News Today's Book News Wednesday, 12th November, 2025

[AgentPete]

Today's Book News Wednesday, 12th November, 2025

The news is still dominated by David Szalay’s novel which took the Booker Prize. Random House bought Cherry Lake Publishing, and Storm Publishing promoted Kathryn Taussig and signed dark romance titles. Originality.ai exposed AI‑generated herbal remedy books on Amazon, underscoring ethical issues that ALLi plans to tackle in a webinar on the Anthropic AI settlement.

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New and Forthcoming Academic Religion Books​

Publishers preview forthcoming academic religion titles ahead of the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature meeting, highlighting books on theology, activism and accessible translations that signal continued growth in this market.

David Szalay Wins 2025 Booker Prize for 'Flesh'​

Hungarian‑British novelist David Szalay receives the 2025 Booker Prize for his novel ‘Flesh’; judges praise the book’s exploration of what it means to be alive and the win comes with a £50,000 prize.

Panel Mania: 'Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me'​

Mimi Pond’s graphic memoir blends a lively biography of the eccentric Mitford sisters with a self‑portrait of her bohemian childhood, offering a humorous, visually rich take on family history.

Ferdia Lennon wins Rooney Prize for Irish Literature​

BookBrunch reports that Irish writer Ferdia Lennon has won the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature and expresses his honour at receiving the prestigious award.

Bedford Square signs Fiona McIntosh fantasy novels​

Bedford Square, part of Hachette UK, secures a deal to publish at least eight new high‑end fantasy novels by Fiona McIntosh, significantly expanding the imprint’s fantasy offerings.

Dark Romance beckons for Storm​

Storm Publishing moves into dark romance by signing author Jolie Vines for the Body Count trilogy, reflecting growing interest in the genre.

Bookshop.org reveals Read It Forward ambassadors​

Bookshop.org announces that Ben Miller, Joseph Coelho and Gill Sims will champion its Read It Forward campaign, promoting reading and independent bookshops.

Seven Dials unveils Emily English's new cookbook​

Publisher Seven Dials reveals Emily English’s cookbook ‘So Good Express,’ featuring quick, healthy recipes designed to show how good food can boost well‑being.

Cape wins seven‑way auction for Sarah Anderson's debut​

Cape wins a competitive seven‑way auction to acquire Sarah Anderson’s debut novel ‘Fallow,’ described as a satirical exploration of Big‑Tech absurdity, modern alienation and fertility anxiety.

The Slippery Slope of AI Herbal Remedy Books on Amazon​

Originality.ai researchers find Amazon’s herbal remedy bestseller lists dominated by AI‑generated books that often contain inaccurate or unsafe medical advice, prompting calls for better content moderation.

Random House Children’s to Acquire Cherry Lake Publishing Group​

Random House Children’s Books announces its acquisition of Cherry Lake Publishing Group, which will retain its editorial leadership and imprints while benefiting from Random House’s distribution network.

New Books Publishing November 11​

Publishers Lunch highlights new releases for November 11, including novels by Janet Evanovich, David Baldacci and Laura Griffin, alongside nonfiction titles by Sarah Weinman, Dolly Parton and Jim Clyburn.

People 11/11​

The People column lists publishing industry promotions and hires—such as Rebecca ‘Tay’ Taylor becoming editor‑in‑chief at Inklore and Jisoo Leones moving up at Simon & Schuster—and notes the dissolution of Quirk Books’ union following its acquisition by Andrews McMeel.

Oprah’s Book Club pick: Ann Packer’s ‘Some Bright Nowhere’​

Oprah Winfrey selects Ann Packer’s novel ‘Some Bright Nowhere’ for her Book Club, highlighting the book’s exploration of tragedy, resilience and second chances.

Storm Publishing promotes Kathryn Taussig to global ventures role​

Storm Publishing promotes Kathryn Taussig to publisher and director of global ventures, a new role focused on expanding the company’s international business.

Frankfurter Buchmesse’s Christian Ebert on FBM Next​

Frankfurt Book Fair’s Christian Ebert discusses FBM Next, an overhaul of the 2026 fair that will move exhibitors to quieter upper halls and integrate business and consumer programming to improve networking and visitor experience.

Dayton Literary Peace Prize Celebrates Winners, Honors Salman Rushdie​

The Dayton Literary Peace Prize ceremony honours fiction winner Kaveh Akbar, nonfiction winner Sunil Amrith and lifetime achievement recipient Salman Rushdie, underscoring literature’s role in promoting peace and resilience.

Madeleine Thien, Cassandra Calin, Gillian Sze among winners of 2025 QWF Literary Awards​

At the Quebec Writers’ Federation Awards Gala, winners include Madeleine Thien for ‘The Book of Records’ (fiction), Haley Mlotek for ‘No Fault’ (nonfiction), Gillian Sze for ‘An Orange, A Syllable’ (poetry), Cassandra Calin for ‘The New Girl’ (children’s/YA), and Eric Andrew‑Gee for ‘The Mind Mappers’ (first book), with prizes also awarded for translation and spoken word.

Impact Metrics on Publisher Platforms: Who Shows What Where?​

A Scholarly Kitchen investigation of 12 major publishers finds an average of six journal‑level impact metrics displayed on publisher platforms, with the two‑year Journal Impact Factor as the only universal metric and wide variation in how metrics are presented.

News Summary: ALLi to Host Webinar Helping Authors Understand the Anthropic AI Settlement​

ALLi announces a webinar to help authors understand the Anthropic AI settlement; the session will cover the status of the class action, eligibility, claims procedures, deadlines, and the future of collective licensing, providing practical guidance for authors.