Publishing News Daily Book News Thursday, 8th January 2026

[AgentPete]

Daily Book News Thursday, 8th January 2026

Holiday book sales boomed on buzzworthy titles while big moves reshaped the industry: Baker & Taylor’s final stock went to auction, Kirkus bought AudioFile, Utah faced a book‑banning lawsuit and McGraw Hill hired a tech‑savvy CEO. Survey and research findings exposed untapped festival audiences and literacy gaps, PEN America launched a campus free‑speech guide, and Culture Ireland offered bursaries for the London Book Fair.

Publishing Industry News​

B&T Liquidation Firm Holds Closeout Sale​

The GA Group is selling more than 465,000 books left from Baker & Taylor’s liquidation, with the stock valued at roughly $7.8 million; offers were due by the end of 7 Jan, signalling the final stage of the nearly 200‑year‑old distributor’s wind‑down.

Kirkus Buys ‘AudioFile’ Magazine​

Kirkus Media acquired AudioFile magazine and plans to launch an audiobooks section edited by Jennifer Dowell; new CEO Meg LaBorde Kuehn says the purchase is part of a growth strategy to diversify the review brand.

New Lawsuit Challenges Utah’s Book Removals​

The ACLU of Utah and the Kurt Vonnegut estate joined authors and students to sue over Utah’s HB 29 law, arguing the state’s removal of “sensitive” books from school libraries violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

Two Longtime Tor Execs Retire​

Tor Publishing Group announced that publisher Patrick Nielsen Hayden and vice‑president Linda Quinton will retire after nearly four decades publishing authors like Cory Doctorow; their responsibilities will be absorbed by existing staff.

Buzzy Titles Buoy Holiday Book Sales​

Independent booksellers reported a strong holiday season despite shipping delays as buzzy titles such as *The Correspondent* and *Heated Rivalry* drove sales; escapist fiction and nonfiction bestsellers helped offset supply‑chain headaches.

McGraw Hill Appoints New President and CEO​

Educational publisher McGraw Hill named tech‑industry veteran Philip Moyer as its new president and CEO effective 9 Feb; with experience at Vimeo and Google, he will focus on using artificial intelligence to personalise learning as outgoing CEO Simon Allen becomes chairman.

Culture Ireland Offer Delegate Bursaries to Irish Publishers for the London Book Fair​

Literature Ireland and Culture Ireland announced bursaries of €750 per person (maximum two per organisation) to help independent publishers attend the London Book Fair in March, covering travel and accommodation costs; applications close 30 Jan.

A 200-Year-Old Book Distributor Is Closing. Here’s What That Means for Public Libraries​

NPR reported that library supplier Baker & Taylor is shutting down after nearly two centuries serving over 5,000 libraries; the closure, triggered by financial struggles and a failed merger, leaves librarians scrambling to find new vendors and to maintain book access.

Shop Talk: Boundless Books​

Quill & Quire profiled Boundless Books, a new independent bookstore in Ladysmith, British Columbia, opened by Catherine Quaglia and Dana Corbett after renovating the former Salamander Books; community support has fuelled their early success.

Book Festival Survey Reveals ‘Vast, Untapped Potential Audience’​

A BookBrunch report on the Great Big Book Festival Survey found that festivals could attract a much larger audience than they currently reach, suggesting significant growth opportunities for organisers.

Yawning Gap in Primary School Reading Revealed​

New research reported by BookBrunch revealed that only about 10 percent of disadvantaged children who fall behind in reading at primary school later achieve passes in English and maths GCSEs, highlighting a significant literacy gap.

London Library Emerging Writers Programme Opens for Eighth Year​

The London Library opened applications for its eighth Emerging Writers Programme, offering a year of support and resources to writers from all backgrounds at the start of their careers.

TfL Celebrates 40 Years of Poems on the Underground​

Transport for London marked the 40th anniversary of its Poems on the Underground scheme with events and a revised edition of the anthology *100 Poems on the Underground*, highlighting the enduring popularity of poetry on public transit.

Authors Guild Pushes Back on Amazon’s ‘Ask This Book’ AI Feature​

The Authors Guild criticised Amazon’s new “Ask This Book” AI feature for potentially violating authors’ rights, arguing that Amazon needs to licence text and compensate rights holders instead of using copyrighted works without permission.

Self-Publishing & Independent Publishing News​

Authors Guild Pushes Back on Amazon’s ‘Ask This Book’ AI Feature​

The Authors Guild criticised Amazon’s new “Ask This Book” AI feature for potentially violating authors’ rights, arguing that Amazon needs to licence text and compensate rights holders instead of using copyrighted works without permission.

