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Religion Book Deals: November 5, 2025​

Publishers Weekly lists several noteworthy religious book deals, including a two‑book picture‑book pact for pastor Mark Batterson and his daughter, InterVarsity Press acquiring art historian Matthew J. Milliner’s “Mere Iconography” to help readers navigate the digital age, a three‑book fiction deal for novelist T.I. Lowe at Tyndale House, and Loyola Press buying an illustrated collection of Pope Francis’s words of hope for children.

Celebrating a Century of Jewish Books​

This article marks the 100th anniversary of Jewish Book Week—later Jewish Book Month—originated by librarian Fanny Goldstein to encourage interest in Jewish literature. The Jewish Book Council plans centennial events that highlight books amplifying Jewish voices, stressing that reading about another’s culture can foster understanding and self‑reflection.

Francis Chan Has a New Spin on Faith​

Evangelical pastor and bestselling author Francis Chan returns to the spotlight with a new book titled “Beloved.” After years away from public ministry, Chan says the book encourages a simple, contemplative faith; he reflects on how fame made him uncomfortable and urges readers to focus on God’s love rather than performance‑based Christianity.

At 75, Basic Books Knows How to Make History​

Publishers Weekly’s profile of Basic Books notes that the Hachette imprint has evolved over 75 years from a psychoanalysis book club to a powerhouse in history and social science publishing. Group president Lara Heimert explains that the press cultivates long relationships with academic experts and applies an “intellectual litmus test” to its acquisitions, helping titles by historians and scholars reach a general readership.

PM Press Crowdfunds for Full Ownership of Warehouse​

Independent publisher PM Press has launched a “Book by Book, Brick by Brick” crowdfunding drive to raise US$250,000 and pay off the mortgage on its Binghamton, NY warehouse before its 20th anniversary. Founder Ramsey Kanaan says owning the property will secure the company’s future; the warehouse houses PM’s distribution arm and doubles as a community venue for events such as the Upstate Anarchist Book Fair and supply drives.

Picador announces 'tender, illuminating' China Miéville novel​

BookBrunch reports that Picador will publish China Miéville’s novel “The Rouse,” which the bestselling author says he has been working on for more than half his adult life. The publisher describes the book as a tender and illuminating story, though further details are behind BookBrunch’s paywall.

Fourth Estate launches imprint with Elizabeth Day​

Fourth Estate has teamed up with writer and podcaster Elizabeth Day to create Big Day Books. According to the announcement, the imprint will publish extraordinary stories that explore what it means to be human, with Day curating titles that reflect her interest in personal narratives and thoughtful nonfiction.

Promotions for 'second to none' S&S Children’s team​

Simon & Schuster Children’s Books announced several internal promotions across its sales, marketing and publicity departments. Managing director Rachel Denwood praised the team’s exceptional year and said the changes recognise the staff’s hard work in growing the children’s list; full details are available to BookBrunch subscribers.

Introducing The BookBrunch Rights Resource​

BookBrunch has launched a searchable Rights Resource that compiles all rights deals reported in its publication since 2024. Subscribers can filter the database by author, publisher, imprint, genre or agent, and it will be updated weekly; BookBrunch encourages rights holders to report new deals via email.

People 11/3​

Publishers Lunch’s personnel roundup notes that Mia Council has joined Hanover Square Press as an editor. At Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, Christine Dong was promoted to manager of demand planning, Robert Johannesson to senior demand analyst, Morgan York to production editor and Alin Haberle to production coordinator; Lucie Whitehouse also joined Daniela Schlingmann Literary Scouting as senior scout in New York.

Arcadia Licenses Local Books For AI Training​

Arcadia Publishing has licensed its hyper‑local titles to an unnamed technology company for use in training artificial‑intelligence models. The publisher notified its authors and offered them the opportunity to opt out; authors who agreed to participate were paid about US$340 per book under the licensing agreement.

PRH Sues to Recover Advance for Unpublished Donald Sutherland Memoir​

Penguin Random House has filed suit to recoup a US$400,000 advance paid for Donald Sutherland’s memoir after the actor’s death. The suit states that Crown paid US$1.25 million for the memoir in 2023 and received a draft in March 2024, but Sutherland’s estate declined to approve the manuscript; PRH is seeking repayment of the advance from the actor’s corporation.

Sara Pascoe wins inaugural Jilly Cooper Award at the Comedy Women in Print Prize 2025​

The Bookseller reports that this year’s Comedy Women in Print prizes have been announced and comedian Sara Pascoe received the first‑ever Jilly Cooper Award. Details of other winners and prize categories are available to subscribers, but the headline notes Pascoe’s recognition.

Picador projects facts from Keon West’s The Science of Racism onto London landmarks​

To promote Keon West’s book *The Science of Racism*, Picador projected facts from the text onto four London landmarks including the Royal Courts of Justice and Harrods. The campaign aimed to raise awareness of racial disparities by displaying brief statistics and quotes in high‑profile public spaces.

The late Jeremy Strong among the nominated authors for 2026 Carnegies​

Nominations for the 2026 Carnegie children’s book medals were announced, and the longlist includes a posthumous nod for beloved author Jeremy Strong. Details of the other nominees and categories appear behind The Bookseller’s paywall.

Ex‑Watkins Media MD Vicky Hartley forms The Ahsun Literary Agency with Naz Ahsun​

Former Watkins Media deputy managing director Vicky Hartley has partnered with agent and author Naz Ahsun to create The Ahsun Literary Agency. The boutique agency will represent authors and illustrators across adult and children’s books; further details of their plans are restricted to subscribers.

Tate appoints Natasha Harjani as book sales lead​

Tate Enterprises has appointed Natasha Harjani to lead book sales across Tate Publishing and Tate Retail. She will curate and oversee the book offer at Tate’s galleries, though specific responsibilities and strategy are available only to subscribers.

Books in the Media: new work from literary titans Margaret Atwood and Salman Rushdie​

The Bookseller’s roundup notes that critics and reviewers focused heavily on new books by celebrated authors Margaret Atwood and Salman Rushdie during the week, alongside memoir coverage for actor Anthony Hopkins. More detailed commentary on the reviews appears behind the paywall.

Pan Fiction pre‑empts Chelsea Curto’s ‘storm‑chaser romance’​

Pan Fiction has pre‑empted *In Stormy Weather*, a novel following a meteorology influencer and her academic rival who join forces to chase a category‑five hurricane. The publisher also acquired rights to another novel from author Chelsea Curto; full contractual details are paywalled.

Serpent’s Tail signs Christian Kracht’s ‘exhilarating’ speculative novel​

Serpent’s Tail has acquired *Air* by Swiss author Christian Kracht, whose previous novel *Eurotrash* was Waterstones’ Fiction Book of the Month for November 2025. The publisher describes *Air* as an exhilarating speculative novel; further background and rights details are available behind The Bookseller’s paywall.