This weeks Literary Ledger 21 to 28 November 2025

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) From Screen to Shelf: A24 Launches Its Own Section in B&N

Barnes & Noble (currently only in the US) is America’s biggest bookseller, with more stores than any other chain, so it’s safe to say it’s pretty popular. A24, the indie film studio behind Midsommar, Lady Bird, and Pearl, ventured into book publishing last year. Now, they’re taking it a step further with a physical retail presence inside Barnes & Noble stores nationwide.

The A24 section will have a carefully curated design that stands out from the rest of the shop, making it easy to spot. It will feature a mix of books, movies, vinyl, and collectibles, essentially, a little A24 world within the store. It’s such a clever idea, and honestly, it feels totally natural for A24. After all, it’s all storytelling, just in a different format, and Barnes & Noble clearly wants to celebrate that in their stores.

II) £5 Million Boost for Books in UK Schools

It’s been announced that the UK government (Labour) will provide £5 million in new funding for state-funded secondary schools in England in 2026–27 to increase book supplies for pupils. Unsurprisingly, this is part of a wider push tied to the “National Year of Reading 2026,” which has already made a noticeable impact in encouraging people to engage with reading. This funding could significantly improve access to physical books for children and teens, helping to nurture a stronger reading culture at a time when it has been in decline.

III) David Hayman Leads the Push for a Reading Revolution in 2026

As we already know, David Hayman has been appointed Campaign Director of the National Year of Reading (NYR) 2026. The campaign is still fundraising and building influence, as seen in plans like increasing state funding for secondary schools. The goal is to reach a multi-million-pound budget; they’re not fully funded yet but are roughly halfway there.

Here’s what we know so far:

Three strands of the campaign:

1. National communications: Public-facing media, storytelling, and promotion through ambassadors, brand partners, and authors. The campaign’s slogan/brand Go All In.

2. Community-level activations: Work in schools, libraries, community spaces, and even areas like criminal justice to make reading accessible and social. Not everything will be centrally run; partners and local organisations will adapt the campaign to their context.

3. Shared services & research/evaluation: Commissioning data-driven research into reading behaviours, identifying barriers to reading, and embedding rigorous evaluation from the start to see what works, what doesn’t, and what can scale long-term.

The aim is for this work to extend beyond 2026, not just a flashy campaign that does its bit and leaves. It’s designed to make a lasting impact and shape the future of reading. As Hayman explains, the campaign wants reading to be “modern, social, and meaningful.”

IV) EU Removes Printed Books from Deforestation Rules

The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) was recently amended, with the European Parliament voting to remove all printed products from the regulation’s scope. 449 MEPs supported the amendment, while 202 voted against it. The amendment still needs to be agreed upon by the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and the European Commission in upcoming trilogue negotiations, expected to conclude in December 2025.

If it is finalised, publishers, printers, and importers/exporters of books and other print media will no longer have to comply with EUDR’s due-diligence rules. This has sparked considerable discussion: supporters argue that book publishing is far more complex than the commodity supply chains EUDR was originally designed to regulate, such as timber, palm oil, and coffee, and applying the same rules to books would impose a disproportionate burden on a cultural and informational good. For the publishing industry, this is generally positive news, reducing regulatory pressures on cross-border publishing, distribution, and import/export of books within the EU and UK trade context.

V) Celebrating New Voices: Fiction Prize for Refugee and Migrant Writers

Amazing news: Footnote Press and Counterpoints Arts have announced a new fiction award celebrating writers from refugee and migrant backgrounds. The prize comes with £15,000 and a publishing deal for the winner. This is the second collaboration between the two organisations, back in 2023, they ran a prize for narrative nonfiction, but this is the first time it will focus on fiction. The award is open to writers living in the UK or Ireland.

Footnote Press is an imprint of Bonnier Books UK, and Counterpoints Arts is a national organisation dedicated to arts, migration, and cultural change. The winner will receive £7,500 in cash and a further £7,500 as an advance as part of a publication agreement with Footnote Press.

Submissions are open now and close on 13 February. Entries must include an 8,000-10,000-word sample and a synopsis of at least 1,500 words. A shortlist will be announced in May, with the winner revealed during Refugee Week in June.