Publishing News Daily Book News Monday, 28th December

[AgentPete]

Daily Book News Monday, 28th December 2025

Self-publishing and AI issues dominated the weekend: authors formed a Copymight Coalition, Amazon's new “Ask This Book” assistant stirred debate, and a huge AI settlement promised compensation to Australian writers. Toho's London HQ signalled cross-media consolidation, Hyderabad’s book fair broke attendance records, and the world mourned author Jilly Cooper while celebrating a Nobel Prize for László Krasznahorkai. E‑reader makers teased new Kindles, Nooks and Boox devices.

Copymight Coalition Forms to Tackle AI Copyright Challenges​

A group dubbed the Copymight Coalition launched to pursue litigation and collective licensing deals against generative‑AI firms that scrape copyrighted work. It aims to help independent authors by boosting copyright registrations and negotiating fair use agreements.

Amazon’s ‘Ask This Book’ Feature Sparks Debate as 2025 Wraps Up​

In a year‑end podcast, Dan Holloway critiques Amazon’s always‑on “Ask This Book” AI tool for Kindle, noting backlash from authors who cannot opt out. He contrasts Amazon’s opacity with Spotify’s transparency and highlights trends like romance’s dominance and the rise of Bookshop.org.

Books to Look Out for in 2026 – Fiction​

The Guardian previews 2026’s biggest novels, spotlighting forthcoming books by Maggie O’Farrell, Yann Martel, Julian Barnes and other major authors. It notes that the new year’s fiction calendar is stacked with eagerly anticipated releases.

Australian Writers Win Landmark AI Compensation​

A landmark $2.2 billion settlement will compensate hundreds of Australian authors whose books were secretly used to train AI systems, paying around $4,500 per book. The payout comes after publishers fed works into AI without permission and establishes a precedent for future rights deals.

Former Spy Sells TV Rights to Hit Trilogy​

Jack Beaumont, a former French intelligence operative writing under a pseudonym, discussed his years undercover and announced that TV rights to his espionage novels have been sold to John le Carré’s sons. The deal underscores the appetite for real‑life spy stories on screen.

Tributes Flow for Author Jilly Cooper​

Britain’s Queen Camilla led tributes to bestselling novelist Jilly Cooper, who died aged 88 after a fall. The witty author of “Riders” and other racy comedies was praised for her compassionate storytelling and larger‑than‑life personality.

Krasznahorkai Wins Nobel Prize in Literature​

Hungarian novelist László Krasznahorkai received the Nobel prize for literature, honoured for his compelling and visionary body of work. The award recognises his dense, intense novels and cements his status among Europe’s most important writers.

PLA Launches AI Task Force​

The Public Library Association formed a Transformative Technology Task Force to advise on the role of artificial intelligence in public libraries. The group will set priorities for staff training and replace the association’s old Technology Advisory Group.

Toho’s European Gambit Shifts Manga‑to‑Screen Power​

Japanese entertainment giant Toho established a London headquarters and acquired British distributor Anime Limited, consolidating control of its anime and manga pipeline. The move means future print licences will be bundled with audiovisual rights as Europe’s anime market approaches $9 billion by 2030.

Hyderabad Book Fair Draws Massive Crowds​

The Hyderabad Book Fair, running 19–29 December, attracts weekend crowds over 100,000 and averages 40,000 visitors daily, with 368 stalls up from 210 in 2024. India’s book market, worth $10.4 billion in 2024 and projected to hit $14.6 billion by 2030, offers huge opportunities for publishers.

Amazon Teases 2026 Kindle Plans​

Good e‑Reader reports that Amazon will launch a front‑light‑free Kindle Scribe in early 2026, add AI tools like “Story So Far” and “Ask This Book” to existing devices, and allow readers to download DRM‑free Kindle books as EPUB or PDF from January 20. The company is also rolling out dark mode across its e‑ink devices.

Barnes & Noble Prepares New Nook Devices​

Barnes & Noble’s new Nook chief Jennifer Perry revealed that two new Nook e‑readers will launch in 2026, supporting audiobooks and possibly colour screens or stylus input. The retailer aims to compete with Amazon and Kobo by improving hardware and app integration.

Onyx Boox Plans Palma 3 and Android Upgrades​

Onyx Boox plans to release a Palma 3 e‑reader and refresh its Go tablet series with Android 15 and 16 while shifting from Wacom to EMR stylus technology. The company may also introduce an e‑paper smartphone as it focuses on hardware sales over software ecosystems.