Academic & Scholarly Publishing​

PEN America Releases Revamped Campus Free Speech Guide​

PEN America unveiled an updated Campus Free Speech Guide designed to help students, faculty and administrators navigate protest, hateful speech and academic freedom; it emphasises seven guiding principles and case studies to show free expression and inclusion are complementary.

PEN America Condemns Censorship at Texas A&M University​

After Texas A&M removed works by Plato from a philosophy course due to restrictions on race and gender topics, PEN America decried the decision as absurd censorship and urged the university to rescind its rules and restore academic freedom.

Notable Book News & Book Reviews​

Iris Murdoch’s Previously Unpublished Poems to Be Released​

The Guardian reported that a new collection titled *Poems from an Attic* will publish previously unseen poems by Iris Murdoch exploring her bisexuality, offering fresh insight into the novelist’s private life ahead of its November release.

What to Read in 2026: Recommendations From Abuja, Nairobi and Brighton​

An updated Guardian feature highlighted 2026 reading recommendations from African publishers and bookshops, including upcoming picture book *A Bouncy 123* by Sade Fadipe and other releases that spotlight African and diaspora literature.

Love, Desire and Community: Romance Readers Bond Over Favourite Tropes​

A Guardian article explained how young women are fuelling a boom in romance fiction by sharing morally grey characters and tropes on TikTok; pop‑up bookshops and social media communities have created vibrant in‑person and online networks for fans.

‘The Oak and the Larch’ by Sophie Pinkham Review​

The Guardian reviewed Sophie Pinkham’s book arguing that Russia’s forests—home to 642 billion trees—are central to its national identity; the book blends environmental history and cultural analysis to show how vast forests shaped the nation’s psyche.

Michelle Good and Elizabeth MacLeod Among Order of Canada Appointees​

Quill & Quire noted that writers Michelle Good and Elizabeth MacLeod were appointed to the Order of Canada in recognition of their contributions to literature and the arts, as part of the 2025 New Year’s honours list.

Bestsellers: Top 10 Canadian Books for Young Readers​

The magazine listed the week’s top‑selling Canadian books for children and young adults for 28 Dec 2025–3 Jan 2026, showing the popularity of homegrown authors and series.

Philip Yancey, Prominent Christian Author, Admits to Extramarital Affair​

The New York Times reported that bestselling Christian author Philip Yancey publicly confessed to an extramarital affair, sparking discussion among his readers.

Our Favorite Home Libraries​

A New York Times feature showcased some of the most inviting home libraries, highlighting creative book displays and cosy reading nooks.

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Will Publish a Book in the U.S.​

The paper noted that Venezuela’s opposition leader plans to publish a memoir in the United States, providing insight into his political struggle.

Why the British Were Afraid of Winning World War II​

A New York Times review examined a book exploring how wartime Britain feared the consequences of victory and the societal shifts that could follow.

He Built Some of New York's Finest Spaces. His Life Was Far Messier.​

The Times reviewed a biography of an architect celebrated for shaping New York’s iconic interiors while living a tumultuous personal life.

Do You Know Where in the World These Books Are Set?​

A quiz in the New York Times challenged readers to identify the settings of various books based on clues and cover art.

Read These Books Before They Hit Your Screens in 2026​

An NYT list recommended novels that will be adapted for film or television in 2026, urging readers to get ahead of the screen versions.

He Was Fascinated by the School Nazi. He Ended Up Dead.​

The Times recounted a true‑crime story involving a young man’s obsession with a notorious “school Nazi,” leading to tragic consequences.

The Story of Calamity Jane, in Her Own Wild Words​

A New York Times piece introduced a collection of letters and interviews revealing the adventurous life of frontierswoman Calamity Jane in her own voice.

 

[Pamela Jo]

The Times recounted a true‑crime story involving a young man’s obsession with a notorious “school Nazi,” leading to tragic consequences. Fucking Times firewall. Fucking cowardly turncoat Grey Lady.

Conclusion: small town libraries are again the focus of the resistance to anti-intellectualism as they were under Bush. That might be where the book festivals hatch as the New Dark Ages begin.
"Please Sir. Can we have some more audiobook?" Like a thread just for all news about them?"

Kirkus Buys ‘AudioFile’ Magazine​

By Sophia Stewart |
Jan 07, 2026

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Kirkus has acquired AudioFile magazine and will start covering audiobooks in Kirkus Reviews, the magazine announced. With the purchase, Kirkus has created a new audiobooks section in Kirkus Reviews, which will be edited by audiobook editor Jennifer Dowell, who previously served as AudioFile’s managing editor. Kirkus will also continue AudioFile’s weekly Behind the Mic podcast.
The purchase, according to a release, is the “first initiative by Meg LaBorde Kuehn, who has rejoined Kirkus in an expanded role as publisher, CEO, and partner" after departing the companylast June. Her mandate, the announcement said, is to focus "on strategic long-term growth through acquisitions and technology initiatives."