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.

Hello! This is my bi-weekly update on publishing. I hope you haven’t missed me too much, but here I am again with another catch-up for all you wonderful people who are dying to get into the industry just as much as I am. So, without further ado, here’s another segment of the blind leading the blind! I’ve had a bit of a shuffle recently in how I work and when I work, and I’m starting to understand why I’ve been struggling at times: I’m craving structure more than I realised. Before I was unemployed, structure was inherent in my life. Even at university, although you’re independent, you still have responsibilities and expectations, lectures, library days, societies, friends, and before you know it your schedule is packed without you even trying. Now, with this endless cycle of job hunting, it’s the complete opposite. There’s one main goal, one task, but it never really ends. It’s like sitting the same exam every day. The question changes slightly each time, but it’s always based on the same text you’ve already studied. Now imagine doing that every single day and as soon as you finish the last one you start again and again and again. The repetition becomes the challenge, not the content. I’ve somehow become quite the expert in cover letters. I could probably write one in my sleep, although at this point that would feel more like a nightmare. Where I used to have dreams about being chased or falling off cliffs, I now have dreams about failing interviews, or producing a terrible CV. So, getting to the point: I’ve made a proper timetable. A very structured one. If it could tell me when to blink and breathe, I probably would be tempted to allow it. I hate to admit it (as a night owl who tends to work late), but it’s actually working. It’s made a noticeable difference. Time doesn’t feel like it’s slipping away quite so aggressively anymore. Weekdays are for work. Weekends are for not working. I’ve built in breaks and other tasks that still connect to job hunting, LinkedIn updates, tidying my website, posting on Bookstagram, chores, reading, things like that. It feels more like an actual life again, rather than just a constant loop of applications. The best part is that my day now ends when everyone else does. When my family comes home, I’m not rushing back to my room to squeeze in “just one more application” because I’ve already done what I needed to do. It’s flexible enough not to feel overwhelming, but structured enough to keep me on track. Of course, I do slip sometimes. The frustration of job hunting still gets to me, and I can fall out of rhythm. But I can’t really stop. I’ve also started taking a more speculative approach to job searching. The “hidden job market” feels more realistic in some ways, less visible, maybe less competitive. It is a risk, since there might not be anything formally available, or you could just catch a company at the wrong time. But even a small conversation, a bit of work experience, or a new contact can come out of it. Anyway, this ended up being more of a ramble than anything else. Not much of a conclusion, just trying to keep going, stay on top of things, and not lose momentum. And to all my lost bookworms, Stay Steadfast x

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) What’s Next for the Off Campus TV Series? The Off Campus TV shows have done very well, with 36 million views. The first season was based on the first book in Elle Kennedy’s series, The Deal, starring Ella Bright as Hannah Wells and Belmont Carmeli as Garrett Graham. Each book follows a new romantic couple, and next up is Dean and Allie. Allie Hayes, Hannah’s best friend and an aspiring actress, and Dean Heyward-Di Laurentis, who’s on the same hockey team as Garrett and is a bit of a charming playboy, are the focus of the next story. The next book was originally supposed to be The Mistake, but in line with the TV show it made more sense to switch things up, I guess. In that season we’ll also be “soft launching” John Logan and Grace Ivers (who’s already been cast), setting up their relationship for season three. It’s one of those things where it’s not life or death what order it’s in, since the stories kind of stand on their own anyway. But it’s exciting we’ll be getting more of this. II) AI Narration and Spotify’s Push Into Audiobooks Spotify very popularly has an audiobook business (I even saw them at the London Book Fair and managed to snag a free hand sanitiser). They are making some changes using AI so that authors can have their book narrated for them instead of paying narrators to do this. The system is called ElevenLabs. There are two ways you can look at this. The first is that it’s another job being lost to AI, so now voice actors have to fear not having as many opportunities going forward. However, if these are self-published authors they may not have the funds to pay a narrator to read their audiobook, but I hardly think this is the solution. Why is the answer always AI? I knew it would spread itself faintly into the creative field until it was too late to go back to a world that can’t be understood anymore. Reading and voice acting are creative, and it is not known as an easily attainable career (what is anymore). A job in a creative industry is already rare to establish yourself in, and now Spotify are minimising another avenue. Besides, when something is read by AI it won’t sound or feel authentic, surely. It would feel like having a high-end Google Translate reading something back to you, stale and, well, unhuman. Spotify are also investing a lot more into audiobooks, but never for the benefit of the creatives they are benefiting off. It’s supposed to be a balance, scratch your back and you can scratch theirs, but of course that was a very silly and unrealistic expectation in such a capitalistic, greed-hungry world. I really hope it doesn’t end up replacing the human side of it entirely. When the Kindle came in, there were similar fears about physical books disappearing, and that didn’t happen. Because there is something so connecting about a physical copy of a book that you can’t replace, and I’d like to think the same about a voice. III) Another Casting Announcement for Emily Henry’s Book Beach Read There was a lot of uproar when the casting came out for Emily Henry’s book Beach Read. Phoebe Dynevor is playing January, and Patrick Schwarzenegger is playing Gus. The BookTok community did not have many nice things to say about Gus’ casting. So, the description is “infuriatingly attractive” in a charming way, tall-ish, not buff but toned, with olive skin, sharp cheekbones, and furiously dark eyes. Everyone wanted and expected, from that description, someone like Fabian Frankel (and I definitely see it), and Patrick is just not that. Once again, physical appearance means a lot to readers and authors, because why describe people at all if it isn’t important? We could just leave it blank. It holds such weight in a story, just as appearance holds weight in our own lives, so going off “vibes” alone is frustrating. An actor’s job is to act, so I can’t see why it’s so hard to get someone who looks like Gus and can act as him. The director, Yulin Kuang, also responded online after the commotion and wrote on one of her Instagram posts: “I have always maintained that we are not casting a character, but a relationship.” But aren’t you casting both…? The two are not mutually exclusive. If you don’t go in with the character in mind first, then the second thing (the relationship side) will fall apart. That reaction didn’t give me much faith, and it didn’t give the Beach Read audience much faith either. This also shows Kuang’s misunderstanding of what adult romance is, and has really put it in a box. Romance is built on character development, it isn’t always just about tropes, meet-cutes, or passion. Especially with Emily Henry, who I think is a brilliant romance writer. Anyway, sorry about that, that was just a long-winded way of announcing that Andie MacDowell and