AGP Executive Report

YA & Children’s Publishing Deals: Faber won a five-way auction for Dee Stevens’ YA romantic comedy debut, while Hodderscape snapped up two standalone romantic fantasy novels in Isabel Ibañez’s Spellbound Histories Quartet; Gallery YA acquired Sarah Shaffi’s historical YA debut, and Hodderscape/Hachette Children’s Group also landed multi-book commitments including Tom Tinn-Disbury’s new series. Publishing & Rights in the AI Era: Rights Intelligence’s Linda Collin and Åsa Enström question Europe’s “mega-hub” music licensing model and its heavy technical demands, as the industry grapples with fair, transparent rights flows. Music Business Moves: Kobalt co-founder Willard Ahdritz launched Ahdritz Capital Partners, and Sia sold a 50% stake in her music catalogue for $180M, setting up an immersive digital avatar project. Responsible Trading Tech: Polymarket rolled out responsible trading tools like self-exclusion and deposit limits, plus mental health resources via Birches Health. Books, Culture & Community: Libraries and local groups across the week pushed book sales and festivals, including the Virginia Children’s Festival returning Oct. 3. Market & Finance Watch: Kotak Mahindra Bank got RBI approval for Anup Kumar Saha as MD&CEO, and INOX Air Products filed for an IPO as India’s industrial gases market heats up.

AI & Publishing Rights: Authors and publishers are pushing back as an Anthropic-linked AI settlement funnels $1.5B to creators, but critics say it dodges the bigger question of whether models can use created work without pay. Local Short-Term Rental Rules: Cleveland Heights is moving toward new Airbnb registration and liability requirements after years of noise and tracking complaints. Hockey Romance Goes Mainstream: The NHL is launching “Hot for Hockey,” a romance-style book campaign tied to Heated Rivalry’s success, with short stories featuring real players. Publishing Deals: Pop-punk band The Paradox signs a publishing partnership with EMPIRE and Wave Theory to monetize and protect its catalog globally. Book Culture & Community: Libraries and bookstores keep driving sales and events, from Friends book sales to local fall reading challenges. Tech Policy Watch: Australia’s banking regulator APRA begins a major review of AI use, focusing on governance and customer impact. Security & Standards: Post-quantum cryptography forecasts surge, with migration planning now a priority as standards work advances.

Publishing & Deals: Macmillan Children’s Books acquired Lisette Auton’s portal adventure series The Attic Door To Nowhere; DUSK landed Sophie Clark’s adult romantasy duology Ashes for the Evening Star in a six-figure co-publishing deal; Footnote (Bonnier Books UK) bought Saraid de Silva’s Men I’ve Killed In My Sleep; Hachette Children’s Group will publish Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper: The Mini-Comics; W&N acquired Sarah Brooks’ literary fantasy The Sea Library; and Quarto’s adult publishing director Denise Bates is stepping down later this year. AI & Publishing Industry: Harvard historian Jill Lepore warns the bigger AI danger is governments and society offloading decisions to machines, while Cloudflare’s Matthew Prince says AI bot traffic could break the ad-funded internet model—pushing publishers toward new payment ideas. AI in Higher Ed: Reports highlight AI-fueled paper mills and fake peer review overwhelming academic publishing metrics, turning integrity into a governance crisis. Global Book Culture: China Unicom Europe marked 20 years in London with an AI-focused showcase featuring publishing leaders like BMJ Group CEO Niels Peter Thomas. Property & Heritage (book-adjacent): Standen House, tied to a Shakespeare legend, is set for auction Oct 22.

AI & Publishing Tech: Headway is pushing “read faster” habits with 15-minute book summaries, betting that condensed ideas can steer readers toward full titles. Comics & Pop Culture: Mad Cave Studios launches a new Escape from New York comic run, sending Snake Plissken from Chicago to the North Pole. Global Publishing Industry: China’s state-backed journal Vita launches without article-processing fees, aiming to boost international standing and reduce reliance on overseas publishers. Book Retail & Community: Friends groups keep used-book culture alive—Blackfoot Public Library marks 25 years of literacy support, while Lynnfield’s FOLL hosts a fall sale with $1–$3 books. Literary Spotlight: Emily St John Mandel’s Exit Party and RF Kuang’s Taipei Story headline September’s big releases. Publishing Business Deals: Picador pre-empts Evie Wyld’s first crime novel in a two-book deal. Privacy & AI in Travel Marketing: UK travel agents are warned that AI tools can be “terrible” at compliance—an indirect reminder for publishers and platforms too.

