Publishing News Daily Book News Thursday, 19th March 2026

[AgentPete]

DAILY SUMMARY:

Baker & Taylor's surprise Chapter 11 filing sent shockwaves through the library supply chain, while across the Atlantic the UK government performed a dramatic U-turn on AI copyright — music to creative ears, if perhaps a verse too late. The Climate Fiction Prize shortlist spotlights a genre gaining serious commercial traction, with Madeleine Thien and Robbie Arnott among the contenders. Meanwhile, the PEN/Hemingway went to debut novelist Virginia Evans, and the literary world mourned Alfredo Bryce Echenique, the Peruvian novelist who laid bare his country's privileged class.

Publishing Industry News​

Baker & Taylor Makes Surprise Chapter 11 Filing​

The closed library wholesaler has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, reporting debts of between $100 million and $500 million against assets of just $1 million to $10 million. Penguin Random House alone is owed more than $23 million.

UK Government Drops AI Copyright Exception After Creative Industry Outcry​

The UK government has reversed its preferred approach to AI training and copyright, abandoning a proposed copyright exception that had been widely rejected by the creative industries. The decision was welcomed by the book trade, though concerns remain about alternative policy avenues.

Polish Sci-Fi Author Rafał Kosik Named 2026 BolognaBookPlus Author Ambassador​

Rafał Kosik, one of Poland's most influential science fiction writers of the 21st century, has been named the BolognaBookPlus Author Ambassador for 2026 and will take centre stage at the high-powered international programme.

PJ Library Launches $1.2 Million Fund to Subsidize Jewish Book Publishing​

The nonprofit's new Next Level Books Initiative earmarks 30% of its funding for investment in independent publishers creating Jewish children's books, aiming to support the pipeline of quality titles for young readers.

Christian Fiction Publishers See Strong Sales for Dual-Timeline Novels​

Publishers of Christian fiction report strong sales for dual-timeline novels, in which characters and plots move between past and present while adhering to Christian values. The trend reflects growing reader appetite for historically layered storytelling in the faith market.

Darryll Colthrust to Keynote AI@Media Conference​

Darryll Colthrust has been announced as a keynote speaker at the forthcoming AI@Media conference, which will explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and the media and publishing industries.

Notable Book News & Book Reviews​

Climate Fiction Prize Announces 2026 Shortlist​

The 2026 Climate Fiction Prize has announced its shortlist of six books, including works by Madeleine Thien and Robbie Arnott, showcasing authors responding to the climate crisis in inventive and surprising ways. The winner will receive £10,000.

Virginia Evans Wins PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel 'The Correspondent'​

Virginia Evans has won the prestigious PEN/Hemingway Award for her debut novel The Correspondent. The prize recognises distinguished first fiction by an American author.

New Book Chronicles a 19th-Century Sex Panic With Present-Day Echoes​

Historian Christopher Clark's new book chronicles a nearly 200-year-old scandal, exploring themes of fake news, ruined lives, and moral panic that resonate with contemporary debates.

Hannah Lillith Assadi's 'Paradiso 17' Explores Life in Exile​

Assadi's novel considers the toll of displacement through the tale of a Palestinian émigré, following a life always on the move with the past forever in tow.

Andy Weir Discusses the Science Behind 'Project Hail Mary' Ahead of Film Release​

Andy Weir discusses his science-fuelled novel Project Hail Mary, which has been adapted into a film opening in theatres this week. The author reflects on the solid scientific foundations underpinning the story.

Joshua Bennett Celebrates Black Excellence in Two New Collections​

Joshua Bennett's two new collections, We and The People Can Fly, take different paths to the same destination, offering poems and essays that celebrate Black life, culture, and achievement.

Peruvian Novelist Alfredo Bryce Echenique Dies at 87​

Alfredo Bryce Echenique, the celebrated Peruvian novelist who exposed the heedlessness of the upper class and the suffering of the underclasses, has died at 87. He was considered the other great Peruvian writer alongside Mario Vargas Llosa.

Suzanne Simard Returns with 'When the Forest Breathes'​

Ecologist Suzanne Simard's new book is reviewed as a compelling return from the author whose previous work on intelligent forests made her a scientific celebrity.

Kiran Millwood Hargrave's 'Almost Life' Reviewed​

Hargrave's latest novel is described as a will-they-won't-they queer romance, continuing her evolution as one of British fiction's most versatile voices.

Len Deighton, Master Spy Writer and Cookery Cartoonist, Dies at 97​

British novelist Len Deighton, whose Cold War thrillers including The Ipcress File and Funeral in Berlin brought documentary-style realism to the spy genre, has died aged 97. He also had a parallel career as an influential cookery writer and illustrator.

Neil Jordan's Sci-Fi Vision of West Cork in 2084​

A review of the celebrated Irish filmmaker and novelist Neil Jordan's new science fiction work, which imagines a futuristic west Cork populated by holograms and clones.