This weeks Literary Ledger 29 to 05 June 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) Silenced at the Festival: The Meta–Wynn-Williams Legal Battle

I’ll be honest, I don't feel particularly inspired by the stories this week. You can always tell when you have to dig and pry for something, anything, and even then what you find feels a bit uninspiring or uneventful, leaving you wondering whether there's anything truly juicy to talk about.

However, speaking of relevant this next piece of news is, and perhaps the most political. This comes from the Hay Festival. A woman named Sarah Wynn-Williams was prevented from speaking at the festival due to legal action from Meta, Facebook's parent company, over concerns that she could be in breach of an injunction. Her book was also not allowed to feature at the festival, the only way it could be possible for her to appear at the event at all.

Although she was unable to say anything during the talk she attended alongside others, she later received a standing ovation from the audience. Programme director Helen Bagnall, who introduced the session, acknowledged the moment as an “important act of solidarity for the silenced.” 

For context, her book Careless People was published in March 2025 by Macmillan. Since then, Wynn-Williams has faced legal pressure and is no longer able to promote it after Meta filed a lawsuit against her, alleging she breached a non-disparagement agreement signed when she left the company. She is reportedly subject to a fine of $50,000 each time she violates the court order.

In March 2026, Meta filed a sanctions motion claiming that Wynn-Williams breaches the order whenever she appears in public in situations where she should reasonably know her book is available for sale, and where her presence might draw attention to it.

This raises serious questions about freedom of speech. It feels like an extreme form of censorship, especially given the scale and influence of a trillion-dollar company.

II) Publishing Is Booming – But Not Everywhere

The publishing industry reached its highest-ever revenue in 2025, rising 3% to £7.4bn, with audiobooks, digital formats, and exports driving much of the growth.

The US, Australia, and Germany remained the largest markets for books across the combined academic, education, and consumer publishing sectors.

Print revenue held steady at £3.8bn, while digital rose to £3.8bn as well. Despite the growth in digital, print continues to dominate, accounting for around 79% of total revenue, and still appears to be the preferred format for readers.

However, education publishing continues to struggle. The sector has been declining for some time, and 2025 was no exception, with revenues down 4% overall.

III) The Queen, Paddington, and a Celebration of Reading

Her Majesty The Queen joined UK volunteers in celebrating and inspiring a new generation of readers at the Big Lunch event.

Queen Camilla is Patron of both the National Literacy Trust and The Big Lunch initiative from the Eden Project.

The Big Lunch: Sharing Stories event brought together the NYR and The Big Lunch, to thank volunteers for their contribution to supporting reading and connecting communities.

The most exciting part of all this, of course, is the announcement of the newest NYR Ambassador: Paddington. And to top it all off, The Queen cut a celebratory marmalade sandwich-inspired cake.

Following this, 40 volunteer pupil librarians were gifted Paddington books from HarperCollins Children’s Books, handed out by Karen Jankel, daughter of the late Michael Bond CBE, author of the Paddington books.

IV) Streaming Meets Publishing

It’s hard to ignore the influence the publishing world is now having on screen adaptations across major streaming platforms. Netflix, responding to the continued popularity of book-to-screen adaptations, is introducing “Watch Your Favourite Books”, a dedicated hub where users can rediscover films and TV shows based on books.

It’s a genuinely strong idea, and one that feels slightly overdue. In fact, it’s surprising no one implemented it sooner. I can’t help thinking I should have suggested it myself, and made a bit of money from it at least…dammit. 

V The Speakies Expand: New Categories for 2026

And finally, The British Audio Awards (aka “The Speakies”) are returning for 2026, and with them come three new categories.

The new additions are:

• Best Podcast – Arts & Entertainment

• Best Podcast – Narrative

• Best Production and Sound Design

Now, I’m not much of a podcast listener myself, but clearly I’m in the minority. As these changes reflect the growing importance of podcasts, as well as the increasing recognition of the creative work behind sound design teams. In total, the awards now span 19 categories.

Entries are open until 9 July 2026, with the shortlist due in September and winners announced at a London ceremony in November.