Kevin Bacon are also set to join the cast of Beach Read, and production is set to start this June. IV) Penguin Announces Deluxe Alchemised Edition Penguin has announced that they are releasing a Deluxe Three-Volume Slipcase Edition of Alchemised by SenLinYu, set to release on 13th October 2026.It is split into its three hardcover volumes (sectioned exactly as in the original copy Parts 1-3). Honestly, I might have preferred this edition sooner, because carrying around that hefty 1000-page thing was not for the weak. I’m surprised there was enough glue to keep it together. The set features: Illustrated slipcase with brand-new art Three unjacketed hardcovers with foil stamps Metallic silver edges Bookmark ribbons Full-colour illustrated endpaper maps 24 black-and-white interior illustrations by acclaimed artist Avendell Check out what the books look like here: https://alchemisedbook.com/deluxe-edition/ V) New £1M Literary Grant Fund Announced by the RSL More positive news for the increase in reading efforts! The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is the UK’s leading literary charity dedicated to promoting literature and supporting writers. They have created a new grant fund worth £1 million, with £200,000 awarded annually between 2026 and 2030. This will be used to support projects that encourage people to read in communities across the UK, so that could include literary festivals, book events, creative writing workshops, it really spans a lot of things. Of course, this has been launched and inspired by the National Year of Reading. Unsurprisingly, literature receives a very small share of arts funding. Between 2021 and 2024, only 3% of private cultural funding went to literature, which is unacceptable because there is so much to gain and benefit from reading (I know I’m biased, but it’s true!). There’s a lot that can apply, like literary charities or independent publishers, and grants will range depending on need, from £5,000-£30,000. There are two categories of grants available: Operating Grants – for expanding or sustaining existing literary programmes Innovation Grants – for new or experimental projects that test fresh ways of engaging readers I’m very excited to see the change this will bring!

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) Libraries for Primaries: Expanding Reading Access in UK Schools The National Literacy Trust is working to encourage more children to read for pleasure and address the worrying decline in reading among young people. As part of this, they are inviting organisations to submit bids for the Libraries for Primaries programme, rolling out between 2026 and 2029. Bids can be submitted for a single lot or for multiple lots. Over the three-year period, the programme aims to support 1,625 schools by providing training, a curated collection of 500 books from a range of publishers, library furniture, an audiobook package, and additional resources. A call for tender was issued on 1st May 2026, with a deadline for quotations of 12th June 2026. Contract awards are expected to be confirmed by 3rd July 2026. For anyone unfamiliar with the term, a call for tender is when an organisation publicly invites businesses to submit proposals to supply a product or service. The organisation then reviews and compares these proposals (known as tenders or bids) and selects the one that best meets its requirements. Organisations can submit bids for the following lots: Book fulfilment Furniture Audiobooks There are several flagship and supporting partners involved in this initiative. For a full list of partners and more information, you can visit the Libraries for Primaries website here: https://www.librariesforprimaries.org.uk/partners II) What’s Going On with TG Jones? We’ve seen quite a few changes to TG Jones (previously WHSmith, it still feels a bit odd not calling it that). The company is now expected to run out of funding by the end of June 2026, which is surprisingly close. If a restructuring plan isn’t approved by creditors and signed off by the High Court, they’re likely to end up in administration (bankruptcy). Since the rebrand, the business has reportedly lost £18.6 million between September 2025 and March 2026. And honestly, I can’t say I’m shocked. As I suspected when the change happened, dropping the WHSmith name seems to have made it harder for customers to recognise the brand. It never really made sense to me why a name with over 230 years of history was swapped out, especially for TG Jones, which didn’t really have any brand recognition at all. The High Court comes into this because TG Jones is using something called a restructuring plan under Part 26A of the Companies Act 2006. Basically, it’s a legal process for companies in serious financial trouble to try and sort out their debts and avoid going under. If this doesn’t get approved, the company will likely go bust. And if that happens, it’s another place that sells reasonably priced books and offers deals potentially disappearing from the high street, which is a shame. III) When AI Takes More Than It Should The one thing I am seeing with the use of AI in the publishing industry is a whole lot of (rightful) suing. Whether AI stays clear of the creative part of publishing (which is seriously debatable), there is no doubt that people will take the piss with it, like Google. In the US, audiobook narrators are suing because Google is using their voices for AI training without their permission. What frustrates me the most about this is that most of the companies that are being sued have the money to pay these people to use them for AI training, but they’re too greedy to do that. And the unpaid narrators don’t have £132 billion in annual net income, unlike Google. So you’d think they’d have a bit of change to spare for the people they are effectively capitalising on for nothing. It’s also scary that a person’s vocal identity, cadence, tone etc. can be used in this way without consent. Can it get much more personal than this? The narrators have filed a proposed class-action lawsuit in federal court in Illinois, aiming to represent a wider group of people whose voices may also have been used. IV) Penguins £150,000 Boost for Independent Bookshops Penguin Random House has finally announced the 44 independent bookshops that will receive money from its Penguin Children’s Bookshop Grant 2026. There were 159 applications made across the UK. The total funding was £150,000, which is split into smaller grants for the individual shops that were successful. If split evenly, that would be around £3,400 each, although I think the amount varies depending on need. This grant sits alongside wider efforts to encourage young people to read more (much like the National Literacy Trust initiative mentioned above). It is designed to support initiatives such as: Reading clubs and workshops School and library outreach programmes Author events and festivals Community reading activities Family-focused reading sessions Projects aimed at reluctant or disadvantaged readers V) AI in Literature… Again The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is a prestigious annual literary award presented by Commonwealth Writers. It celebrates the best unpublished short fiction from across the globe. Recently, “The Serpent in the Grove”, which won a regional category in 2026, has been accused of being partly or fully generated using AI. This just reminds me of the “Shy Girl” incident with Hachette. Even when you read something and feel in your bones that it’s AI-generated, how do you realistically prove it? Even AI tools designed to detect AI have been known to produce false positives. Now, panellists aren’t just supposed to decide whether something is a good piece of writing, but also have enough discernment to judge whether AI was involved at all, a relatively new challenge entering creative spaces like this. When something is written entirely by AI, it is often quite obvious, but when it has been used partially or as assistance, that is where things get tricky.

