AGP Executive Report

Publishing & Awards: Washington State Book Awards finalists (41 total) include biologist-author Thor Hanson for Close to Home, with winners set for Sept. 15. Local Mystery Buzz: North Island readers get a preview of Yvonne Maximchuk’s debut mystery Murder Rides a Gale Force Wind on Sept. 10 at the Courtenay Library. Children’s Lit Spotlight: The Canadian Children’s Book Centre named finalists across six prizes, from picture books to YA nonfiction. Romance on Screen/Books: Heated Rivalry season 2 adds Daniel Diemer and Shaheen Jafargholi as Ryan Price and Fabian Salah, adapting Rachel Reid’s Tough Guy. Genre Reading Trend: “Summerween” keeps horror in the spotlight, with retailers and libraries pushing spooky picks well before Halloween. Crime & Media Ethics: A Philippines senator urged social platforms to stop turning school-shooting photos into viral content. Tech Scams: A new warning round-up highlights how AI-powered scams are getting more convincing. Entertainment Tie-ins: Outdoor cinema in York brings Grease, The Shining, and Jurassic Park to Museum Gardens.

Myth Reframed: Ayana Gray’s I, Medusa review spotlights a lyrical, character-driven retelling that flips Medusa from monster to survivor, using voice and trauma over spectacle. Publishing & Crime Buzz: Emiko Jean’s Before You Were Anne (Sept. 1, Simon & Schuster) lands as a tense identity mystery, while Jo Jung-rae’s final novel Frost Flower turns his war-and-history career toward love. Tech & Reading Culture: Spindle is coming to Steam, and Kodansha’s Fall in Love, You False Angels manga pauses for the creator’s health before returning in Jan 2027. Industry Watch: Australia’s recorded-music body will bar fully AI-generated tracks from official charts, with limited AI-assisted eligibility. Bookish Community: UK bookselling news includes Lingham’s 11-year literary events and a Heartbeat exhibition opening Aug. 29 at The World of James Herriot. Safety/Payments: A new FTC-style warning flags fake utility payment sites that can appear first in search results.

Publishing & Books on Tour: Heated Rivalry author Rachel Reid will hit an eight-city fall tour to celebrate the deluxe hardcover of her blockbuster novel, ending Oct. 13 at Toronto’s Massey Hall. Thrillers to Screen: Caroline Kepnes is adapting her creepy short story “The Attentionist” into an eight-episode ‘90s-set psychological thriller for YouTube, with Kepnes writing and directing. Sci-Fi Audio News: Andy Weir is co-shepherding Audible’s new space opera thriller “Exoplanet,” arriving Nov. 5 and starring Anthony Mackie, Ariana DeBose, and John Leguizamo. Crime & Consumer Safety: Mumbai’s Nagpada police booked two men over alleged counterfeit Montair-LC tablets after an FDA probe flagged the sample as spurious. Tech, Privacy & Reading Culture: A new debate over personalized pricing and surveillance cameras is spilling into public life, while a photojournalist documents how pervasive ALPR-style monitoring has become. Horror Picks: New fall releases lean hard into haunted, slasher, and post-apocalyptic thrills as Halloween approaches.

Book-to-screen buzz: Yash’s gangster action thriller Toxic (adult “A” certificate, 3h 14m) is set for an Aug. 26 release across six languages, with advance bookings surging past ₹32 crore and Mumbai adding more shows amid demand. Literary spotlight: Marlon James’s The Disappearers lands on the Booker Prize 2026 longlist, a sweeping, polyphonic Jamaica-set exposé of homophobia and queer life. Publishing & fandom: Crossed Hearts ramps up at Anime NYC 2026, launching Studio Hearts and unveiling new English GL licenses with Lily House, plus fresh Glam Beat and Blush Club titles. Genre & retail: WotC’s D&D World of Warcraft push leans hard on store incentives, multi-cover releases, and bulk ordering perks. Tech & control: Experts warn that “rogue AI” isn’t sci-fi—agents can act after humans step away, raising real-world autonomy concerns. Local reading life: Wrexham Library’s Wise Owl Book Club restarts Sept. 2, and Baxter County Library hosts a free mystery-themed afternoon Aug. 29. Crime fiction travel: Fans are flocking to Carlisle for M.W. Craven’s The Killer’s Mark trail, turning a station queue into a literary event.

