This weeks Literary Ledger 10 to 17 July 2026

Welcome to your weekly roundup of all things books! We’re keeping it short and sweet, just five stories to keep you in the loop without overwhelming you. Think of this as your quick fix for staying connected to the book world.

I) Rebecca Yarros’ Big Announcement… Wasn’t Book Four

Back in March, Rebecca Yarros announced that she was writing a fourth book in her Empyrean series, and everyone has been waiting patiently for the announcement, the announcement that was finally released this week. And, well… it’s a little bit disappointing.

Because it is, in fact, not book four. Instead, it is a prequel set on Threshing Day, containing thirteen stories about some of the characters from the series and their dragons. This feels like it’s supposed to hold fans over until book four arrives.

Honestly, there is nothing I hate more (there probably is, but exaggerating is far more fun) than waiting for an author to give you the next book you want, only to be offered a prequel that nobody asked for. Prequels are fine, once the mayhem has settled down and there are no more books left to come out, or you haven’t been teasing the final book. Then yeah, it’s fine. But if you’ve done those other things… well, then it just sucks, quite frankly.

But yeah, it is still big news. Not so much for me, though. I gave up after Iron Flame, I just couldn’t bring myself to stomach the galling Violet or the insufferable Xaden. Happy for everyone else, though!

II) Penguin Wants More Readers

Publishing is so important, spotting talented pieces of work and getting them out into the world, but what is the point if people aren’t reading them? If there is no audience, there is no publisher, not really. Now, it isn’t quite that dire, but it is still something worth thinking about.

Penguin Random House recognises this and wants to get stuck in and do the work needed to improve the audience side of things. It is partnering with the National Year of Reading, with Penguin staff taking part in a company-wide volunteering initiative to support the campaign.

They are getting involved in things such as:

• Reading with children in schools

• Supporting libraries and community reading groups by helping to run events and activities

• Working with literacy charities that encourage both children and adults to read for pleasure

• Helping to organise and deliver reading events as part of the National Year of Reading campaign

• Sharing book recommendations and encouraging reading through community outreach

  
  

III) Publishers Take on Google Over AI Training

Hachette Book Group, Cengage Learning, Elsevier and author Scott Turow are suing Google, claiming that it illegally copied millions of copyrighted books to train its Gemini AI models without permission or payment.

They are seeking to stop Google from continuing to use copyrighted books without authorisation, secure damages for affected authors and publishers, and require Google to compensate copyright holders.

IV) Big Year So Far For Bloomsbury 

From Bloomsbury’s annual meeting, they announced that, following a strong first four months of 2027, the company is on track to post record profits. Revenue is expected to reach £354.2 million, while adjusted profit (the money left after costs are taken into account) is expected to remain at £49.9 million, the same as last year.

A lot of this growth is thanks to the consumer division, with major authors playing a huge role in boosting sales. Sarah J. Maas is a key example, with fans eagerly awaiting the next instalments in the ACOTAR series, while the Harry Potter series continues to bring in sales and introduce a new generation of readers before they watch the upcoming adaptation.

V) 2026 Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize Winner Announced

Rebecca Perry, an author and poet, has won the 2026 Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize with her book May We Feed the King. It was chosen from a shortlist of six novels.

The novel is a dual narrative about a curator designing immersive historical rooms who becomes so fixated on a little-known medieval king that his story begins to blur with her own life, linking her present-day emotional escape with his troubled and uncertain reign.

Perry will receive £5,000, along with a “promise of ongoing commitment” to her writing career.

Congratulations, Perry!