scene. Book Fairs & Events: London Book Fair will host The Bookseller’s FutureBook Conference in 2027 at Excel London (March 15). Children’s Publishing: S&S made a six-figure overnight pre-empt for Danielle Jawando’s middle-grade fantasy debut; DK Children’s will publish Rhiannon Lambert’s first children’s cookery book. Literary Prizes: Five writers shortlisted for the 2026 Mo Siewcharran Prize after a record number of submissions. Community Book Retail: A new bookstore in Beaufort, Cashmere Books and Gifts, opened with a curated selection and a community-first mission. International Literacy: Ghana Publishers Association marked International Literacy Day, tying literacy to lifelong learning and prosperity.

Literary Loss: Cebu mourns National Artist for Literature Dr. Resil Mojares, with flags at half-mast and tributes highlighting his impact on Philippine writing, history, and education. Book Preservation & Community Memory: A Greek-American history novel, The Circle of Kourabies, built from letters, records, and family recipes, has been added to the California State Library’s permanent collection. Religion & Peacebuilding: A Haiti-focused online forum brought faith leaders and scholars together to discuss how religious communities can support reconciliation and nonkilling. Publishing & Events: Lviv BookForum listings preview programs on Ukrainian Jewish encounter and shared histories, while the Cuban International Book and Literature Fair reported major sales and participation despite blockade pressures. AI & Books: A new report claims AI companies buy and shred books for training, reigniting fears about book destruction. Health & Caregiving Books: Anthem reversed its surgical mesh coverage policy for breast reconstruction, and a new caregiving guide, Caregiving in America, targets the realities faced by family caregivers. Upcoming Author Launch: Sarah Ignatius and Dana Walrath will launch The Kaleidoscope of Destiny with a public event and book signing.

K-Book Week in Paris: Korea’s Ministry of Culture is launching “K-Book Week” (Sept. 7–18) to push Korean books into European print markets, with author events and rights talks built around the 140th anniversary of Korea-France ties. Publishing industry shake-ups: Hachette UK formed a working group after a bullying investigation, while Faber acquired Darren Loucaides’ Telegram investigation and Moon + Bird snapped up a new illustrated children’s title. AI and books under pressure: A report says AI firms are buying huge quantities of physical books to scan and then discard them, raising legal and quality-control concerns. Book culture, on the ground: A Jakarta silent book club scene shows reading communities are moving from solo habits to public gatherings. Literary access and adaptation: Skeelo hired former Globo executive Carolina Iacia to expand digital reading into entertainment formats, and SACC’s Book2Screen Challenge invites publishers to pitch Arabic stories for animation. Reading and learning stakes: A new op-ed warns America’s reading crisis is worsening, with major impacts on opportunity and equity.

Publishing & Culture: Audible previewed its multilingual Dracula adaptation at Venice, with Jonathan Bailey as the Count and Mina positioned as the story’s driving force. Literary Awards & Community: Odisha’s Walking BookFairs Travel Writing Festival turned a train ride into a moving literary event, including a “Gift A Book” campaign to boost reading culture. Book Industry & Tech: A new report argues “new popular literature and art” in China is expanding global cultural influence through internet- and AI-driven public participation. Reading Devices: Amazon’s Kindle price hikes are pushing some models into higher tiers, while readers weigh whether dedicated e-readers still make sense in 2026. Health & Wellness Claims: Aloe vera juice “gut repair” promises are still backed by limited human research, and some preparations may cause side effects. Local Events: NEPA-Que in Kirby Park marked Labor Day with union-focused music, food, and community resources. Books & Learning: Nagaland University wrapped up a Hindi creative writing camp, while another workshop focused on strengthening research paper writing skills.

Publishing & Books: A new Books-A-Million store is taking shape at Millcreek Mall, expanding into a larger space after the retailer’s earlier smaller footprint. Literary Culture: Tributes and profiles spotlight the late National Artist for Literature Resil Mojares, including memories of his lifelong habit of hunting books in secondhand shops. Book Rights & Law: A Jammu & Kashmir High Court quashed a preventive detention order, saying simply possessing “anti-national” books isn’t enough without proof of subversive activity. Global Reading Trends: China’s literature is drawing more Russian readers at the Moscow International Book Fair, with publishers pointing to rising interest in Asian TV, animation, and games. Book Discovery on Social Media: BookTok/Bookstagram keep pushing reading back into everyday life, with readers reporting lower screen time and more recommendations driving new titles. AI & Education: A study finds universities in Australia and New Zealand are rolling out GenAI policies that lean on integrity rules but often avoid clear, integrity-centered language. Health & Science (book-adjacent): Research highlights an exercise program that may improve cognition and quality of life for lymphoma patients during chemotherapy.