I have mixed feelings about this book, but I don’t think you can deny it is an important work that has shaped how we think about politics and authoritarian regimes. Nineteen Eighty-Four is often described as a very male-centred text: it focuses far more on systems of power than on relationships or emotional interiority, which gives it a stark, cold quality and a distinctly male gaze perspective. It is written so convincingly that readers from real-life dictatorships have reportedly found it hard to believe that George Orwell had not personally lived under one, which speaks to its unsettling accuracy. There is also a lot of heavy sexism in the book. The character of Julia really is quite weak, but this is unsurprising, as historically Orwell doesn’t seem to understand (or respect) women in the slightest. Winston himself is a striking protagonist because he is so ordinary: unhealthy, unattractive, and unheroic. This is one of the book’s strengths, making him feel closer to a modern anti-hero than a traditional lead. Overall, it is a powerful and unsettling novel. It can be slow in places, but the final sections are gripping and devastating, and it captures the fear and hopelessness of totalitarian control extremely effectively.

Hello! This is my bi-weekly update on publishing. I hope you haven’t missed me too much, but here I am again with another catch-up for all you wonderful people who are dying to get into the industry just as much as I am. So, without further ado, here’s another segment of the blind leading the blind! Not much to report this time around, although I recently had my Hunterian Museum volunteer interview (more of a casual conversation), and it went really well. The establishment and team seem incredibly welcoming and supportive, and it honestly feels like such a great place to work. Not just because of the team, but also because the building itself is stunning following its refurbishment in 2023. I’ve been invited back for an induction, which is exciting. I’ll also get another proper tour from someone who works for the Royal College of Surgeons. I also met up with a friend who is a publishing editor for a quick coffee, and we talked all things books. It was a great start to the week. We also discussed her potentially appearing on my podcast Spilling the Ink, to talk about her experience as an author, she’s due to self-publish her book in November, and I’ll be lucky enough to read it before its release. My article, The Odyssey: A Journey of Return, Gods, and the Self, has also been published on the Wordsworth Editions blog, which you can read here: Click Me! Other than that, there isn’t much else to mention aside from the ongoing stream of job applications, but I’m not giving up. And to all my lost bookworms, Stay Steadfast x

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) Boys of Tommen Cast Announcement: Expectations vs Reality Amazon Prime has announced the first cast members for The Boys of Tommen, an adaptation of Chloe Walsh’s book series, which gained popularity on TikTok and was originally published back in 2018. The first season will cover the first two books, Binding 13 and Keeping 13, with production starting in 2026. Both stories follow our two main characters, Shannon Lynch (played by Nancy Surridge) and Johnny Kavanagh (played by Conor Sánchez): a bullied, shy girl and a popular, all-star rugby player in a friends-to-lovers storyline. Alongside them is Aoife Molloy (played by Sophie McGibbon), who is Joey Lynch’s love interest (played by James O’Donoghue). This announcement has become a big talking point, and I’ve seen a lot of discourse online from fans who feel so strongly about the books that they don’t want a screen adaptation to “touch” them, fearing it will ruin what they see as a “perfect” story. And already, it seems like those fears have, in some people’s eyes, come true. Now, I can only speak from an objective standpoint, I haven’t read the books (although I’ve just bought them now; I can’t deny good marketing). The casting isn’t what many people had imagined for the characters in their heads, and I suppose that’s always the tricky part with adaptations: when a character is so explicitly described, whether it’s eye colour, hair, or body type, expectations become very fixed. There is also the other side of the conversation: people saying it isn’t that big of a deal and that we should be kind about the casting, especially as these are relatively new, up-and-coming Irish actors. And I would agree that no one should be criticised for their appearance. That said, the issue here seems less about attractiveness and more about how closely the casting aligns with the written aesthetic of the characters. The actors are clearly attractive, it’s just that, in some cases, they don’t match the descriptions on the page. But this argument can go on and on, and I think there are a fair few people who don’t want book adaptations of their favourite novels at all. In truth, it’s incredibly difficult to get them “right”. You could even argue that the people adapting them don’t always love the source material in the same way fans do, because in the process of adaptation a lot gets cut, changed, and reshaped until it’s barely recognisable as the story people originally fell in love with. It can make you wonder why certain projects are even greenlit in the first place. What I will say, though, is that women are arguably the driving force behind a lot of what is currently working in publishing and screen adaptations. Romance, in particular, has become a huge commercial force, especially on platforms like Amazon Prime, where so many of the recent hit adaptations are built around female audiences and book fandoms, from