Fiction & Publishing Science: A new report argues reading fiction can boost emotional intelligence by training readers to recognize and interpret emotions through character “labels” and expressions. Representation in Books: A writer reflects on the “dread” that can follow seeing Muslim women portrayed in fiction as caricatures, even when they’re personally invested in the stories. Romance on Screen: Netflix is filming Carley Fortune’s steamy bestseller This Summer Will Be Different, with Sophie Nélisse leading and Stranger Things’ Francesca Reale among the cast. Comics Buzz: DC dominates a Top 50 anticipated comics list, led by Absolute Wonder Woman #23 and Absolute Catwoman #3. Sci-Fi/TV Adaptations: Prime Video’s lineup includes The Last Sunrise, adapted from Anna Todd’s novel, plus Nickel Boys based on Colson Whitehead. Book Retail Reality Check: A beloved New Zealand online bookseller is closing after discount wars, pivoting to a recommendation-focused “bookhub.” Crime & Crime Fiction: A London house-fire case ends with an arrest on suspicion of murder after a woman died and others were injured.

Prison Policy Clash: Queensland’s “breach bail, go to jail” plan is drawing fresh fire after new data suggested more than 6,000 people (5,248 adults, 859 children) could be sent to prison in a year if the laws were in force, while youth detention workers prepare for another strike. Human Rights Memoir: Iranian Bahá’í prisoner Mahvash Sabet’s Open Wide the Doors argues persecution starts with bureaucratic “disqualification” from civic life, not just torture. Crime & Trial Fallout: Australia’s “mushroom murderer” Erin Patterson seeks a retrial, claiming her trial was fatally undermined when jurors shared a hotel with prosecutors, a key witness, and journalists during a nearby national table tennis event. Publishing & Grants: Amazon Literary Partnership named 2026 grant recipients, funding 102 organizations nationwide, including youth writing programs, residencies, and literary magazines. New Fiction Spotlight: Raphael Montes’ Secret Dinner lands in English for the first time, a darkly comic thriller set in Copacabana where a dinner plan turns horrifying. Genre Buzz: Dune: Part Three is set for December, adapting Dune Messiah as fans gear up for the franchise’s final chapter.

Asylum Guidance: Britain’s Home Office released a nine-page leaflet telling asylum seekers that sex without consent is rape and can bring prison, spelling out consent rules and other prohibited behavior. Publishing & Culture: Iraqi Kurdistan’s Kurdish Book Fair in Sulaymaniyah was extended to Aug. 25 after strong turnout, with 30,000+ books sold in the first 10 days and dozens of publishers plus seminars. Crime & Court: A Green County couple in Wisconsin faces child sex crime charges after an investigation tied to alleged assaults in Monroe and Exeter. Streaming Adaptation Buzz: Apple TV’s Dark Matter, based on Blake Crouch’s novel, is climbing watch charts ahead of Season 2 on Aug. 28. Manga Licensing: Yen Press announced nine new manga/light novel acquisitions at Anime NYC 2026, including dark fantasy and romance titles. Crime Fiction Spotlight: A UK tour show, Between The Covers Live!—Celebrating Agatha Christie, is set for Oct. 7, marking 50 years since the “Queen of Crime” died.

Local Bookshop Opening: The Dog-Eared Book has opened in downtown Edenton, bringing an independent used-and-new bookstore to a small-town downtown hub. Author Events: Montague’s Book Nook and Java Shop is hosting free talks from memoirist Patti Eddington, children’s author Kelley Peel, thriller novelist Dana Precious, and sailor-memoir writer Sally Whitbeck. Debut Thriller/Fiction: Sharyn Talbert’s “Memory’s Compass” launches as a literary-mystery debut rooted in true events and family secrets. Crime & Publishing Crossover: Delhi High Court denied bail in a case alleging a wife’s dismemberment and disposal in a septic tank. Sci-Fi/Genre Buzz: A new cyberpunk sci-fi thriller game, “Neo Berlin 2087,” is billed as a Blade Runner-meets-John-Wick style detective shooter. Publishing & Adaptation Watch: Mark Gatiss’ crime series “Bookish” is expanding its mystery with Germany-bound episodes ahead of season 2. Book-to-World Events: A Baxter County library virtual event spotlights Suzanne Woods Fisher’s National Parks Summers series, including “Chase the Light.”

