Today’s Book News Sunday, 30th November 2025 (London date)
More publishing news than you'd expect for a Sunday... including award announcements, acquisitions and legal battles. Industry surveys highlighted growing diversity and AI unease, while bookstores and unions braced for new business rates. Independent presses shared historical archives, authors discovered their heritage, and legal actions signaled challenges around AI and trademarks.
Publishers Weekly’s survey of more than six hundred publishing professionals found that the industry’s workforce is becoming slightly more diverse, with more respondents identifying as people of colour. Median pay increased modestly, but respondents expressed unease about generative AI: most expected their jobs to change because of it and many were not comfortable using it.
An article in Publishers Weekly explores how university publishing programs grapple with AI in editing. At Portland State University and other schools, instructors debate whether to incorporate AI tools into workshops, emphasising that students still need strong human editing skills even as AI becomes more common.
In an interview with Publishers Weekly, Hub City Press publisher Meg Reid discusses the press’s mission to elevate voices from the American South. Reid speaks about launching the Hub City Shorts chapbook series and focusing on overlooked stories and diverse writers.
Publishers Weekly’s Endnotes column chronicles how Modern Library brought Torborg Nedreaas’s 1947 Norwegian novel to English readers. The piece highlights the contributions of translator Bibbi Lee, editor LuAnn Walther and designer Kristie Radwilowicz in showcasing the book’s themes and giving it a new audience.
A report from BookBrunch notes that Roisín O’Donnell’s novel ‘Nesting’ won the Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards, which also honoured authors such as Cecelia Ahern and Elaine Feeney. Chapters Bookstore in Dublin was named Bookshop of the Year and the awards celebrated a range of Irish writing.
BookBrunch reports that Foyles Bookshop selected Arundhati Roy’s memoir ‘Mother Mary Comes To Me’ as its Book of the Year. The book, published by Hamish Hamilton, was praised for its startling and powerful narrative.
BookBrunch notes that Abacus has acquired a memoir by 104‑year‑old former Mosquito pilot Colin Bell. Titled ‘Bloody dangerous: fifty missions over Germany’, the book recounts Bell’s experiences flying combat missions during the Second World War.
Publishers Lunch reports that Canongate Books is selling its crime fiction imprint Severn House to Joffe Books. The sale, expected to close early next year, reflects the companies’ existing partnership in ebook distribution and is described by Canongate’s Jamie Byng as a good match between independent publishers.
A brief from Publishers Lunch notes that the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter to remain in her post while appeals continue over her removal. A final decision will follow oral arguments scheduled for early next year.
Publishers Lunch reports that a class action filed by authors including Mike Huckabee alleges Bloomberg used the Books3 dataset to train the BloombergGPT language model without permission. The plaintiffs argue that their works, many of which are Christian non‑fiction, were used unlawfully in the AI training set.
The Bookseller quotes the Booksellers Association warning that business rates reform in the Autumn Budget could be disastrous for independent bookshops. The trade body fears that higher rates will lead to a deluge of increased costs and has called for targeted support to protect small retailers.
The Bookseller reiterates that Foyles Bookshop has selected Arundhati Roy’s memoir ‘Mother Mary Comes To Me’ as its Book of the Year for 2025, praising the memoir’s emotional power and political insight.
Coverage of The Bookseller’s Marketing and Publicity conference notes that BookTok creators debated whether the TikTok community encourages a ‘fast fashion’ approach to reading. Participants observed that while viral trends boost sales, the platform’s rapid turnover can make it hard for books to sustain attention.
The Bookseller reports that BookTrust co‑chief executives Annie Crombie and Diana Gerald plan to broaden the charity’s reach as it celebrates its one hundredth anniversary. They emphasise keeping the organisation’s core mission of encouraging reading among children while adapting to modern challenges.
Publishing Perspectives describes a call from Publishing Scotland inviting overseas publishers to apply for its 2026 international fellowship. The programme offers eight participants a chance to build relationships with Scottish publishers, includes a translation fund to support licensing deals and aims to expand the global reach of Scottish literature.
Publishing Perspectives reports that more than thirty publishers and free‑expression groups wrote to Tennessee officials opposing a directive requiring public libraries to audit their collections for ‘age appropriateness’. They argue that such audits threaten intellectual freedom and could lead to book removals and censorship.
Publishing Perspectives recounts how thirty‑seven independent bookstores in São Paulo collaborated to create a map highlighting street bookshops. The initiative aims to draw readers back to bricks‑and‑mortar stores following the collapse of major chains and pandemic closures, and to celebrate the city’s independent book culture.
Publishing Perspectives notes that Albatros Media increased its stake in the online bookseller Restorio and acquired the marketplace Trhknih. The company intends to keep its new and second‑hand operations separate while promoting sustainability and taking advantage of growing demand for used books.
Quill & Quire details how Gaspereau Press co‑founders Andrew Steeves and Gary Dunfield donated more than sixty metres of correspondence, ephemera and production records to Acadia University. The donation ensures that the independent press’s history will be preserved and available to researchers.
Quill & Quire reports that author Thomas King learned through genealogical research that he does not have Cherokee or other Indigenous ancestry. King said he will return his National Aboriginal Achievement Award, withdraw his forthcoming novel and apologise to readers for misrepresenting his background.
The Alliance of Independent Authors’ news column notes that OverDrive, operator of the Sora reading‑app, has filed a trademark lawsuit against OpenAI because the company’s new text‑to‑video AI product is also named ‘Sora’. The column also reports that Spotify plans to raise audiobook subscription prices in the United States and that the inaugural Speakies audiobook awards highlighted mainstream publishers but overlooked independent authors.
Books Ireland reports that Deirdre Kelly won the National Gallery of Ireland’s Sarah Cecilia Harrison Essay Prize for an essay on artist Kathleen Fox. The competition, which celebrates women artists, also recognised runners‑up Biddy Scott and Méabh Scahill and aims to encourage new research into the contribution of women to Irish art and craft.
Another Books Ireland piece notes that sixty‑nine titles from thirty‑six countries have been nominated for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award. A longlist will be released in February 2026 and the shortlist in April, with the €100,000 prize divided between the author and translator for translated works.