Off Campus and Every Summer After to Maxton Hall, The Devil’s Night series, Perfectos Mentirosos, Sterling Point, The Last Sunrise, Elle, Clashing Through the Snow, The Love Hypothesis, and Your Fault: London. In my opinion, as much as I want books to be adapted sometimes, I know it’s probably best not to, because it might not always end up the way you imagine it. But I’m always happy to be wrong if it turns out to be a success story! II) Off Campus Adaptation: What Changed and Why It Matters Speaking of adaptations, we then have the much-anticipated Off Campus series (based on Elle Kennedy’s books), released on 13th May on Amazon Prime, which also had its fair share of discourse around casting. But once that settled and people actually started watching it, both positive and negative thoughts began flooding in. Now, once again, I haven’t read it (I clearly need to brush up on my romance novels), but it’s clear that a lot of things were altered or changed, some for understandable reasons, and others not so much. It does feel like there was an attempt to appeal to a newer audience, especially considering these books were written in the 2010s, when conversations around feminism and the LGBTQ+ community were not as prominent or developed as they are now. But at times, that updated sensibility can feel a bit forced. For example, the much-anticipated “campus-wide hands-off law” that Garrett Graham puts on Hannah was something many readers were disappointed not to see adapted, as they liked the surety and boldness of Graham that they felt this season didn’t fully capture. Rewriting aspects of original content can be problematic in itself. The past is the past, and trying to erase it or frame it as problematic while still keeping elements like the “puck bunnies”, who are essentially there as part of the hockey culture and the male-focused dynamic, can feel inconsistent. It becomes confusing when certain parts are removed or softened, while others remain unchanged. That said, the issue itself wasn’t necessarily a major one for everyone. Garrett’s flaws would have made their relationship so much more authentic in the first place. I can’t compare it to the book, so I wasn’t personally disappointed, and I did enjoy the series overall. It’s just a bit of fun, and a definite appeal of the college hockey romance. I’ll absolutely be tuning in for season two, especially for Logan and Grace’s storyline, which I’m most interested in. III) Inside the Hachette Union Drive: What’s Really Going On 600 Hachette Book Group employees in both the U.S. and Canada have launched the Hachette Workers Coalition (HWC), and the company was given eight days to voluntarily recognise the union. So why are they unionising? Wages simply haven’t kept up with the reality of the job Heavy workloads are leading to serious burnout Growing anxiety around AI and what it means for job security in publishing A lack of transparency around pay, progression, and decision-making Ongoing industry instability, with layoffs becoming more common and profit consistently prioritised over staff These aren’t minor complaints, they point to a workplace that’s been stretched and under-supported for years. Hachette has declined to voluntarily recognise the HWC. Instead, they’ve pushed for a formal vote, where employees will privately decide whether the union gets official recognition. If the majority vote yes, the union becomes officially recognised and Hachette would be legally required to negotiate with it. But the Workers Coalition has already said a supermajority of employees were in favour before this process even began, which makes the delay feel more like a procedural roadblock than a genuine question of support. In the meantime, management has sent out flyers arguing against unionisation, with phrases like “Why We Believe Hachette is Stronger Without a Union” and “What You Could Lose With Union Negotiation.” It’s hard not to see this as damage control, especially given how long employees say these concerns have been raised without real change. What stands out most is the timing. When workers are already this organised, introducing a drawn-out voting process and then actively campaigning against them doesn’t come across as neutral procedure, it comes across as resistance. Unions exist to rebalance power in workplaces like this, giving employees collective strength and formal protection they’ve clearly felt they lacked. That’s exactly why this matters, and why the response is being watched so closely. A date for the union election has yet to be confirmed. IV) Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune Tops UK Charts Richard Osman’s fifth and latest book, The Impossible Fortune (part of the Thursday Murder Club series), has just been released in paperback and has already become the No. 1 bestselling book in the UK. Unsurprisingly, Osman’s books are consistently commercially successful, supported by a very loyal readership. V) Fourth Wing Adaptation: What We Know So Far I’m sure you’re sick of hearing about all the book-to-film adaptations, and I don’t know what made 2026 the year for handling all of these new announcements. But the biggest one for all the “book girlies” has to be Fourth Wing (Rebecca Yarros’s New York Times bestselling series, which hasn’t even been completed yet). So what do we know? It’s being developed by Amazon MGM Studios Rebecca Yarros is an executive producer Surprisingly, Oscar-winner Michael B. Jordan has also been announced as an executive producer Lisa Joy is also attached as an executive producer Meredith Averill is the writer and showrunner, alongside Yarros Beyond that, nothing else has been confirmed yet, but I’m sure we’ll find out more in due course!

