AGP Executive Report

Local Readings: Poet Jeanne Bartlett and writer Jarvis Coffin will host an evening of readings and conversation at Bob’s Chocolate Café in Francestown (Sept. 11), with discussion on how rural New Hampshire shapes their work. Publishing & Culture: Denise Blake has been named judge of the Allingham Poetry Competition ahead of the Allingham Festival in Ballyshannon (Nov. 4–8), with entries open until Sept. 27. Labor History in Books: Angela Watkins’ “Mahoning Valley Steel” revisits the 1937 Little Steel strikes in Ohio, including the violence around Republic Steel and the Steel Workers Organizing Committee’s push. Poetry & Community: A new “Poets Weave” segment features Mary Dezember reading “Pure Poetry & Art” and “Sun Shining Through.” Health & Pharma: Phase 4 KINECT-PRO results report improvements for tardive dyskinesia patients on valbenazine, including quality of life and daily functioning. Language & Power: An opinion piece argues that language becomes powerful only when institutions build the tools to describe reality—linking that idea to literacy and access.

Literary Obituaries & Legacies: Tributes continue after the death of National Artist for Literature Resil Mojares, remembered as a constant presence in secondhand bookstores and a lifelong reader. Graphic History & Censorship: Artist Dana Mashoian Walrath’s interactive graphic history, The Book of Genocides, draws Holocaust-linked stories while also depicting Palestinian life under occupation—raising fears it could get her banned in Israel. Publishing & Craft: Carlo Gébler chronicles Edna O’Brien’s final years in No One Tells You, a portrait of a writer determined to keep working despite illness. Books & Community: A staged reading of Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer-winning Sweat brings its working-class Reading, Pennsylvania story to Allentown. AI & Tools for Writers: Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5.1 is out, pitched as project-focused and built for longer, more agent-like work. Education & Health: LBC reports free nicotine pouches are being handed to children despite addiction concerns, with teachers increasingly aware. Fall Reading Buzz: Autumn lists spotlight new fiction and translations, including Colm Tóibín’s novella The Bridge and Rebecca F. Kuang’s Taipei Story.

Publishing & Book Tours: Lizzie Buehler, author of the novel “The Obsessed,” heads to Iowa for a stop on her book tour, pitching the story as “art imitating life imitating art” through modern dating and language obsession. Fall Reading (Mysteries): A roundup of must-read mystery releases for fall 2026 spotlights everything from Oxford-set espionage-romance to high-stakes whodunits. Book-to-Screen Watch: Disney is reportedly shelving its older “Percy Jackson” strategy for Season 3, while “Silo” star Ashley Zukerman teases Daniel’s Season 4 role as “more complicated” than fans expect. Literary Culture & Loss: Robin Morgan—child star turned feminist poet, essayist, editor, and co-architect of the women’s movement—has died at 85. Health & Consumer Safety: The BBC reports counterfeit versions of the experimental weight-loss drug retatrutide are flooding the UK market, raising urgent questions about regulation and harm. Poetry & Community: A Vision and Voice art-therapy program showcases teen poetry and paintings in a public community event, turning seasonal struggles into shared art. Adaptation Buzz: Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion contender “It Will Happen Tonight,” loosely adapted from Eshkol Nevo’s short story, earns a nine-minute ovation.

Publishing & Deals: Stalybridge debut novelist Alice Murphy-Pyle lands a Bloomsbury deal for One Hundred Minutes More, a ghostly, grief-soaked story set in Manchester with UK and Commonwealth rights plus audio. Literary Culture: Queen Camilla makes a surprise Royal Festival Hall appearance to read a grief letter from the Queen Mother, with the National Literacy Trust in the spotlight. Poetry & Community: Angela Sibanda’s Zimbabwean books-and-storytelling podcast Ingwalo Labalobi earns an Afrotellers Conference nomination in Mombasa, framed as “narrative sovereignty” in the AI age. Book Reviews: Colson Whitehead’s Cool Machine closes his Harlem trilogy; Avni Doshi’s The First House digs into grief and marriage’s collapse; R. Seshasayee’s The Grammar of Silence follows Tamil women across centuries. Reading in Public Life: National Book Week programming pushes libraries as daily reading hubs in Ekurhuleni, with storytelling, poetry, and indigenous-language sessions. Global Books on Screen: Netflix starts filming Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets series in Prague, bringing Robert Langdon back to the screen. Arts Funding Debate: Scotland’s proposed minimum income for artists sparks fresh arguments over who should get public support.

