Today’s Book News Saturday, 22nd November 2025 (London date)
A new mutual‑aid cooperative of five New York City poetry presses debuts to share staff, lists and printing resources, while big distribution consolidates as Lakeside acquires Baker & Taylor Publisher Services and Catapult absorbs Hawthorne Books. BookTok hype propels James Islington’s latest fantasy to a massive sales surge, and self‑published romantasy and nonfiction titles find chart success. Children’s publishers and librarians call for solidarity against book bans and library destruction, while U.S. library funding wins a court reprieve. Nightboat Books pledges to continue publishing queer and trans authors, and design‑heavy acquisitions like Lauren Rothery’s Television showcase bespoke submission and collaboration.
James Islington’s epic fantasy follow‑up **The Strength of the Few** debuted at #1 on the hardcover fiction list after selling more than 30 times as many print copies as his first book; TikTok buzz and starred reviews fuelled the surge John U. Bacon’s shipwreck history **The Gales of November** entered the hardcover nonfiction ranking amid commemorations of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald Lindsay Straube’s self‑published romantasy **Between Two Kings**, later picked up by Bloom, reached #2 on the trade paperback list, while Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns’s companion volume **The American Revolution** highlighted the upcoming U.S. semiquincentennial
At the New York Art Book Fair, five small presses—Belladonna* Collaborative, Futurepoem, Litmus Press, Winter Editions and World Poetry—introduced a mutual‑aid cooperative called **Poetry Corp**. The coalition shares press lists, staff and printing and aims to sustain experimental and nonprofit publishing amid funding cuts and the collapse of Small Press Distribution Organizers said collaboration, not competition, is vital for survival, and the collective hopes to build a unified public identity while opening up new opportunities for indie presses
PW’s inside look at **Television**, Lauren Rothery’s debut novel, traces a bespoke acquisition process: agent Jim Rutman targeted Ecco editor Deborah Ghim because the book’s ironic narrative and film‑industry themes required an advocate who “got” its tone Rothery wrote short stories after the pandemic halted her filmmaking, and she praised her agent and editor for letting her focus solely on the writing Designer Vivian Rowe collaborated closely with the author to use a film still of Los Angeles on the cover and to balance bold typography with nostalgic Hollywood vibes
Nightboat Books publisher Stephen Motika reflected on the press’s 20‑year mission to blur boundaries between narrative and experimental poetry and to publish “bodily, queer, messy” work He noted that readers sometimes struggle with genre‑crossing books like Bhanu Kapil’s **Schizophrene**, yet the press continues to nurture queer archives and trans authors Motika plans to deepen partnerships and expand an editorial fellowship that trains new editors by letting them shepherd a book from binding and ISBN to publication
BookBrunch reports that Viking triumphed in a heated auction for Samantha Quinn’s novel **Exhibitionists**, described as a razor‑sharp tale of ambition, desire and legacy set in a London gallery The preview notes that the book’s dark humour and art‑world backdrop caught publishers’ attention.
Emma House reports from the Shanghai Children’s Book Fair, where exhibitors and visitors praised the event’s high‑quality discussions and business opportunities House suggests the fair provided a platform for international rights deals and market insights despite travel uncertainties.
Faber & Faber announced the winners of its 2025 FAB Prize, which celebrates new voices in writing and illustration: Sheetal Kowalczyk won the text prize while Mumbi Munyua took the illustration prize BookBrunch’s brief preview highlights how the competition nurtures emerging talent.
In a BookBrunch Q&A, former bookseller Georgia Summers discusses her upcoming fantasy novel **The Bookshop Below**, sharing how her retail experience informs her world‑building and characterisation She offers advice to aspiring writers about persistence and drawing inspiration from everyday work.
Publishers Lunch notes that print and logistics company **Lakeside Book Company** acquired **Baker & Taylor Publisher Services**, enhancing its distribution and order‑to‑cash capabilities. The companies plan to retain B&T’s print‑on‑demand facility in Ashland, Ohio, signalling further consolidation in book distribution.
A federal court ruling permanently protected the **Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)**, halting efforts to eliminate the U.S. agency and preserving a key funding source for libraries and cultural programs. Publishers Lunch’s preview emphasises that the judgment safeguards grants that many public libraries rely on.
Blackstone Publishing partnered with screenwriting marketplace **The Black List** to seek out unpublished novels. Writers can upload manuscripts for evaluation (for a fee); Blackstone will offer a $25,000 publishing contract to one selected work. The initiative aims to bridge film/TV talent scouting with book publishing.
Independent publisher **Catapult** acquired Portland‑based **Hawthorne Books & Literary Arts**, turning it into Catapult’s fourth imprint and retaining founder Rhonda Hughes on the team. The deal underscores Catapult’s strategy of expanding its literary backlist and staff via targeted acquisitions.
In The Bookseller’s editor’s letter, Philip Jones argues that the National Literacy Trust’s research suggests broadening our definition of reading to include digital, audio and online formats. Recognising that young people “read” across media could reshape literacy policy and publishing strategies.
Dylan Calder reports from Manchester’s Future‑Proofing Equality in Children’s Publishing conference, urging publishers to embrace courage and collaboration The piece emphasises that addressing inequities in children’s publishing requires collective action and community support.
Horace Bent celebrates the annual Diagram Prize for odd book titles, noting that **The Pornographic Delicatessen**, a look at Montréal’s erotic art scene, edged out rivals to become only the second Canadian book to win the award The quirky contest highlights the marketing value of eye‑catching titles.
The Bookseller’s sales analysis shows that after winning the 2025 Booker Prize, David Szalay’s novel **Flesh** saw a staggering 1,441 % week‑on‑week print‑sales increase The article examines how Booker success can transform author profiles and market performance.
At the Frankfurt Kids Conference, publishers warned that cultural destruction and censorship threaten literacy: Russian forces have destroyed Ukrainian libraries; U.S. book bans jumped from fewer than 300 in 2020 to more than 9,000 by 2023; and UK libraries suffer chronic underinvestment They called for resilience strategies such as Macmillan’s community reading events and global “book resolutions” to keep children reading
Publishing Perspectives notes that the American Library Association’s 2026 Andrew Carnegie Medals shortlist features a strong international presence: two of the three fiction nominees and one nonfiction contender are translations Finalists include **A Guardian and a Thief** by Megha Majumdar; Agustina Bazterrica’s dystopian **The Unworthy**; Han Kang’s **We Do Not Part**; Mélikah Abdelmoumen’s literary history **Baldwin, Styron, and Me**; Brian Goldstone’s homelessness study **There Is No Place for Us**; and Yiyun Li’s memoir **Things in Nature Merely Grow** Winners will be announced on 27 January 2026, with each receiving US$5,000 and a celebration at the ALA’s Chicago conference
A Scholarly Kitchen panel marking GetFTR’s fifth anniversary highlights how the free service streamlines access to academic research by displaying clear signals for full‑text availability and linking users to library subscriptions Librarians praised GetFTR’s adoption of retraction indicators and browser extensions but urged broader integration and user education They noted that some publishers saw significant traffic increases after adopting the tool but cautioned that smaller institutions need training and resources to implement it
Irish Examiner critic Colm O’Callaghan argues that David Szalay’s sixth novel **Flesh** finally delivered the Booker Prize he deserved. He notes that Szalay had been shortlisted before and that the award, announced on 21 November 2025, reflects a career of creative bravery spanning two decades. The article highlights how the novel’s win elevates Szalay from literary outsider to mainstream recognition.