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) Harry Potter Renewed for Season Two Already Let’s start with the fun news! Yesterday it was announced that Harry Potter has already been renewed for its second season. It’s going to be done by overlapping production schedules. Once season one has wrapped filming (which is set to premiere at Christmas), they’ll go straight into filming season two this autumn. Which honestly makes sense, because this is a pretty precarious project. Working with kids is always going to be the biggest challenge, especially if you don’t want them suddenly looking like they’ve aged three years instead of one. I’ve noticed production companies love dragging out seasons on purpose, probably so you end up dragging out your subscriptions too, as we know its never about money issues. The Summer I Turned Pretty tv show managed to release all three of its seasons in the time it took Stranger Things to go from season four to its final season five. It’s getting ridiculous. Bridgerton also springs to mind, where the very popular season two ended on March 25, 2022, and season three didn’t show up for over two years. And it being the weakest instalment didn’t help after such a long wait and all the hype, it was never really going to live up to expectations, and it definitely suffered for it. Whereas with the latest season, I suppose they learned a little, and we only had to wait 18 months this time (compared to the shocking 26). Anyway, I was slightly worried HBO wouldn’t even film Harry Potter back-to-back to keep up with the kids’ ages, but this news has put my mind at ease. That said, a few people I know have already started saying it’ll get cancelled by season three or four. I’m not so sure. There will always be die-hard fans who’ll stick with anything just to keep it alive, even if what they’re watching isn’t exactly great anymore. But alas, we’ve got a couple of years before anyone confidently says “told you so!” II) Ana Huang’s King of Sin Series Is Finally Coming to an End It was announced that Ana Huang’s final book in the King of Sin series will be released in April 2027, following King of Gluttony. This series is a seven-part collection, based on the seven deadly sins (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth). The books have been released since 2022. I haven’t read any of them, although I did read one of her books from the Twisted series, and it was far from my taste. I also get the feeling these are fairly carbon-copy of each other (at least from what I’ve seen in reviews), but hey, she clearly has her audience, and it just wasn’t me. So I’m sure there are many people who are delighted to hear about the new update. III) Meta Faces Copyright Lawsuit Over AI Training Data We’ve got the big name of Mark Zuckerberg this week, who I’m sure you’ve heard is being sued (via Meta) by five US publishers, alongside author Scott Turow, for copyright infringement linked to training their AI. The claim is that they allegedly downloaded millions of copyrighted books and journal articles, including from pirate sites, and basically scraped the internet to feed Meta’s AI system, Llama. This has been described as one of the bigger copyright infringement cases involving AI training data so far. The five publishers involved are Hachette, Macmillan, McGraw Hill, Elsevier and Cengage, who have filed a class-action lawsuit seeking unspecified damages for the alleged infringement. Although, to be honest, this kind of thing isn’t entirely new. Authors and publishers have sued AI companies before and not always come out on top. And with a company as massive as Meta involved, it’s going to be one hell of a legal battle, I’m sure. IV) National Year of Reading Update: Where the Campaign Is Now David Hayman, leader of the National Year of Reading, has spoken more about how the initiative is going so far, what they’re hoping to achieve, and what’s already been delivered. First of all, he’s keen to stress that this is not just a short-term publicity campaign, but something much longer-term, with foundations still being laid. Here’s what we know so far: Around 10 core delivery partners are involved Roughly 750 organisations have pledged support Schools are heavily involved, with around 10,000 teachers across approximately 6,500 schools Thousands more schools are taking part informally through activities The campaign is also building both human and financial resources: Around 30,000 volunteers have been recruited so far The target is 100,000 volunteers Funding is expected to reach around £10 million, with most already secured at the time of writing Hayman argues that success comes from consistency and local variation, rather than rigid, uniform messaging. In other words, the strength of the campaign is that it appears in lots of different places and formats, each shaped by local needs and audiences. The campaign is also being pushed through a range of major media partnerships and even physical spaces like shopping centres, railway stations, and airports. Overall, the key message from Hayman is that the National Year of Reading shouldn’t be treated as a one-off awareness campaign, but more as a long-term, nationwide behaviour-change project, something that continues for as long as it needs to. V) Bo-sco: A New Scouting Service We Didn’t Know We Needed Arianna Reiche, once a features writer, is now the founder of Bo-sco, a subscription-based scouting service designed for industry professionals. The idea is that professionals don’t have to wait for books to become popular. Instead, subscribers receive regular, curated intelligence reports highlighting undiscovered or under-the-radar books that could be adapted for film or TV. This service runs monthly and provides a small number of carefully selected titles, along with analysis explaining why those books might have strong adaptation potential. I think this is a really cool and original idea. Having this kind of filter between publishers and the screen industry is something we didn’t even know we needed.

