Today's Book News Friday, 7th November, 2025
Authors Guild Webinar Talks Self‑Publishing, Conglomeration
An Authors Guild webinar featuring author Mike Castleman and CEO Mary Rasenberger warned that digital self‑publishing has created an oversupply of books, with about 2.5 million titles released annually while demand remains flat. Speakers said this “industrial publishing” model squeezes authors, agents and traditional publishers, and suggested that writers use hybrid publishing services and professional marketing to improve visibility.
A Calm Confidence Marks Book Manufacturers Annual Meeting
At the Book Manufacturers Institute’s annual meeting, members expressed cautious optimism despite trade uncertainties. BMI reported its highest membership in over a decade and strong finances; speakers noted looming issues such as tariffs on books from China and the EU’s deforestation regulation but encouraged investing in the printing industry’s image.
C D Rose wins Goldsmiths Prize
Author C D Rose took home the 2025 Goldsmiths Prize for his novel *We Live Here Now*. Judges praised the book as a dizzying, encyclopedic series of interlinked stories connected by texture, resonance and suggestion.
Richard Charkin to chair Thames & Hudson board
Publishing veteran Richard Charkin will become chair of Thames & Hudson on 1 January 2026. The company said his extensive experience, enthusiasm and deep industry knowledge will help the illustrated publisher thrive in the years ahead.
Wilton Square picks up Bottom book
New publisher Wilton Square has rescued *Talking Bottom*, a sold‑out book celebrating Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson’s cult sitcom *Bottom*, after the original publisher Boundless collapsed. The move ensures the illustrated book remains available for fans of the off‑beat 1990s comedy.
Third‑Party Law Firm Encourages Authors to Opt‑Out of Anthropic Settlement
In the class‑action case against AI firm Anthropic, plaintiffs asked a judge to stop the Arizona law firm ClaimsHero from urging authors to withdraw from a proposed settlement. They argue the firm runs a “bait‑and‑switch” scheme that could inadvertently remove signers and co‑owners from the agreement and jeopardise potential compensation.
People 11/6
St. Martin’s Essentials reshuffled its leadership, promoting Jaime Schwalb to associate publisher, Sarah Stanton to executive editor and Sahar Al‑Nima to associate editor, while Joel Fotinos advanced to vice president and publishing director. Penguin Random House children’s imprints reported promotions, Owlkids Books hired new editors, and industry news noted that Richard Charkin will chair Thames & Hudson and David Young will step down as Canongate chair.
Little, Brown Children’s Announces New Imprint and Group Structure
Little, Brown Children’s will launch a new boutique imprint, with details to be revealed later, and reorganise its editorial teams into groups focused on younger and older readers. As part of the restructuring, longtime editor Alvina Ling was promoted to vice president and publisher.
‘Vibe coding’ is Collins' Word of the Year 2025
Collins Dictionary chose “vibe coding” as its Word of the Year 2025. The term refers to software that harnesses artificial intelligence to convert human language into computer code, reflecting the growing influence of generative AI on programming.
Publishing's money should be on prequels
A Bookseller commentary argues that prequels generate fresher excitement than sequels, which often suffer diminishing returns. By exploring characters’ backstories, prequels can both reinvigorate a franchise and stand on their own for new readers.
Fleur Sinclair, Nadim Sadek and Muslim Romance Festival shortlisted for 2025 FutureBook Awards
More than 40 contenders were shortlisted for the 2025 FutureBook Awards. The list features Sevenoaks Bookshop owner Fleur Sinclair, Shimmr founder Nadim Sadek and the organisers of the Muslim Romance Festival among nominees across publishing innovation categories.
Fly on the Wall Press launches The Publishing Academy
Manchester‑based Fly on the Wall Press launched The Publishing Academy, an online learning hub aimed at lowering barriers to entry into the book industry. The initiative will provide digital courses and resources for aspiring publishing professionals.
Trade welcomes government's response to Curriculum and Assessment Review
The Publishers Association and other trade groups welcomed the UK Department for Education’s response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review. They noted that the government accepted several recommendations meant to modernise school assessments and curriculum policies.
John Murray Group snaps up ‘visually stunning’ book about the natural world
John Murray Group acquired *Our Story: The Remarkable Tale of an Extraordinary Species* by Colin Butfield and Jonnie Hughes. The book was touted as a visually striking exploration of humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
Magic Cat Publishing to partner with Walker Books on sales and distribution
Children’s publisher Magic Cat announced a new partnership with Walker Books for sales and distribution. Under the arrangement, Walker will handle the sales force and warehousing for Magic Cat titles, expanding their reach in the UK and beyond.
S&S Children’s Books spellbound by Studio Ghibli‑inspired fantasy debut
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books bought two YA fantasy novels by debut author Allie Nguyen. The series combines the whimsical wonder of a Studio Ghibli film with threads of horror, romance and myth, and will be targeted at young adults and crossover readers.
BookTrust launches 2025 Christmas appeal, aiming to deliver 18,000 parcels to young people in need
UK charity BookTrust launched its 2025 Christmas appeal to deliver 18,000 parcels of books to children and teenagers in care and in disadvantaged circumstances across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Donations will help ensure that young readers receive reading materials over the holidays.
Recordings from this Year’s Publishing Perspectives Forum
Publishing Perspectives announced that videos from its Frankfurt Book Fair Forum are now available on YouTube and the Frankfurter Buchmesse media library. Sessions include executive talks with leaders from Simon & Schuster UK, Hachette’s JC Lattès and Bonnier Germany, as well as panels on audio innovation and the future of publishing.
Rights deals: John Elizabeth Stintzi, Robin Stevenson + one more
A Quill & Quire rights roundup reported deals for works by John Elizabeth Stintzi, Robin Stevenson and a third author. Full details of the acquisitions are behind a paywall, but they indicate continuing international interest in Canadian writers’ forthcoming titles.
Kyle Edwards, Claire Cameron, Karen Solie among Governor General’s award winners
The Canada Council for the Arts named the winners of the 2025 Governor General’s Literary Awards, selecting authors across seven English‑language categories from more than 1,100 nominated titles. Recipients—including Kyle Edwards (fiction), Karen Solie (poetry), Tara Beagan (drama), Claire Cameron (nonfiction), Heather Smith (children’s text), Tonya Simpson & Delréé Dumont (illustrated books) and translator Jessica Moore—each receive CA$25,000, while their publishers earn CA$3,000.
Guest Post — AI as Reader, Author, and Reviewer: What Stays Human?
At the Society for Scholarly Publishing’s New Directions seminar, experts debated how artificial intelligence is changing research reading, writing and peer review. They agreed that AI can summarise articles, assist with drafting and streamline review workflows but insisted that human judgment, mentorship and responsibility must remain central; the panel also raised concerns about bias, transparency, licensing and the environmental costs of generative AI, urging publishers to invest in people and develop tools that support rather than replace human experts.
News Summary: $50M Literary Arts Fund to Support Writers; Bluesky Surpasses 40M Users and Adds Dislike Feature
A new US$50 million Literary Arts Fund backed by foundations such as MacArthur will offer grants to nonprofit organisations supporting writers and could lead to fellowship programmes similar to the MacArthur Genius awards; the first funding call opens on 10 November 2025. The article also notes that decentralised social network Bluesky has exceeded 40 million users and is introducing a “dislike” button designed to refine users’ feeds rather than encourage negativity.