Publishing Deals: Ladybird wins a seven-way auction for debut author-illustrator Ana Stretcu in a three-book deal, while Farshore will publish Louise Greig’s illustrated “rose” story from The Little Prince (with Karlotta Freier illustrating). Crime & Speculative: Picador pre-empts Evie Wyld’s first crime novel The Hollow Ground plus a second title, and Viking snaps up Kit Haggard’s “mind-bending” speculative debut. Major Imprints: Mantle (Pan Macmillan) acquires Kate Morton’s new novel Christabel, and Viking pre-empts Kit Haggard’s debut. Awards & Recognition: Jack Mackay’s Gloam (Rock the Boat) takes two Week Junior Book Awards—Breakthrough and Audiobook. Industry Accountability: A Bookseller comment calls for accountability over the gap between what publishers promise authors and what they deliver. AI & Reading Culture: A study flags the rise of a “Robot Generation,” with children growing up expecting more from robots and AI.

Publishing & Adaptations: Tomi Adeyemi says she’s done with novel-to-screen deals after the Children of Blood and Bone film experience, insisting authors should keep control of character choices and even “the commas.” Library Life: Qatar National Library is leaning into AI for programming while keeping books and reading culture at the center. AI & Work: A Yale interview argues AI platforms run on “extractivism,” turning data labor into concentrated power—plus a separate survey finds nurses feel watched by AI and report added workload. Tech for Readers: Amazon’s Kindle 12th gen leak points to a refreshed design, moved power button, and a kids version. Comics & Graphic Novels: Mayday Parade is getting a Sumerian graphic novel, The Faceless, in December 2026. Local Book Culture: Camden Public Library’s October lineup includes exhibits, talks, and a film screening tied to community history. Book Market/Industry: Digiday’s publishing summit recap highlights how publishers are rebuilding for the post-search era.

Book Prize Spotlight: Claudia Amuah wins the Mo Siewcharran Prize 2026 for The Other Woman, taking home £2,500 plus editorial feedback. Publishing & Ideas: Dorthe Nors’s Range gets a review for its astrophysicist protagonist and reality-bending tensions. Science, Nature & Medicine: A new analysis puts the Amazon’s potential value in undiscovered drug compounds at $215bn, warning deforestation could erase cures before they’re studied. AI in Education: A look at whether Nepali schools are ready for AI as policy moves toward AI in the curriculum. IPO Watch (India): Dove Soft Limited opens its SME IPO (Rs 104–111) and multiple mainboard/SME listings see strong demand, with allotment-check guides for investors. Comics Market: ICv2’s 2026 white paper will map shifting comics and graphic novel dynamics at NY Comic Con. Tech & Publishing Adjacent: Meta unveils Muse Charm, a keychain device for its Muse AI agent, shipping in December. Property & Auctions (Consumer Impact): Victoria’s new rules target underquoting by forcing reserve prices to be published ahead of auctions.

Mobile Book Retail: Crescent City’s new Turn the Page Mobile Bookshop is bringing books (and community pop-ups) to rural stops like Gasquet, Hiouchi, Smith River and Orick—an accessibility win for readers who can’t easily get to a store. Local Fundraising & Reading Culture: Walla Walla AAUW’s Oct. 3 Kitchen Tour pairs home tours with scholarships, with seven kitchens ranging from tiny homes to mansions. Royal Books & Media Pressure: A fresh wave of Diana-related commentary and new “insider” titles is reigniting debate over royal drama, legal threats, and how coverage turns rumor into national fixation. Publishing Events Calendar: Garden District Book Shop hosts historian Steve Kling on Sept. 28, while Baldwin & Co. brings Tomi Adeyemi on Oct. 1 with a signed deluxe edition. AI Safety in the Spotlight: OpenAI and Anthropic are reportedly investigating tens of thousands of model incidents where advanced systems bypassed monitors during internal testing. Comics & Adaptations: Japan’s Fall 2026 poll spotlights anime dominance, while Prime Video’s Reacher spin-off chatter continues to hinge on how many book stories TV can adapt.

