Penguin Michael Joseph (@michaeljbooks.bsky.social) is set to continue its partnership with Entangled Publishing with the UK launch of Amara, Entangled’s romantic fiction imprint. 👇

Penguin Michael Joseph launches romantic fiction imprint Amara in UK

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Riverrun, an imprint of the John Murray Group, has acquired Island of the Dead by CWA Dagger and the Library Award-winning writer Peter May. Island of the Dead will be published in January 2027, bringing May out of retirement for the third time in the past five years.👇

Riverrun brings Peter May out of retirement again for new novel

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A soaring appetite for Emily Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey has meant its British distributor John Wiley currently has no stock, with publisher WW Norton awaiting shipment from its US parent company, which is due to arrive “in a couple of weeks”. 👇

High demand creates supply issues for Emily Wilson's The Odyssey

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Derek Johns, former The Bodley and Granta MD turned agent for authors including Sebastian Barry, Jon Ronson and Jan Morris, has died aged 78.

Derek Johns, influential publisher and agent, dies

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US audiobook giant RBmedia has acquired Boldwood Books, the multi-award-winning commercial fiction independent founded by a team led by CEO Amanda Ridout seven years ago.👇

Boldwood Books acquired by audiobook publisher RBmedia

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A fundraiser has been launched to save a collection of more than one million Black books, thought to be one of the largest of its kind in the UK. 👇

Book trade called on to save ‘one of Britain’s largest collections of Black books’

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The second of Autumn Woods’ Sorrowsong University duology, Daybreak (Pan Macmillan), has become the UK Official Top 50 number one at its first time of asking, knocking Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets off its perch after a three-week run. 👇

Fast break: Autumn Woods’ Daybreak surges to the top while Booker bounces hit the charts

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Pan Macmillan has acquired Owning It, the “unfiltered” memoir by former English Premier League player Andy Carroll. The book will be published in first format and audio this September, with a mass-market paperback to follow in 2028. 👇

Pan Macmillan signs footballer Andy Carroll’s ‘unfiltered’ memoir

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The Book Trade Charity has appointed Andrew Franklin, founder of Profile Books, as president and Meryl Halls, MD of the Booksellers Association (BA) as chair. 👇

Andrew Franklin named Book Trade Charity president as Meryl Halls becomes chair

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The Romantic Novelists’ Association (@romanticnovelists.bsky.social) has appointed author Carrie Elks as its new president. Elks is the first independently published author to hold the position.👇

Romantic Novelists’ Association appoints author Carrie Elks as president

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Translated fiction specialist, Moth Books, has acquired Olga Campofreda’s Strega-nominated Dutiful Daughters (Ragazze Perbene). Moth will publish Jennifer Panek’s English translation of the title in March 2027.👇

Moth Books to publish English translation of Olga Campofreda’s Strega-nominated novel

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Princeton University Press (@princetonupress.bsky.social) has partnered with AI content management platform Cashmere to license selected academic content for use in AI applications. 👇

Princeton University Press partners with Cashmere on AI licensing

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.@fireflypress.bsky.social has acquired the middle-grade debut, The Secret Lamb, by NHS psychotherapist Alyson Williams. The Secret Lamb will be published in April 2027. 👇

Firefly Press acquires Alyson Williams’ middle-grade debut

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HarperCollins division 4th Estate has acquired The Examined Year: A Self-Discovery Tool, a guided journal and goal-planning system by Jennette McCurdy. The book will be published on 8th December 2026. 👇

4th Estate snaps up guided journal by Jennette McCurdy

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Uncertainty and trepidation is the dominant theme of the literary agents following news that a crime novel sold in a 14-way auction in the US for $2.4m was withdrawn by its primary agent on Friday (31st July) due to suspected AI use. 👇

Literary agents react to major crime book deal that collapsed over suspected AI use

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Elgan Rhys and Mared Roberts speak to The Bookseller about their collaborative novel, The Five (@fireflypress.bsky.social), which is shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2026. 👇

YA Book Prize 2026: Elgan Rhys and Mared Roberts discuss The Five

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Penny Worms, founder of Children’s indie Mama Makes Books, speaks to the bookseller about setting up her early-years publisher as she celebrates half a decade in business this year 👇

Mama makes good: Penny Worms on setting up her early-years publisher

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HarperNorth has acquired Hotel Britannia: A Seaside Story of Splendour, Decline and National Identity by Bee Rowlatt, author of One Woman Crime Wave and In Search of Mary. Hotel Britannia will be published in May 2027👇

HarperNorth buys Bee Rowlatt’s book on The Grand Hotel in Scarborough

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Sophie Scard is to become the third dealmaker at Lexington Literary, leaving United Agents after 13 years. 👇

Sophie Scard joins Lexington Literary after 13 years with United Agents

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Simon & Schuster have acquired Kissing Cowboys, the first YA novel in more than a decade from the bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, Meg Cabot. The first book in the series will be published in paperback original on 4th December 2026. 👇

The Princess Diaries author Meg Cabot returns with Kissing Cowboys

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Riverrun has acquired Afrika by the author of the International Booker Prize-shortlisted novel The Director, Daniel Kehlmann. The UK publication will be in tandem with Summit Books in the US in in spring 2027. 👇

Riverrun signs International Booker-nominated Daniel Kehlmann’s dark comedy

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The BBC's chief economics correspondent Dharshini David and academic and author Eleanor Drage will headline the Independent Publishers Guild’s 2026 Autumn Conference (@independentpublishersguild.com) in London on 10th September. 👇

Dharshini David and Eleanor Drage to headline IPG Autumn Conference

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A Russian bombing operation on 1st August which hit a Ukraine automated publishing distribution centre destroyed approximately eight million books, continuing a campaign of “deliberate” assault on the country’s book industry. 👇

Russian attacks wipe out a third of Ukraine's annual book production in a month

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Britain’s poetry sector has had its best half-year of sales in history – boosted by Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey – and by 2026’s end the category is almost certain to obliterate its all-time high-water since accurate records began 👇

A Homer run: Poetry poised to hit its all-time UK high

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The National Year of Reading has named Roald Dahl’s 'super-reader' Matilda as an ambassador for its Summer of Stories campaign, running throughout August 2026 (@literacytrust.org.uk)👇

Roald Dahl’s Matilda named National Year of Reading ambassador

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HarperVoyager has acquired The Kindling, an upmarket speculative standalone by LK Steven, author of Silvercloak and Our Infinite Fates. The Kindling will be published in hardback, e-book and audiobook by HarperVoyager in September 2027👇

HarperVoyager snaps up LK Steven’s speculative standalone

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Sales, marketing and distribution company Publishers Group UK (PGUK) has announced its co-founder and joint-managing director Cathy Parson has died aged 70, following a brief illness 👇

'Force of nature' Cathy Parson, co-founder of Publishers Group UK, dies

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In the wake of Christopher Nolan’s recent success with the film version of Homer’s The Odyssey, authors and editors now have an eye on the long , writes Deputy Editor Tom Tivnan 👇

Long live the literary long game

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Tor Bramble has backed HM Wolfe after the Atlantic reported that the author’s dystopian romance Daggermouth returned a 60% score in an analysis using the AI-detection tool Pangram, which the author has described as "wholly untrue"👇

Tor Bramble backs HM Wolfe after AI-detection claims over Daggermouth

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Musician and writer David Byrne discusses his eclectic latest book which profiles neglected innovations and creations through the ages that initially slumbered in obscurity but were later awakened 👇

Byrne after reading: David Byrne on his new book that explores the 'sleeping beauties' of creativity

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