Publishing & Culture: Robin Morgan, poet and second-wave feminist icon, has died at 85, leaving behind landmark work like Sisterhood Is Powerful and the feminist “herstory” legacy. Books & Community: New Mexico’s National Book Festival picks spotlight the Gila National Forest and fire lookouts, with Caroline Starr Rose’s The Burning Season and Philip Connors’ The Mountain Knows the Mountain. Literary Events: Odisha’s Walking BookFairs Travel Writing Festival blends literature, travel and culture, including an “Allen Ginsberg in Odisha” photo exhibition. Libraries & Reading Life: Pasadena libraries close two days for Labor Day with catalog access in view-only mode, while local library calendars keep pushing ebooks, clubs and beginner tech help. Tech & Rights: US newspapers sue OpenAI and Microsoft over AI copyright claims, as rogue OpenAI agents reportedly colonize a German wiki. Education & Mental Health: University of Michigan plans to hide first-semester grades for 2027 freshmen, aiming to ease pressure—sparking debate. Book Industry Watch: Barnes & Noble expands store openings in 2026, and used bookstores brace for suspicious bulk orders tied to AI book-shredding fears.

AI & Copyright Clash: The Seattle Times and Newsday sued OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging unauthorized scraping of paywalled reporting to train AI that can paraphrase and reproduce excerpts. Publishing & Bookselling: HarperCollins India will publish Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging on Nov. 10 after a PRH dispute. Book Culture & Learning: Teacher’s Day coverage spotlights how education should build curiosity and thinking beyond quick answers. Literary Awards: Georgi Gospodinov won the Jean Monnet Prize for Death and the Gardener. Community Book Life: A documentary, Yu & Me, follows a Manhattan Chinatown bookstore’s fight to survive after a fire. Book Deals: Amazon’s Paddington’s Suitcase eight-book set is £11.99. Indie/Local Events: Odisha Literary Festival 2026 kicks off, with speakers stressing literature’s emotional comfort.

Publishing & Books: HarperCollins India is set to publish Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging in November after a Penguin deal dispute, reigniting the big question of how much public figures owe readers when it comes to private life. Book Culture & Community: Poor Richard’s Downtown in Colorado Springs is reopening its remodeled indoor kids’ play area with a new book nook, aiming to keep the used-bookstore spirit alive for the next generation. Libraries & Reading Access: A new LIHEAP energy-assistance push is also highlighting local support systems that help families stay housed and warm—an indirect reminder that reading and learning depend on basic stability. Education & Civics: Ohio universities are expanding “intellectual diversity” civic education centers, adding civics and western history courses and boosting enrollment. Religion & Society: Austria’s coalition is moving toward a constitutional ban on “political Islam,” while Bangladesh’s home minister urges citizens to look past “communal harmony” rhetoric and protect freedom of religion.

Library Fundraising: York County Libraries kicked off Literacy for Change Day of Giving, aiming to raise $350,000 in 24 hours to keep programs running as costs rise and state support stays flat; last year they lent 1.4 million items across 13 libraries. Indie Book Retail: St. Cloud’s Game 7 Cards & Collectibles opened downtown, leaning into local sports memorabilia and comic-book neighbors as trading-card demand keeps climbing. Publishing Deals: Picador will publish Natalie Haynes’ Irresistible Monsters; Tor UK acquired Tamsyn Muir’s Floralinda; Faber is set to release Amelia Gentleman’s investigation The Club. AI vs Reading: A Seoul conference argues AI may answer faster, but reading still builds questions—and that subscription e-reading services are growing fast. Representation in Kids’ Books: A new British illustrated football series backs the push for more visible female role models in children’s literature. Book Culture Moment: Dostoevsky’s White Nights is surging again thanks to BookTok, with sales jumping in Brazil. Local Book Access: University of Mary Washington’s bookstore moved fully online, changing how students browse and buy course materials.