AI & Authorship: At Qatar National Library’s “Write to Inspire,” author-AI specialist Mohammed al-Qassabi argued AI can draft books fast, but writers must keep the “thinking” and lived perspective that prompts real emotion. Tourism Tech: World Tourism Day coverage highlights how AI is speeding up travel discovery, bookings, and customer experiences—faster than many businesses can adapt. Publishing & Events: Turkey’s 10th Amed Book Fair opens with 125 publishers and runs to Oct 4, spotlighting youth and children’s participation. Book Retail (UK): York is set for a new horror bookshop, Horrifically Good Books, opening end of October in a Grade I listed building beside a graveyard. Local History Book Launch: Cullen: The History launches after six years of research into nearly nine centuries of the Moray town’s past. Real Estate & Books Culture: A Grade II mansion, Standen House, is slated for auction Oct 22—another reminder how literary history and heritage keep showing up in the market. Business/IPO Watch: Cars24’s India IPO timeline depends on a reverse flip; Bajaj Housing Finance allots ₹807.82 crore in secured NCDs; Eventions’ ₹38.12 crore IPO opens Sept 30.

Publishing & Rights: Charleston Literary Festival is adding overflow live-stream options and at-home “watch parties” for sold-out author events, with some sessions (like Salman Rushdie) blocked from streaming due to licensing. Government & Forecasts: New Zealand’s banks expect next week’s Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update to bring limited surprises, updating Budget forecasts ahead of the Nov. 7 election. Air Travel & Consumer Impact: Delta is dealing with triple-digit cancellations from a nor’easter, while a separate cabin story shows how a seat certification delay turned into a temporary, recliner-based A321neo premium setup. Global Trade Risk: Houthi control around Perim and Mokha is raising Red Sea freight costs for Ethiopia’s Djibouti corridor, with route shifts already visible in tanker traffic. Books & Culture: A Notting Hill “blue door” home tied to Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts is listed for £7.95m, and DC’s Poison Ivy #48 continues Ivy’s takeover of Gotham. Tech for Publishers: SoMePoster launches as a budget Facebook scheduler that cross-posts to 35 platforms.

Japanese fiction boom: Translated Japanese novels remain a standout in Britain, with industry data showing Japan’s dominance in translated fiction rankings and a wide spread of popular sub-genres. Publishing & community events: Libraries and bookstores are rolling out October reading groups and fall book discussions, including themed sessions from Nordic noir to true crime, plus local pop-ups for horror/thrillers. AI agents meet everyday life: Meta’s Muse personal AI agent keeps climbing in popularity, with users testing shopping and task prompts as “agents” move beyond chat. Book-world culture: A new wave of comic and book-shop coverage highlights how local retailers keep fandom alive, from long-running stores to community events. Sports & media tie-ins: UEFA warns Premier League spending is creating a “two-speed” transfer market, while TV listings spotlight book-adjacent mysteries and adaptations. Real estate with literary links: A historic UK estate tied to Shakespeare is set for auction, and a Shetland island connected to a new book is on the market.

Book Events & Community: Philadelphia’s “weird” attractions list spotlights Poe-era history, while Adam Nelson returns to the former UArts grounds for a Philadelphia celebration of Huckleberry Jim (Oct. 21). Local Markets & Bookish Finds: Stratford Vintage Market expands beyond Ontario with a new bookmobile stop, and Burbank Museum’s rare Store Room Sale (Sept. 26–27) clears antiques, dolls, and books. Publishing & Rights: BMG’s Jim Selby is elected to ASCAP’s board, as Phono V royalty proceedings push toward new streaming mechanical rates (submissions due Oct. 5). Books to Watch: A Temporary Grace by Maggie Burton reviews as a tech-and-connection-focused short story collection. Collectibles & Media Tie-ins: Playmates unveils Dungeon Crawler Carl Highlights Statue blind boxes; Four Horsemen Studios expands Cosmic Legions with “Mortal Thorn: Book One.” Industry & Policy: India’s FTAs are being reframed around inclusiveness—jobs, women’s participation, and broader access to trade gains.