Local Library Spotlight: Brownell Library is collecting stories, memories, poems, images, and drawings for a commemorative 100th-anniversary book, with submissions due Oct. 1 and proceeds supporting the library’s next century. Book-to-Screen Buzz: HBO’s Harry Potter reboot adds Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Hill) plus Tom Riddle (Billy Barratt) and Dobby (Lenny Rush) for Season 2, and fans are already parsing casting coincidences. Fall Reading Momentum: Goodreads readers are hyped for September releases, including R.F. Kuang’s Taipei Story, a new identity-and-belonging drama. Writing Community: Louisiana Book Festival’s WordShops announce three faculty members and Oct. 30 workshops for writers of all levels. Publishing Industry Shift: Venice’s Book Adaptation Rights Market shows studios and streamers moving upstream to secure book IP earlier than ever. Health & Policy for Readers: A Virginia study finds Medicaid pays less than other insurers for routine preventive visits, raising questions about access and fairness.

Publishing & Culture: Sandra Hüller is set to star as Wolfgang Herrndorf in Maria Schrader’s film adaptation Work and Structure, based on his autobiographical diary about writing through terminal illness. BookTok Buzz: Dostoevsky’s novella White Nights is surging in Brazil (sales up 463% year-on-year) after a TikTok-driven wave of Gen Z readers. Reading’s Future: A Seoul keynote argues AI may answer faster, but reading still matters because it teaches people to ask better questions. Literary Events: Angie Kim will do public programming during her Northern Michigan residency, including a Happiness Falls book club discussion. Community & Learning: Indonesia’s CEPI-backed “Mission 100 Days” tabletop drill tests end-to-end pandemic readiness, including rapid vaccine development and logistics. Print Industry: The Saturday Evening Post will stop printing after its January/February 2027 issue, continuing online. Health & Science (books-adjacent): A Science study reports psilocybin may help prevent chemo-related nerve pain.

Royal Letters Live: Queen Camilla made an unannounced stop at Royal Festival Hall, reading a 1952 letter from the Queen Mother about finding comfort in poetry—while Olivia Colman praised her “great job.” Book Publishing & Mystery: George Kirazian’s “The Tamerlane Game” returns in a new Archway/Simon & Schuster edition, with a detective plot tied to rare books and decades-old secrets. Literary Community & Access: Indigo’s Adopt a School program is sending Cut Knife Community School in Saskatchewan funds for classroom libraries and new reading sets. Reading Culture in Action: West Chester opened fantasy shop Leaves & Lore after a long line and near-sellout first day, showing demand for curated physical books. AI Meets Books/Publishing: Nvidia’s $13B deal for Hugging Face spotlights the publishing-adjacent future of open models, while Shopify’s “Gisting” aims to cut prompt bloat and cost. Tech & Education: Bill Gates warns AI’s risks are being kept quiet for profit, and a teacher argues “AI literacy” belongs in English, not just tech classes.

Publishing & Books: Searsmont’s long-running newsletter by Joyce and Mickey Sirota is slowing down, shifting from weekly to every two weeks. Literary News: Dalkey Archive Press has released The Ginger Man Letters, new correspondence tied to J.P. Donleavy and his Trinity College circle. Debut Fiction: Northern California artist Liz Collins will publish eco-mystery Whalespeak (Sep. 4), blending whale “communication” with tech-vs-nature stakes. Romance Spotlight: Gilbert wedding photographer Nikki Hutchings debuts with A Second Shot (Aug. 24), a destination-wedding love story. Adaptations: HBO drops a deeper trailer for its Harry Potter series, while Amazon Prime Video is moving The Apothecary Diaries to a live-action run in 2028. YA Fantasy: Ireland’s Great Island is adapting Clíodhna O’Sullivan’s Her Hidden Fire into an 8-episode YA series. Author Loss: Wendell Berry, the Kentucky agrarian writer, has died at 92.

