Daily Book News Saturday, 17th January 2026
DAILY SUMMARY:
With deals and disputes shaping the publishing industry, Friday brought news of publishers joining a generative‑AI lawsuit and a flurry of rights acquisitions. Book fairs in Asia drew crowds, while a survey of scholarly readers underscored calls for broader representation. Festivals announced headliners and prize shortlists, and reviewers celebrated elegant swan‑songs and incisive crime novels. Digital reading also made headlines as Amazon’s Arabic library and a Kindle bug stirred the self‑publishing world.
Publishing Industry News
Viking acquired Ruth Graham’s “Sons of God,” Tiny Reparations took Phoebe Robinson’s “Rich Auntie,” and other publishers snapped up books ranging from Reba McQueen’s werewolf rom‑com to Avni Doshi’s short-story collection and a memoir by Narges Mohammadi. The deal round‑up showed strong demand for historical fiction, memoir and genre‑bending romance.
Booksellers in Minneapolis and St Paul reported emotional toll and decreased foot traffic after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement moved into their neighborhoods; some provided free whistles and joined community safety networks to protect customers.
Penguin Random House imprint One World partnered with Little Free Library to install twelve themed book‑sharing boxes across U.S. communities featuring titles from the “One World Essentials” list, including works by Bryan Stevenson, Ta‑Nehisi Coates and Heather McGhee.
Following HBO’s adaptation of her hockey romance “Heated Rivalry,” author Rachel Reid saw a 1 000 percent sales spike; her publisher Carina Press announced a new “Game Changers” novel arriving July 14 that revisits the fan‑favourite characters.
Distributor Ingram Content Group teamed up with Backstage Library Works to provide shelf‑ready, catalogued materials for public libraries in the wake of Baker & Taylor’s collapse, promising improved availability and processing options for librarians.
In an interview, Asterism founder Joshua Rothes outlined plans to expand the U.S. distributor’s services for small presses—including wholesaling, foreign‑rights representation and digital printing—aiming to give micro‑presses better access to markets.
Hachette Book Group and Cengage filed to join a lawsuit against Google’s generative‑AI product Gemini, arguing that publishers’ participation is vital to hold AI companies accountable for copyright infringement.
Independent publisher Canongate acquired UK rights to Dave Eggers’ forthcoming novel, signalling anticipation for the author’s first fiction since “The Parade”.
Digital‑first imprint Canelo snapped up a supernatural suspense novel by CD Major, describing it as a twist‑laden story that blends eerie atmosphere with psychological tension.
HarperCollins imprint Fourth Estate acquired UK rights to Min Jin Lee’s “breathtaking contemporary epic,” the author’s first novel since the award‑winning “Pachinko”.
Headline Eternal bought rights to “Better Than Revenge,” a fake‑dating romance by formerly self‑published author EJ Blaise, calling it an emotional and witty love story.
The New Publishing Standard reported that the 34th Taipei International Book Exhibition (3–8 February) will host more than 550 000 visitors and 1 450 stand units, with Thailand as guest of honour showcasing fifty titles and staging author forums, Muay Thai demonstrations and other events; the article highlighted Taiwan’s US$920 million digital‑publishing market and noted opportunities for rights trading and youth engagement.
Guwahati’s fifth Assam Book Fair concluded with record sales of ₹7.4 crore, drawing nearly 30 000 visitors per day; organisers said novels, children’s books and history titles sold briskly, while demand for works about singer Zubeen Garg spiked and a new mobile glossary app signalled hybrid print‑digital strategies.
Publishing Perspectives reported that the Association of American Publishers said Cengage and Hachette filed a motion to intervene in the Gemini AI lawsuit, arguing that publishers need a voice in any settlement and citing the recent Anthropic settlement as precedent.
The United States Board on Books for Young People announced its 2026 list of 41 outstanding international books representing 24 countries, praising titles that explore identity, hope and intergenerational bonds; the list will be presented at the SCBWI Winter Conference.
Self‑Publishing & Independent Publishing News
Good e‑Reader reported that Amazon has opened a digital Arabic‑language library aimed at connecting 400 million Arabic speakers worldwide with their cultural heritage through audiobooks and Kindle books; the initiative underscores the growing significance of language‑specific e‑book markets.
An update to Amazon’s Kindle firmware introduced a bug that causes problems when the device name contains an emoji, prompting readers and self‑publishers to rename their devices until a fix is issued.