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) Charlie Redmayne’s Next Move Surprising news has emerged that Charlie Redmayne, former CEO of HarperCollins for 12 years, is now the new CEO of Vinci Books, where he has also taken a stake in the company. This is particularly interesting given that his departure from HarperCollins was surrounded by speculation and gossip, as it was never fully clear why he left so abruptly. For context, Vinci Books is a relatively new publishing company founded by Mark Smith, who is also the founder and CEO of both Zaffre and Quercus. Vinci Books combines traditional publishing with technology tools for authors, aiming to support independent writers and scale book production and marketing. Clearly, bringing in Redmayne was a strategic move. It seems they are trying to grow quickly and compete with established publishers by leveraging his many years of experience. It will be interesting to see what comes of this. II) The Power of BookTok in Modern Publishing It probably wasn’t long before TikTok ended up generating its own official book chart, considering the level of influence it already has over the publishing industry and wider trends. We’re now seeing a monthly bestseller list for books influenced by BookTok, which takes into account both sales and audience engagement on the platform (likes, views, and so on). The list highlights 20 top books that, unless you’ve been living under a rock (or just don’t have TikTok, sorry), you’ve likely come across multiple times. Many authors now have their fanbase on TikTok to thank for renewed or continued success, sometimes decades after publication. For example, Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, originally released in 1992, appears at number 16 on the list. According to NielsenIQ BookData, around 11 million UK book sales in 2025 were attributed to BookTok, roughly 6% of all book sales. (You can click here to view the image of the top 20 books this month.) III) Inside Transworld’s New Horror Imprint If you love scary things and getting your heart racing with anxiety-induced fear (weirdos), this news is exciting for you. Transworld, a publishing division of Penguin Random House UK, is launching a new imprint called 3AM Books, an imprint dedicated entirely to horror. The list will be run by publishing director Rachel Winterbottom, alongside editorial director Simon Taylor. The first title to be published will be C.N. Vair’s Fawn, which is set for release in August. The inaugural list will also include Billie Host’s Splasher, as well as a reissue of William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist, which was originally published by Transworld. IV) Shy Girl: The Book Everyone Suddenly Wants We have already spoken about the scandal which is Shy Girl by Mia Ballard. It was scandalous (if you haven’t already heard) because it is a book that has generated a lot of attention because it has allegedly been written using AI, with Hachette pulling it from the shelves as a result. To begin with, Shy Girl was sold at a standard-priced book (I expect £9–£10 and more as a hardback). However, since being pulled from the shelves, copies have started appearing on resale sites, with some listings going for over £100! THIS is hardly shocking. Even when someone tells you how bad a movie is, how grating a song is, or how terribly a book is written, there is something deep inside you niggling away, pushing you to watch, read, or listen, to be in the loop, to also be able to agree, not because of someone else but because experiencing it yourself makes it real? I don’t know, but there is no denying there is an element of FOMO, of being left out of something even if it is for a bad reason (to an extent of course). I’m sure it has a psychological name but I shan’t claim to know (that’s not where my expertise lies, so I will stay clear of diagnosing here). Anyway, like every human in the world I’m sure, I have been guilty of reading a book just because of how badly it is perceived, but this is different for me. I would never read a book retailed for £100 (that’s just ridiculous) and something about it being in the AI genre of bad does not appeal to me. I’ll just take everyone else’s word for that. I will happily read a writer’s bad work, not a robot’s though. Got to draw the line somewhere and I think that’s an okay place to draw it. V) National Year of Reading: A Deep Dive into Reading Habits Is it really a Literary Ledger article without NYR making the list? Of course, we’ve all heard about the awareness campaigns it has set out to deliver, as well as its work with literacy charities, government bodies, and major publishing houses to make reading more accessible, fun, and appealing to younger audiences (who are being hit the hardest by it). Now they are collecting data on how people in the UK read, a “reading census”, if you will, said to give a panoramic, data-rich view of reading habits across both adults and children. This is the data it will collect: how often people read what types of reading they do attitudes towards reading barriers stopping people from reading This will help identify why reading rates are falling and what could be done to reverse that trend. I, for one, am very interested to see what they find. I hope we get some solid answers so we can create some solid solutions. It’s all well and good putting money and attention into a lot of these issues, but we need to target the cause (not the symptom) head on.

Hello! This is my bi-weekly update on publishing. I hope you haven’t missed me too much, but here I am again with another catch-up for all you wonderful people who are dying to get into the industry just as much as I am. So, without further ado, here’s another segment of the blind leading the blind! This last week was a fun one, and I don’t get to say that often. A lot happened, not all publishing-wise, but publishing-adjacent. First things first: a small but very pleasant thing in what has been a fairly bleak job market. I applied for a role with TLC (The Literary Consultancy). I wasn’t successful, however I received an email a few weeks later letting me know that although I hadn’t been selected, they were hosting a free one-hour training webinar, ‘Cover Letter 101’, for literary job-seekers. In the session, they shared key insights from the application round: what worked, what didn’t work as well, and advice for writing a strong covering letter. I attended, and the host was genuinely lovely, supportive, and helpful. I also want to credit TLC for doing this, because in the current job market you often don’t even receive a rejection, just silence, leaving you to assume the outcome weeks later. So to receive feedback, and an opportunity to learn from it, feels rare. Considering how much effort goes into applications, it was encouraging to see that effort acknowledged and returned in some way. I already posted this next one on my LinkedIn, but of course I can’t not include it here. If you read the last Behind the Books, you will already know that I was asked by the social media manager at Wordsworth Classics to get some hands-on experience creating an aesthetic calendar for their team. The project highlighted significant author birthdays, key literary dates and events, and upcoming classic film releases. I sent it over to her and the team loved it, which I was so pleased about. It was also really rewarding to know my initiative will be used internally across their marketing and social media. A definite highlight was being gifted a selection of books of my own choosing, which was a lovely gesture from the team. One of these was The Odyssey by Homer, as I was also asked to write their next blog post: a review of the novel in anticipation of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming adaptation. So, stay