Romance Debut: Local author Mandy Pike released her debut contemporary romance Wildflower Summer, a military-distance love story that still centers friendship, found family, and grief. Children’s Publishing: New Zealand creators Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan’s A Guide to Rocks won top children’s book honors, including the BookHub Picture Book Award, with a te reo Māori translation also recognized. Book-to-Screen: The Magic Faraway Tree hits U.S. theaters today, adapting Enid Blyton’s classic with Andrew Garfield and Rebecca Ferguson, plus sequels already in development. Streaming Adaptations: Amazon MGM confirmed Please Save My Earth will stream exclusively on Prime Video worldwide in fall 2027, timed with NASA’s Moon-base push. Publishing & Events: Decatur Book Festival announced its 2026 lineup with 80+ authors across fiction, romance, sci-fi, horror, and more. Book Business: Perth’s volunteer-run London Court Books was flooded with nearly 300 applications after a small staffing call went viral. True Crime/TV Buzz: DC Studios officially titled its HBO Max series The People v. Gorilla Grodd and framed it as a true-crime comedy. Fall Reading Picks: AP reports fiction will dominate fall book talk, from Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros to Pulitzer winners Barbara Kingsolver and Hernan Diaz.

Book-to-screen crime buzz: Prime Video’s Babita Singh Reporting trailer drops, spotlighting Nimisha Sajayan’s rookie cop as a murder case collides with family pressure. Publishing & AI ethics: UK booksellers report “irregular” bulk orders of rare titles that may be feeding AI training, with one shop saying they’re effectively buying one of every book. Book review spotlight: The Turing Protocol blends Alan Turing history with espionage and time-travel thriller mechanics, though critics flag some plot moves as hard to swallow. Local literary life: Naples’ new “balcony bookstore” series continues with community-focused shops and events, including a signing for Liz Molloy’s The Olympian Artifacts. Library programming: Boston Public Library announces a free 2026 fall lecture series featuring N.K. Jemisin, Ann Patchett, and an AI-and-civic-engagement panel. Crime investigation (ICAC): Bedford County’s Internet Crimes Against Children probe leads to arrests and identification of two victims in a sexual exploitation case. Book world business: Folly publisher turns to OnlyFans for filmed erotica readings tied to its adult journal Smut.

Indie Book Retail: Firefly Books is set to open in North Liberty in October 2026, with a 2,500-square-foot space built around children’s literature, storytime corners, and community events—plus a new home for the Iowa Youth Writing Project after it lost funding in 2025. Publishing & Awards: Chinese sci-fi writer Baoshu, once inspired by Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem, won the Mao Dun Newcomer Award and is now spotlighting his Maya-themed novel The Sky of Kukulkan. Children’s Books to Screen: Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree is getting a big-screen fantasy-adventure, starring Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy, opening Aug. 21. Crime & Books/Media Crossover: A court ruling in Los Angeles says a statement taken in violation of Miranda could still be admitted if found “uncoerced,” in the case of convicted murderer Ricardo Soriano. Travel/Reading Culture: Fear No Lit’s “Beach Read” event brings writers and readings to Hamlin Beach State Park on Aug. 21. Techno-thriller Buzz: Echoes of the Gene by John H. Thomas won Gold and Silver medals at the 2026 Global Book Awards.

Publishing & Sponsorship Fallout: Allen & Unwin has paused promotion of Isaac Heeney’s children’s books and suspended a third title as sponsors pull back amid a police investigation tied to a Sydney Swans scandal. New Crime/Thriller Fiction: Rockwall author promo spotlights Plans: A Haterius Family Adventure, a suspense novel mixing financial-fraud tech, a stalker threat, and family pressure. Comics & Imprints: Fantagraphics launches Takumigraphics with Yudori’s full-color Lovers of the Empire Volume 1, a 1920s Korea romance shaped by class and colonial-era violence. Book-to-Screen Buzz: U&alibi confirms Bookish returns with a Christmas special and a 2027 third series, adding Colonel Winters and new relationship tensions for Gabriel Book and Trottie. Tech, Books & Censorship: India’s government-backed takedowns of Instagram, Facebook and YouTube are accelerating at massive scale, raising fresh concerns for online speech and platform compliance. Reading for Families: Libraries and community groups push events like “An Alphabet Adventure” and ongoing Little Free Libraries to keep kids reading beyond summer. Crime & Justice: Australian prosecutors seek life in prison for mushroom killer Erin Patterson after an appeal hearing.