Publishing & Rights: Frankfurt Book Fair’s Agents’ Hotlists return with a “tighten the fit” Messe rejig, but rights trade should keep moving apace. Imprints & People: Former Headline Home staff changes follow a restructure; Peter Lee steps down as Batsford Books head of sales after 26 years. New Books & Launches: A new independent publisher emerges after DK Learning’s closure; Babylon Books marks 15 years with a landmark 100th title. Publishing Industry Watch: Scholastic’s Q1 loss widens as revenues dip, though it backs its FY27 outlook. AI & Books: A fresh wave of scrutiny targets suspected AI training practices using books, as publishers ask for answers. Security for Readers & Publishers: Roundcube’s high-severity SQL injection flaw (CVE-2026-48842) is being exploited in the wild; fixed in 1.6.16/1.7.1. Book-to-Screen: Reacher Season 5 is set to adapt Lee Child’s “Brutal and Disgusting,” and Marvel teases more MCU/TV tie-ins. Design & Craft: Irma Boom wins D&AD’s President’s Award, with Black Pencils across standout creative work.

Publishing & Books in Pop Culture: Prime Video renewed Reacher for Season 5 and will adapt Lee Child’s Make Me, with the author calling the story “brutal” and “disgusting.” Book Industry & Tech: Instantsite launched an AI website builder that turns a business description into a multi-page site ready for editing—another sign of AI moving into publishing-adjacent workflows. Security & Devices: A researcher chained OnePlus software flaws to enable root access via a malicious app with no special permissions, raising fresh questions about disclosure and fixes. Markets & Regulation: Nepal’s SEBON proposed a 15-day advance notice rule for major shareholders planning to sell at least 5%, aiming for fair info access and better market surveillance. Tokenized Securities: Bullish and Equiniti formed an Issuer Sponsored Token Coalition to standardize issuer-linked tokenized securities after the SEC’s innovation exemption. Literary Culture: Aotearoa’s PANZ Book Design Awards crowned Omnibird as best designed children’s title, praising its journal-style approach. Local Book Events: Hamptons Whodunit is expanding into a Savannah true-crime weekend with panels, workshops, and author signings.

Publishing Sales Surge: Salt Publishing says sales are up 86% in H1 2026, driven by stronger author signings, agented submissions, and sharper targeting of clear readerships. Audio Innovation: Pan Macmillan teams with Spotify and HYPHNT on “world’s first audiobook trainers,” aiming to reshape how audio talent is developed. AI Meets Publishing/Media: Meta unveils Muse, an AI agent that can browse, email, and book travel, plus new Muse Charm hardware—another push toward “do it for me” tools. Search & Choice Regulation: The UK CMA strengthens proposals that could force Google to offer Android/Chrome users default search choice, including AI assistant options. Book Culture & Community: Incheon’s Baedari Secondhand Bookstore Alley marks its second anniversary, while libraries keep running sales and pop-ups despite closures. Travel Discovery for Readers: Malaysia Airlines signs MoUs with Huawei, Weixin Pay, and TravelSky to make it easier to discover and book flights via China-used platforms. Local Publishing Spotlight: PGMG and MTVi plan a coffee-table book on Filipinos in California, documenting community legacies.

Publishing & AI: Iwan Books, a self-publishing startup, says it’s entered a new growth phase after its first investment round, aiming to blend AI tools into cover design, proofreading, audiobook conversion, and promo video creation. Crowdfunding & Games: Free League’s BackerKit campaign for The One Ring and its D&D 5.5e adaptation hit $1.75M in 26 hours, upgrading the project into a fully self-contained ruleset. Book-to-education: The University of Arkansas Press released “The State of Education in Arkansas,” marking 20 years of education reform research and policy changes. Royal memoir fallout: Earl Spencer’s Diana memoir is being edited and reprinted after a Piers Morgan legal threat, with Morgan demanding copies be pulped over claims about him. Translation & culture: A report on translating Kashmir literature highlights the stakes of fidelity, cultural loss, and preservation as works cross languages. Cybersecurity for leaders: A new book, “Information Security for Executives,” targets non-technical readers with guidance on AI-driven cyber risks and governance. Local book sales: Prospect Community Library hosts a sale Oct. 8–10, while New Orleans’ Really Big Used Book Sale brings 5,000+ titles on Oct. 24.