tuned! And finally, the perks of the London Book Fair seem never-ending. I met someone there who I’ve since stayed in touch with and become friends with. She is a Publishing Coordinator at the Royal College of Surgeons of England. When we met, she mentioned she is also a self-published author, with her book set to release in October this year, titled The Blood On Our Hands. We got talking about it because I mentioned my favourite novel is Frankenstein, which she also loves. Her book is partly inspired by it, as well as by late 18th-century literature and science. One thing led to another, and she invited me to the Hunterian Museum and Collection, which holds around 650 manuscripts, 10,000 printed books, and 15,000 anatomical and natural history specimens. I was able to view some incredibly well-preserved historical texts originally used to educate doctors and scientists and expand medical knowledge. The museum itself, inspired by William Hunter, a leading teacher of anatomy and one of the most outstanding obstetricians of his time, was fascinating to explore. Interestingly, Guillermo del Toro also drew inspiration from the museum for Frankenstein (2025), describing it as a place that “opens new horizons both narratively and in terms of science and imagination.” Certain elements, such as the anatomical table in the film, were directly influenced by real preparations held in the collection. I also met a member of staff at the museum who spoke about volunteering opportunities and possible routes into other roles, which I will be looking into further. And overall, it was just a lovely day, great to get out of the house and nice to do something different and fulfilling. And to all my lost bookworms, Stay Steadfast x

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) Women’s Prize for Fiction Shortlist Announced This is a really exciting one, especially as four out of the six novelists are debuts, and four of the six are also published by independent presses. It’s a great achievement all round, and it’s lovely to see them getting recognition rather than being overshadowed by the larger publishing houses. Here are the books: Flashlight by Susan Choi - After a mysterious night by the sea leaves a young girl alive but her father missing, a family struggles to live with the uncertainty of what happened and the lasting impact it has on their lives. Dominion by Addie E. Citchens (debut) - In a tightly controlled Mississippi town, a pastor’s authority is shaken when his gifted son begins to question everything, forcing the women around them to confront the quiet harms upheld within their community. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (debut) - An elderly woman who has long kept others at a distance through her letter-writing is forced to confront a painful past when unexpected correspondence compels her to finally seek closure. The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson (debut) - Growing up in a strict and volatile household, a young girl turns to imagination and ultimately quiet defiance as she begins to shape a future beyond the limits imposed on her. Kingfisher by Rozie Kelly (debut) - A writer’s growing obsession with a charismatic poet begins to unravel his relationship and sense of self, forcing him to confront the emotional cost of desire and control. Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King - A collection of intimate stories in which characters grapple with complicated relationships and moments that reshape how they understand themselves and others. The winner will receive £30,000 and will be announced in June in London. II) Bonnier Books UK Names New Chief Commercial Officer Bonnier Books UK has announced that Anna Derkacz is the new Chief Commercial Officer, a senior executive role responsible for the company’s overall commercial strategy and revenue generation. Derkacz has worked at Penguin (in both UK and international sales) and HarperCollins (as Group Sales and Rights Director), where she spent nine years before making this move. She will start on 5 May 2026. III) Mass Author Walkout at French Publisher Grasset This is significant international publishing news: there has been a major protest and mass resignation of authors from the French publishing house Grasset. In total, 230 authors have resigned. The move appears to have been triggered by the departure (or more likely dismissal) of the publisher’s long-time CEO, Olivier Nora. Grasset is ultimately controlled by billionaire Vincent Bolloré through the wider media group Vivendi. The reasons behind the protests come down to a loss of editorial independence, increasing influence from ownership over publishing decisions, and a broader political and ideological shift within the publishing group. Because Grasset appears to be steered by Bolloré, it raises serious concerns that its literature is being shaped by external political and commercial interests, which is something literature should never be about. This is also, in my view, a deeply worrying direction for publishing. You cannot separate extreme wealth and media control from questions of power and motivation, and the idea of an “ethical billionaire” is, frankly, hard to sustain. When profit and influence sit too close to editorial decision-making, it inevitably creates pressure for shortcuts and compromises that should be completely removed from literature. In response, the authors involved have signed an open letter stating they will not publish future books with the publisher. Some are also reportedly considering legal action to regain rights to their works. And if anyone understands how to organise protest, it’s the French. Fair play to them, they know their worth, and they are clearly standing firmly in their values as writers committed to protecting the integrity of their work. IV) Book Adaptations Continue to Drive Novel Sales Surge Book adaptations have appeared on Netflix’s Global Top 10 lists every week so far this year, and unsurprisingly, that success is also feeding back into the sales of the books they’re based on. We’ve seen this effect across multiple titles. Alice Feeney’s psychological thriller His & Hers, originally published in 2020, shot back up to #15 on Amazon’s bestseller list following its TV adaptation. Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation has seen a similar resurgence in popularity. Jennifer Iacopelli’s 2022 YA romance Finding Her Edge, whose Netflix adaptation reached the Top 10 in 81 countries, also experienced a noticeable boost in readership. Then there are adaptations and screen-linked titles such as Agatha Christie’s The Seven Dials Mystery, Bridgerton, Vladimir, and Remarkably Bright Creatures, with more expected later this year. So, if the formula for success is simply: write a hit book, secure a film or TV adaptation, and watch sales soar… easy, right? V) Off Campus Gets TV Series Adaptation Speaking of book-to-film adaptations, Elle Kennedy’s hit hockey romance series Off Campus has just released its trailer ahead of its release on Prime Video. The first instalment, The Deal, is set to launch the series. The story follows Hannah Wells, a young woman who struggles with confidence in romance. She agrees to tutor cocky hockey captain Garrett Graham in exchange for his help getting another guy’s attention. As their fake arrangement becomes physical, Garrett realises he wants something real with Hannah and has to convince her to choose him instead. The two leads are Ella Bright (Hannah) and Belmont Cameli (Garrett), with the series dropping on 3 May. Now, I’ve never read any of these books, but I’ve heard about them plenty, especially through BookTok. I’ve also seen the trailer, and it looks fun. Who doesn’t love a cheesy fake-dating trope? And hey, if I really enjoy this one, I might even end up reading the rest.