Legal Thriller Meets Publishing: U.S. prosecutors in James Comey’s “86 47” seashell case say his own novel, FDR Drive, shows he knew the coded post would be read as a threat against President Donald Trump, as the defense argues it’s vindictive and not a real threat. Cybersecurity for Newsrooms: A new report warns journalists are still vulnerable to phishing and account takeovers, with gaps in password habits and two-factor use leaving emails, sources, and unpublished work exposed. Home Office Guidance Controversy: Britain’s Home Office has issued asylum leaflets explaining rape and consent rules, including that sex without consent is rape and that sex with children is illegal. Local Policing Tech Debate: San Francisco’s District 8 candidates weigh Flock license-reader surveillance, amid claims of privacy risks and improper data sharing. Publishing Under AI Scrutiny: A publishing auction for a crime novel was yanked after rumors it used AI, echoing earlier disputes over authorship and “AI-written” prose. Book World Pick: I, Medusa reframes the myth as a character-driven story about power and survival.

Publishing & AI Rights: 404 Media reports Amazon has been buying rare books, then cutting them apart and scanning pages at a Las Vegas facility to feed AI training—after a bookseller hid an AirTag in a suspicious order for about 1,000 obscure titles. Crime & Books/Media: Mumbai police invoked MCOCA in the “Arif China” extortion case, alleging a meat shop owner was threatened and assaulted with a sword and firearm. New Fiction (Kentucky): Marion County author Janet Morris Belvin will release Shelter at Cherry Grove (Oct. 1, 2026), a faith-and-suspense novel about a journalist rebuilding after an attack and divorce—only to find secrets in a neglected farmhouse. Thriller Author to Screen: Jenny White, whose Abbey Robert medical thrillers won a Rotary Literary Award, is launching TV show Inside the Story: Confidential after recovery from brain tumor surgery. Cosmere RPG: Brotherwise Games says Showdown in Shadesmar for the official Cosmere RPG is due in 2027 (before October), with backers getting it free. Royal Reads: A new piece spotlights Anthony Bourdain’s 10 favorite books, tying his noir-leaning, truth-telling tastes to his sharp worldview.

Immigration Ruling: A US federal judge cleared the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopians, lifting the last court block after a Supreme Court decision narrowed how courts can review TPS terminations. Courtroom Drama: In Ohio, Caleb Flynn’s defense is pushing for a venue change in his murder trial, citing intense publicity, while prosecutors seek a sequestered jury. True Crime in Focus: In the Tupac Shakur trial, a former hotel security officer described hearing multiple volleys of gunfire and seeing vehicles and a young man holding a pistol during the 1996 aftermath. Publishing & Memoir: Alfred A Knopf announced Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, will publish Nov. 10. Libraries & Reading Life: Worthington’s Nobles County Library is still refilling shelves after a remodel, moving tens of thousands of books back into a tighter layout. Genre Corner: Providence’s NecronomiCon 2026 returns with Lovecraft-themed panels, vendors, and weird-fiction programming.

RPG & Publishing Industry: Free League CEO Tomas Harenstam says the U.S. RPG market is “healthy” after a pandemic peak, and teases new Alien material as the franchise stays in focus. Crime & True Crime: Tupac Shakur’s 30-year murder trial opens with prosecutors alleging Duane “Keffe D” Davis orchestrated the drive-by revenge killing, while his defense calls the story “fiction.” Book-to-Screen/Adaptation: Call Sheet Media acquired the crime-thriller pilot “Into the Grey,” and Plotsy signed military sci-fi author Richard Fox for a new episodic vBook format. Dark Fantasy Gaming: NerveLabs launches “The Lantern of the Laughless Saint” on Steam Early Access with an open world, co-op, and spell-crafting. Publishing Culture: Penguin Classics reissues Victor Hugo’s “Ninety-Three,” spotlighting its revolutionary themes and long afterlife. Social Media & Scams: Singapore tightens anti-scam rules, requiring platforms to block suspicious scam ads and verify advertisers. Crime Fiction Spotlight: A review highlights Tana French’s “Dublin Murders,” adapted from her novels “In the Woods” and “The Likeness.”