Dealmakers had a busy start to the week: Atlantic pre‑empted a Dutch bestseller arguing fascism’s modern dangers while HarperCollins Australia bought world rights to Bondi Terror; Piatkus snagged Scottee’s debut self‑help memoir and HarperCollins UK promoted Tom Dunstan. Publishing Perspectives’ global roundup noted Kodansha’s digital gains, Spotify’s Swedish audiobook launch and Irish backlist sales growth. Bangladesh’s book fair faced rescheduling chaos, Vietnam’s multi‑site Tet festival showcased AI bookshelves and Japan planned major funding boosts for manga and anime. Reviews of Isabel Waidner’s surreal novel and a radical handbook on citizen‑led governance headlined cultural coverage.
Publishing Industry News
Atlantic Books pre‑empted rights to Dutch writer Rosan Smits’s *This Is Fascism: A Wake‑Up Call*, a bestseller that argues fascism is not just a historical phenomenon. The publisher will release the book in the UK, positioning it as a call to vigilance against contemporary authoritarianism.
A rights roundup features a string of acquisitions: Flatiron bought Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra’s young‑adult historical fantasy *Conjure the Bones*, Summit pre‑empted Pablo Maurette’s speculative novel *The Book of Contraband*, Viking Penguin took North American rights to Ada Calhoun’s memoir *Welcome to the Club*, Harper pre‑empted U.S. Commonwealth rights to Barbara Kingsolver’s novel *Partita* and Putnam bought Amanda Williams’s time‑loop romcom *Tea & Time Loops*. Other deals include new work by George Saunders, an oral history of *School of Rock*, Manola Gonzalez Rosillo’s *Gringas* and a thriller by T. Jefferson Parker.
Publishers Weekly’s charts show Lauren Palphreyman’s romantic fantasy *The Night Prince* debuting atop hardcover fiction lists, while Brad Thor’s thriller *Cold Zero* got a boost from a Netflix adaptation announcement. James Ponti’s middle‑grade novel *Europa* and other children’s titles also climbed, highlighting continued demand for young‑readers series.
HarperCollins UK named Tom Dunstan, previously director of home and digital sales, as group sales director, marking a senior leadership change at the publisher.
UK literary agencies reported an influx of manuscript submissions that show evidence of artificial intelligence use and have amended their guidelines to urge writers not to use AI tools. Agents said the change in the nature of submissions could disadvantage new authors and asked publishers to clarify policies.
After a competitive auction, Piatkus acquired world rights to performer and podcast host Scottee’s debut non‑fiction book *Amateur’s Guide to Staying Alive*, described as a candid exploration of survival and self‑care. It is scheduled for release under the Little, Brown imprint.
Publishing Perspectives’ column reported that Kodansha’s latest fiscal results showed digital sales growth offsetting print declines, Spotify’s audiobook launch in Sweden added about a million households to the subscription market, Polish game developer Bloober Team partnered with Foksal Publishing Group to develop book series based on video games and Irish publishers recorded modest revenue growth in 2025, with around 80 percent of sales coming from backlist titles.
Bangladesh’s annual Amar Ekushey Book Fair faced fresh turmoil after organisers postponed the start date to late February and waived stall fees following complaints about overlap with Ramadan. Publishers warned that repeated rescheduling and political interference have damaged sales and turned the event into what one observer called an unmitigated disaster.
Ho Chi Minh City’s 2026 Tet Book Street Festival expanded into multiple downtown sites and introduced AI‑powered smart bookshelves, augmented reality exhibits, a digital library zone and heritage displays. More than 20 publishers and bookstores participated, reflecting Vietnam’s push to promote reading culture and blend physical and digital experiences.
Japan announced plans to quadruple funding for its content industries—including anime, manga and gaming—by investing in domestic distribution platforms, AI localisation tools and improved labour standards. Officials said they aim to boost overseas sales and address labour shortages, promising new antitrust guidelines to protect subcontractors.
HarperCollins Australia acquired world rights to *Bondi Terror: The Tragedy, the Courage, the Aftermath* by journalists Sharri Markson and Alex Ryvchin. The narrative nonfiction title reconstructs the Bondi massacre in real time and records survivors’ stories, promising a detailed account of the attack’s causes and aftermath.
In a press statement, PEN America criticised the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for applying the “equal time” rule in a way that targeted programmes critical of the administration. The advocacy group said such regulatory pressure threatens press freedom and could encourage self‑censorship across broadcast media.
Academic & Scholarly Publishing
Times Higher Education reported that seven British universities had still not submitted their financial statements months after the statutory deadline. The article highlighted concerns about governance, possible financial difficulties and calls for more transparency in the higher‑education sector.
Notable Book News & Book Reviews
Publishers Weekly’s children’s announcements spotlighted forthcoming titles for younger readers, including B. B. Alston’s *Amari and the Metalwork Menace*, Xiomara Santos’s adventure *Forty the Fortune Teller* and Arti Mann’s *Hail Mariam*, along with new releases from Mary Downing Hahn and other authors.
Library Journal’s weekly Book Pulse reported that B. K. Borison’s novel *And Now, Back to You* led public library holds, with strong demand also for new books by C. J. Box, Tayari Jones, Anna Quindlen and Michael Pollan. The column noted that *Evil Genius* by Claire Oshetsky was People magazine’s book of the week, listed new LibraryReads and Indie Next picks, and mentioned an upcoming biography of game composer Nobuo Uematsu and the death of journalist Susan Sheehan.
The Guardian’s review of Isabel Waidner’s novel *As If* praised the book’s anarchic wit as it follows two uncannily similar men who swap identities in a surreal farce. The reviewer noted how the story satirises the precariousness of contemporary work and the performative nature of modern life.
Reviewer Gaby Hinsliff assessed Hélène Landemore’s radical proposal for replacing elected leaders with randomly chosen citizen assemblies. While intrigued by the book’s ideas on direct democracy, the review questioned its practicality and emphasised that Landemore’s vision reads more like a thought experiment than a workable blueprint.
Lit Hub’s daily roundup linked to essays on how capitalism undermines art, Lauren Groff’s craft advice, a history of the Seminole war, a memoir about sudden widowhood, a reading list exploring the myth of the “bad mother”, an exploration of latex fetish subcultures, the anniversary of the Gutenberg Bible and a nature essay on the Japanese abalone.