Publishing & Culture Diplomacy: Qatar’s Ministry of Culture is taking part in the Moscow International Book Fair through Sept. 6, using panels and business meetings to boost Qatari publishing, translation, and intellectual property ties. Literary Awards: Gary E. Smith’s political thriller And So It Goes won the NYC Big Book Award (Political Thriller). Comics Industry: The Ink Alliance—Black-owned comic retailers—sold out 1,000 copies of a DC New Titans variant cover in five days, spotlighting pathways for Black creators and shops via Sanford Greene. TV Adaptations of Books: HBO released a new trailer for its Harry Potter series, promising book-leaning moments like the Hogwarts Express and Sorting Hat. Local Book Events: North Adams’ inaugural Northern Berkshire Author and Book Festival (50+ authors) is set for Sept. 9, while a Lethbridge signing highlights Lester Leavitt’s Forbidden Friends. Poetry & Identity: Kiki Petrosino launches Perfect Italian with a Sept. 25 reading, exploring heritage and belonging. AI Literacy: A guide flags red flags for spotting AI-written text. Books as Community: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library continues expanding free books for young children.

Publishing & Culture: Sharjah’s Department of Culture announced a year-long run of 40+ festivals and forums starting Sept. 2026, with the Sharjah Narrative Forum kicking off Sept. 8. Literary Events: The Budapest International Book Festival (Oct. 1–4) spotlights German-language authors, with Germany/Austria/Switzerland as guest countries. Book-to-Screen: Great Island has optioned Clíodhna O’Sullivan’s romantasy hit Her Hidden Fire for an eight-part YA series, with the franchise spanning the trilogy. Author News: Ama Badu promoted to senior commissioning editor at Faber. Awards: Zimbabwean YA author Blessing Musariri made the Kirkus Prize shortlist for When It’s Your Turn for Midnight. Reading Life: A Lions Club program is helping low-vision readers use screen-reading devices and even read manuals independently. Climate Backdrop: The UN says keeping warming under 1.5°C is no longer possible, shifting focus to “overshoot” and later cooling.

Publishing & Books in the Spotlight: Jenna Bush Hager and Shannon Garvey talk debut novels and publishing on NHPR’s “Writers on a New England Stage,” while a new Texas Book Club pick spotlights LaToya Watkins’s generational, clairvoyance-tinged family saga The Book of Chuck. Big Literary News (and Pop Culture): HBO Max released a teaser for its Harry Potter TV reboot and set the next trailer drop for Sept. 2. Genre & Reading Culture: A piece on why mysteries work so well for the “rational soul” leans into the pleasure of revelation and clue-driven tension. Local Events for Readers: Readers Theatre auditions for “Shuddersome: Tales of Poe” land Sept. 26, and Sisters Festival of Books spotlights Central Oregon writers Sept. 12–13. AI, Formats, and the Reading Life: Anthropic rolls out Fable/Mythos 5.1 with cheaper use and new privacy options, and one writer tests an open model that can reverse-engineer Adobe’s DNG converter. Arts & Adaptations: Funko debuts A Court of Thorns and Roses Pop! figures, and a Haunting Adeline movie adaptation review tackles how controversy travels from page to screen.

Publishing & September Releases: September’s reading slate is stacked, from Marlon James’s The Disappearers and Chloe Benjamin’s Under Story to Emily Wilson’s Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea and Amanda Peters’s The Birthing Tree—plus a big wave of children’s, sci-fi/fantasy, and poetry debuts. Poetry Roundup: Editors highlight a month heavy with poets finding fresh bite post-pandemic, with standout collections like Aldo Amparán’s The House Has Teeth. Local Book Culture: Norfolk, Suffolk, and beyond keep the momentum with author talks, poetry events, and festivals—while Pomona’s Café con Libros shows how bookstores can build belonging through Latino-led programming. Books as Marketing: MrBeast’s first novel, co-written with James Patterson, leans on creator-fueled hype and a $1M reader challenge. Literary Loss: Wendell Berry, the Kentucky farmer-poet and environmental thinker, has died at 92. Adaptations & Screen Buzz: Prime Video sets the final Maxton Hall season for Dec. 9, and Stephen King’s “Crouch End” heads to TV. Controversy & Safety: A Delhi-NCR bus assault case sparks renewed debate on women’s safety and jurisdictional blame.