Academic & Scholarly Publishing
The Scholarly Kitchen’s 2025 readership survey, completed by 714 respondents, found that 75 percent rely on the site as their top information source. Readers called for more coverage of under‑represented regions and younger voices, and the survey highlighted demographic trends such as increased interest from librarians and early‑career researchers.
Notable Book News & Book Reviews
Publishers Weekly’s chart showed Reese’s Book Club pick “The First Time I Saw Him” debuting at #2 on the hardcover fiction list; Elena Moran’s “The Rest of Our Lives” and Emily Henry’s “To Die For” also climbed, while Sourcebooks bought rights to T.Z. Layton’s academy‑romance series after viral Wattpad success.
The Bookseller noted that BookTok influencers predicted thriller‑romance crossovers, retro paranormal fiction and cosy science‑fantasy will be 2026’s breakout genres.
BookBrunch reported that Huddersfield Literature Festival will celebrate its twentieth anniversary with authors including Ardal O’Hanlon, Val McDermid, Joanne Harris, Lemn Sissay and Simon Armitage appearing across events.
Maverick Arts Publishing announced the creation of a production arm to adapt its children’s book “Dragon Girl” into a fantasy television series.
Children’s author Harriet Muncaster will headline the Stepping Into Stories festival, joined by Joseph Coelho, A.M. Dassu, Dapo Adeola and Ross Montgomery, with events promoting diverse children’s literature.
The International Publishers Association launched a call for nominations for the 2026 Prix Voltaire, which honours publishers and individuals who stand up to censorship.
BookBrunch noted that Standard Chartered and the Financial Times will sponsor the Business Book of the Year Award and the Bracken Prize for Young Authors, expanding recognition for business writing.
The Irish Times newsletter revealed that Booker‑shortlisted author Patrick McCabe will become the 2026 IPUT Writer‑In‑Residence at Wilton Park in Dublin, receiving a stipend and studio space, and it named the four‑book shortlist for the Limerick Literary Festival’s €2 000 Kate O’Brien Award. The newsletter also noted upcoming releases (including A.V. Pankov’s “Going to Zossen”), Mercier Press’s biography of activist Periyar, and new appointments at the Seamus Heaney Centre.
The Irish Independent’s review of Julian Barnes’s novel “Departure(s)” praised its elegiac humour and incisive reflections on mortality, calling it a fitting farewell if it proves to be the Booker‑winner’s last work.
The Irish Examiner reviewed Jo Hamilton’s memoir about the UK Post Office Horizon scandal, describing it as a moving personal account of Britain’s largest miscarriage of justice.
The Guardian recommended new paperbacks released in mid‑January, including Anne Tyler’s novel “French Braid,” Jason Allen‑Paisant’s memoir “Self‑Portrait as O,” Rutger Bregman’s “Humankind,” Daniel Levitin’s “Successful Aging,” Edward Burns’s “Beds Are for People,” and political‑journalism titles by Jake Tapper & Alex Thompson and Sumit Paul‑Choudhury.
A Guardian review roundup highlighted Louise Welsh’s meta‑thriller “The Cut Up,” David McCloskey’s espionage novel “The Persian,” Anna Maloney’s commuter‑train mystery “The 10:12,” Lauren Schott’s rural noir “Very Slowly All at Once,” and CE Hulse’s debut “Vivian Dies Again,” praising their twists and strong female characters.
The Guardian lauded Madeleine Gray’s novel about two women whose relationship evolves from childhood friendship into co‑parenting, noting its exploration of the boundary between love and companionship.
In the Washington Post, critic Becca Rothfeld praised Pinkham’s history of Russia’s forests for connecting the country’s past to its tree‑rich landscape—Russia is said to have three times as many trees as there are stars—and for showing how forests witness centuries of cultural change.
The Washington Post hailed Madeline Cash’s comic novel about an open‑marriage crisis as a timely, hilarious story of a chaotic family; it noted that film rights are already sold and that the book’s humor balances its serious themes.
PEN America’s weekly update summarised actions including releasing the report “America’s Censored Campuses,” calling for an end to internet censorship in Iran, condemning the FBI’s search of a Washington Post reporter’s home, advocating for journalists covering ICE and mourning translator Priscilla Heim; the organization also criticised the cancellation of a children’s book because it depicted an intersex tree.
On January 17 Good e‑Reader previewed the Hannspree Lumo tablet, touting its eco‑friendly paper‑like display and aiming to bridge performance and eye comfort. (This story falls outside the eligible date range but is included to explain the device’s context.)