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) Walter Scott Prize Shortlist Announced Five authors are currently in the running for the prestigious Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, which carries a prize of £25,000. In a notable first for the award’s seventeen-year history, this year’s shortlisted titles are all written by British authors. The prize is run by the Abbotsford Trust, an independent Scottish charity established in 2007 to manage and conserve Abbotsford House, the historic home of Sir Walter Scott, while also preserving his literary legacy. Scott is widely credited with establishing the historical novel as a genre through his immensely popular Waverley novels, which include Waverley, Rob Roy, and Ivanhoe. Looking at the list, I’ve already added most of them to my TBR. The shortlisted books are: The Pretender by Jo Harkin – A historical novel reimagining Lambert Simnel’s transformation from hidden peasant boy to briefly crowned claimant to the English throne amid 15th-century dynastic conflict. The Matchbox Girl by Alice Jolly – A non-speaking girl in 1938 Vienna enters a clinic for unusual children and begins to suspect disturbing truths as Nazi occupation tightens around them. Benbecula by Graeme Macrae Burnet – A man reflects on his brother’s 1857 family murders in rural Scotland while grappling with isolation and his own mental decline. Once the Deed is Done by Rachel Seiffert – Set in northern Germany in 1945, it follows a boy who witnesses refugees fleeing through wartime snow and later a Red Cross officer uncovering buried secrets as a town suppresses what happened that night. Seascraper by Benjamin Wood – A young shrimp fisherman in a bleak coastal town dreams of becoming a musician, but his life is disrupted when a mysterious visitor offers a glimpse of escape and a potentially illusory path to a different future. The winner will be announced at the Borders Book Festival on 12 June. II) A Quiet Quarter for Hachette UK: Revenue Slips 4% At first glance, this might sound alarming, and for Hachette UK, it probably is to some extent. However, the headline is slightly misleading. While it’s true that the company made less in this quarter than it did in the same period last year, the context matters. Last year’s first quarter was unusually strong, which makes this year’s performance look weaker by comparison. In reality, the UK division simply had a quieter publishing schedule, with fewer major releases driving sales. So, rather than signalling a serious decline, this feels more like a timing issue than a collapse in performance. The drop itself is relatively modest at 4%. Still, it does reflect a slight downturn, and that’s not something anyone at Hachette would be particularly pleased to see. III) A New Chapter for Curtis Brown Creative Curtis Brown Creative, the writing school originally set up by and connected to the literary agency Curtis Brown, has been bought out by its own senior management team. In practical terms, this means the people already running the school have now taken full ownership, separating it from the wider Curtis Brown Group structure. Known within UK publishing for its courses for aspiring writers, CBC has built a strong reputation as a gateway into the industry as an author. Day-to-day operations are likely to remain largely the same, but decision-making will now be more independent. This shift allows CBC to focus more directly on their courses, with greater freedom over its commercial and strategic direction, while Curtis Brown can concentrate more fully on its core work in author representation. IV) Inside Bloomsbury’s Big Structural Shake-Up In a major reorganisation of its structure, Bloomsbury Publishing is planning to cut around 55 roles across both the UK and US as it shifts towards a new operating model. From what I can gather, the company previously used a matrix structure, a system where employees report to more than one manager at the same time. In theory, this can be effective, as it allows expertise to be shared across teams and encourages stronger collaboration between departments. However, Bloomsbury is now moving away from this approach. Instead, the company will be reorganised into three standalone business units: The three new divisions will be: Academic & Professional USA Publishing Consumer UK Publishing Each unit will now have its own editorial teams, as well as dedicated marketing and sales, and rights and audio functions. In other words, rather than relying on shared central teams, each division will become more self-contained. The planned cut of around 55 roles comes down to removing duplicated positions and simplifying how teams are organised after the split. It’s a structural decision as much as a financial one. That said, it’s difficult to ignore the wider context. Over the five-year period from 2021 to 2025, Bloomsbury Publishing has seen sales double and profits rise by 154%, reaching around £361 million. So while this move may streamline operations, it also means job losses at a time when the company is, by most measures, performing strongly. I don’t claim to be an expert in corporate restructuring, but it does raise questions. You’d hope people get moved into new roles rather than made redundant, but I’m not holding my breath. V) Back to Panem: The Hunger Games Trailer Has Arrived The full trailer for The Hunger Games has dropped and I’m genuinely excited. The colouring looks incredible, so vibrant, which is exactly what we wanted, and it really leans into that 1970s aesthetic. You can see it in everything, from the set design to the costumes, hair, and makeup, all with that slightly futuristic twist. Okay, some thoughts. We all know casting in The Hunger Games  franchise is usually chef’s kiss, everyone looks the part. But sometimes I worry that for a few actors, it’s more about the aesthetic than the performance. Unfortunately, there are a couple of nepo babies I’m a bit unsure about (cough cough Maya Hawke, Iris Apatow). They tend to play versions of themselves, and while they look right, I’m hoping there’s more depth there this time. That said, I have high hopes for the rest of the cast, especially the adults. Ralph Fiennes, Jesse Plemons, Glenn Close, and Kieran Culkin all feel like really strong additions. I’ve also seen some concerns about Joseph Zada and the accent he’s using for a young Haymitch Abernathy (originally played by Woody Harrelson). Some people think it sounds off, but I’ve also seen people from Appalachia say it’s actually pretty accurate, it just sounds unfamiliar if you’re not used to hearing it. Personally, I think it’s impressive, and I can kind of hear a older Haymitch in there. It’s hard to fully judge from just a trailer, but from what we’ve seen so far, I liked it. I also really respect how Francis Lawrence approaches these films. He clearly cares about staying true to Suzanne Collins’ vision, not changing things for the sake of it, but making thoughtful adjustments that actually add to the story.