This weeks Literary Ledger 13 to 20 March 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) AI Has Landed on Bookstore Shelves (Sort Of) 

It’s officially happened: an AI-written book slipped through the cracks and made it onto UK shelves… before being pulled and cancelled in the US.

The book in question is Shy Girl by Mia Ballard, which was picked up by Hachette after initially being self-published, where it racked up thousands of ratings on Goodreads and relatively high scores. It was then traditionally published in November 2025, only to be met with a wave of criticism.

Readers began raising concerns about the writing itself, pointing out strange sentence structures, glaring plot holes, and repetitive, uninspired phrasing. Now, I haven’t read it myself (so take this with a pinch of salt), but this is what a lot of commentators have been saying, especially YouTuber Frankie’s Shelf, who posted a video titled i’m pretty sure this book is ai slop. In it, he says, “I think that ChatGPT wrote every description in this story, of which there are way, way too many.”

From what I could find, The New York Times reported a statement from Ballard: “This controversy has changed my life in many ways, my mental health is at an all-time low, and my name is ruined for something I didn’t even personally do.”

And honestly… I feel conflicted.

On one hand, I’m genuinely glad (and, dare I say, proud) that Hachette is choosing to protect real, human-created work over AI, regardless of potential profit. That matters. But on the other hand, I’m also a bit shocked. How did this get through? Was it not properly edited? Did they just use the self-published version as it was? Because if anyone had looked closely, surely some of the more obvious issues, like sentences randomly starting on new lines or basic structural errors, would have been caught?

And this isn’t even the only controversy surrounding the book. The original cover was reportedly cropped from artwork by Wyn Lewis, which Ballard admitted to, saying she found it on Pinterest. That was eventually resolved, and the traditionally published version had a new cover, but still, not a great look.

The whole situation is messy. Because here’s the thing, I don’t think we can ever 100% prove that something was written using AI. Even when it feels obvious. Maybe I’m wrong, but it raises a bigger question, where do we draw the line? Will we always be able to tell, like people seem to think they can here? And is Hachette pulling the book enough to confirm those suspicions?

Also, and I really want to stress this, bad writing does not automatically mean AI was involved. Bad art is very human. We’ve all read books, seen artwork, watched movies, or been to shows thats just not great. But AI-generated work feels like a different kind of bad. It’s almost instinctive, you sense something is slightly off, just not quite human.

And maybe that’s the point.

Without getting too deep (but also… maybe getting a little deep), that’s where the human experience comes in. The soul. The thing that makes art feel real, even when it’s messy or imperfect. And what is art, really, without that?

II) TheWorks: Up Close and Personal

The Works is a retailer that sells books, art and craft materials, gifts, toys, games, stationery, etc. Personally, I mostly go there for their brilliant book prices, often half the cost of what you’d see in Waterstones or other big retailers. Of course, you pay for that bargain with a limited selection. They mostly focus on romance, fantasy, crime, autobiographies, drama, and lots of kids’ books. And if you’re after absolute bargains, they tend to stock sets of popular titles in those genres constantly. 

Anyway, I’m getting distracted. The point is, The Works has closed its online shop. You can still browse items online, but if you want to buy anything, you have to head to a physical store. This is obviously because their online sales weren’t bringing in enough money, while their high street shops are doing just fine.

Honestly, I’m not too fussed about this. Almost every time I’ve bought a book from The Works, it’s been because I wandered in and browsed. And when I’m shopping online, it’s probably second-hand anyway (95% of the time), and the other 5% would be gifts, my only excuse to splash the cash.

III) A Win for UK Creatives!

Though we’ve had a lot of bad news about AI recently, I’m pleased to share some good news. The UK government has abandoned its plan to introduce a copyright exception that would have allowed AI companies to train models on copyrighted material without permission, unless creators opted out, effectively putting the burden entirely on them.

This change comes thanks to the strong opposition from creative individuals and industries. I also think the big publishers’ stance at the London Book Fair helped a lot. They supported the protest and distributed copies of Don’t Steal This Book, which featured contributions from over 10,000 authors. The book is “empty,” except for a list of the authors’ names, and it was created as a statement against AI firms using their work without permission.

What the new plan will look like, however, is still uncertain. They might stick with current copyright law, introduce a licensing-based system, or simply require more transparency about what content is AI-generated.

Still, this is a significant victory. That said, it’s not completely resolved, and with AI it often feels like we’re the test guinea pigs, figuring out how to respond to something we don’t fully understand or aren’t yet equipped for. Since the industry is so new and constantly evolving, it’s only natural that navigating it will be an ongoing struggle.

IV) Hachette Livre

Some news from across the ocean (and no, it’s not about America–or Trump–for once, yay!).

Hachette in France (Hachette Livre) is looking to expand its acquisitions beyond Europe, aiming for more global growth. It’s great to see the publisher positioning itself as a global powerhouse, supporting acquisitions outside of Europe. There’s so much more diversity, intrigue, knowledge, and excitement to be found on other continents!

V) Parton’s Bookish Side Quest: Books for Babies

And a piece of small news to brighten spirits: thanks to the much-loved celebrity and country singer Dolly Parton, babies in Chard, Somerset, are set to receive a free book every month until the age of five through a scheme she set up. The initiative has already received £8,000 in donations for its first year.

Here’s how it works: Chard Community Hub is responsible for paying for the books, which it plans to do through fundraising and asking local businesses for sponsorships. Then, Parton’s Dollywood Foundation takes care of the behind-the-scenes logistics, covering the scheme’s administration and coordinating large-scale publishing and distribution partnerships to make sure the system runs smoothly.