Poetry Prize: Kuwait’s Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain Cultural Foundation named winners of its 20th Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain Prize for Poetic Creativity, spotlighting Arabic poetry and criticism as living cultural memory. Short Story Buzz: Peter Zimmer’s new collection Barn Secrets turns decades of global encounters into entertaining short stories meant to amuse, surprise, and move. Theater & King: Colorado’s Arvada Center opens its season with Misery (Sept. 4–Oct. 11), adapting Stephen King’s novel via the film story—plus a fresh take on Annie Wilkes’ humanity. Publishing/Books on Screen: Netflix is eyeing DC creator Geoff Johns’ Geiger and other indie graphic novels for potential adaptations, signaling more comic-to-streaming bets. AI & Regulation: The EU designates ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine under the Digital Services Act, raising compliance stakes for generative answers. Libraries & Reading Life: Storytimes resume at Stillwater Public Library; River City Readers restart monthly meetings in September. Physical Media: A roundup spotlights the best physical releases of August 2026 for readers who want books and media they can actually hold.

Moldova Literary Heritage: Parliament Library in Chisinau received rare bibliophile publications, postcards, and audio of poet Grigore Vieru from his son Călin Vieru, including a velvet-bound tribute volume with watermarked paper and golden inserts. Kenya Books & Culture: The Macondo Literary Festival will launch its 2026 theme, “Ink, Sea, Silence,” with a discussion on archives, museums, and cultural memory, plus a quiz and music. Publishing & Education Under Fire: Russia destroyed 12 million books in Ukraine ahead of the new school year, including a Kyiv printing press producing 1.3 million textbooks. Literary Prizes: LAcon V announced the 2026 Hugo winners, with Alix E. Harrow’s The Everlasting taking Best Novel. Poetry & Community: Nance Van Winckel was remembered for her wry humor and 17 books, after her death at 74. Media & Adaptations: Northanger Abbey lands on ITVX (Sept. 24), and Netflix’s The Whisper Man faces mixed reviews despite a star cast. Reading Life: Readers share tiny accomplishments that bring big joy, from organizing spices to precise woodworking.

Publishing & Books: Hank Phillippi Ryan’s thriller “Mother Daughter Sister Stranger” gets a Sept. 3 author talk at Lewes Public Library, while Nina LaCour’s “Meet Me in the Garden” spotlights Creole identity through a multi-decade family journey. Poetry & Community: The Banyan Academy launches the Dr. Parasuraman Lived Experience Writing Award, backing service-user writers with mentorship; Main Street Rag Publishing readies Louis Efron’s next poetry collection. Language & Media: A CBC memo on how to describe 9/11 sparked backlash, and the broadcaster softened its guidance. Adaptations & Screen: Netflix is adapting Ali Hazelwood’s adult romance “DEEP END,” and Prime Video is moving ahead with Stephen King’s short story “Crouch End.” Local Literary Life: El Dorado Hills Library’s Sept. 29 Author Showcase spotlights local authors on the craft and business of writing. Health & Science (book-adjacent): ASCO issues its first living guideline for recurrent ovarian cancer treatment, updating standard-of-care options as new research lands.

Publishing & Reading Culture: The LA Times Festival of Books’ 2026 “best book club picks” roundup spotlights reader favorites like Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, framing book lists as invitations—not verdicts. Literary Life & Community: Library Card Sign-Up Month gets a spotlight at Shreve Memorial Library, pitching cards as gateways to classes, media, and local events. Books & Meaning: Dolly Parton’s legacy is being retold through her “Coat of Many Colours” message—turning scraps into love—while tributes and book talk keep her “book lady” identity front and center. Science Meets Storytelling: A new genetics report links early ultrasound findings to a TCF4 mutation tied to Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, and another study suggests gut bacteria may influence multiple sclerosis risk via immune-cell pathways. AI in the Real World: Prosecutors say a Massachusetts teen used ChatGPT to draft fictional family-killing scenarios, raising fresh questions about how we talk about AI and harm. Crime & Pop Culture: The Tupac Shakur murder trial nears closure as fans gather for justice and remembrance. Local Arts: Dingwall’s art group marks 800 years as a royal burgh with a community exhibition.