AGP Executive Report

Digital Life vs. Offline Reality: A new book, A Happy Excursion Against the Digital Leviathan, follows one man’s 134-day trip across 68 Chinese cities with no phone or internet—hitting real-world friction like QR-code gatekeeping and ticketing systems that don’t care you’re “offline.” Publishing & Culture on the Move: Prague’s Book World drew Czech illustrator Tomáš Řízek, whose Taiwan-focused work is now reaching kids through a “magical train” workshop. Deepfake Crackdown: Philippines lawmakers are pushing bills to make malicious deepfake use illegal as public figures and women face AI harassment and fraud. Local Journalism Under Pressure: California is distributing nearly $20M for local news, but critics warn the state may “pick winners,” weakening the per-reporter goal. Media Power Plays: France’s Canal+ threatens to blacklist 600 film professionals after they challenged Vincent Bolloré’s expanding cultural control. Books & Rights: Pushkin Press is buying world rights (ex-NZ) for NZ hit Hoods Landing, signaling continued global appetite for indie voices.

Publishing & Culture: A Korean drama, “Perfect Crown,” has issued a formal apology after backlash over Joseon-era court ritual depictions, saying disputed audio/subtitles will be revised for future releases. Global Book Trade: The UAE is pushing Arabic titles outward with a “Spotlight on Rights” programme, grants and distribution routes—experts say it’s about more than translation, it’s about getting books into libraries, digital platforms and new markets. Indie Spotlight: Dr. Elizabeth R. Henry’s “SPARK” was named a finalist for the 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, while Minotaur is fixing a printing snafu on “The Last Mandarin” by sending missing pages to booksellers. Industry Tension: France’s Canal+ is threatening to blacklist 600 film professionals after criticism of shareholder Vincent Bolloré, underscoring how media consolidation is colliding with politics. Pop Culture & Books: “The Killing Joke” is getting a €15,000 prestige edition styled like a film camera—because even comic history is now a collector’s object.

Publishing Rights Shift: UKBookPublishing.com hit a 1,000-book milestone after 14 years, pitching itself as a faster, author-controlled alternative to traditional deals that surrender rights and revenue. Controversy & Corrections: Disney’s “Perfect Crown” is still in damage-control mode after backlash over Joseon-era court ritual portrayals; the production and its script-book publisher say revisions are coming, with preorders getting digital correction pages and physical stickers. Industry Signals: IUX highlighted multiple H1 2026 award recognitions across global broker-tech and transparency categories. Community Reading Culture: Doha’s 35th International Book Fair kept momentum with panels on Arabic publishing and translation, plus more launches and seminars. Books & Fandom: Pan Fiction announced “Kissed by Christmas,” a romance advent calendar built from 12 novellas and 12 artworks, while Pride Month reading lists and graphic-novel sales charts kept the week’s spotlight on what readers are actually picking up.

AI in Publishing: OpenAI’s GPT Image 2 is pushing AI visuals forward by tackling the long-running pain points—especially readable text in images, cleaner layouts, and fewer “off” details—making it more usable for real design and marketing work. Pop Culture Books: Random House has greenlit a new Godfather novel, Connie, by Adriana Trigiani, set for fall 2027 and centered on Connie Corleone. Manga Market Frenzy: Shonen Jump first-edition volumes are spiking to extreme resale prices, turning casual collecting into a high-stakes secondary market. Middle East Reading Push: Qatar’s Doha International Book Fair is expanding its digital-age reading push, with initiatives aimed at younger readers and Arabic content innovation—plus Qatar Charity spotlighting its “Future Writers” program. Local Community News: The Spokesman-Review’s nonprofit transition is accelerating after Comma Community Journalism Lab hit its fundraising goal, moving toward community ownership.

Korean History Row: “Perfect Crown” has apologized after viewers slammed its Joseon-era court rituals, saying the show didn’t properly track how etiquette evolved; the team says it will revise the disputed coronation audio/subtitles for future releases. Doha Book Fair Boom: Qatar’s 35th Doha International Book Fair is drawing record crowds—1.85 million books across 910 pavilions—and now Alqantara Publishing and Distribution has been inaugurated at the fair, with plans spanning literature, children’s titles, and translations. AI Publishing Pressure: A Dutch publisher in Zuid-Holland is flooding the market with 2,000-plus undisclosed AI non-fiction books, while libraries and authors push back on how AI titles are labeled and sold. Local Literary Life: Kashmir’s bookstores keep fighting for space, with Gulshan Books and the reopening of a beloved shop after an online campaign.

Kazakhstan Reading Push: President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree to build a “Reading Nation,” with next-gen libraries, support for writers, a national reading award, and a unified National Digital Library Platform—plus annual progress reports. AI Books Under Fire (Netherlands): A Zuid-Holland publisher flooded Dutch stores with 2,000 undisclosed AI non-fiction titles sold via print-on-demand, labeling only some on major retailers—prompting fresh pressure on transparency. Libraries Draw a Line: One U.S. library is calling itself an “AI-free oasis,” aiming to keep generative AI books out as the self-publishing boom accelerates. Publishing in Wartime: Iran’s Tehran Book Fair goes fully virtual again amid strikes, an internet blackout, and a paper crunch. Global Book Culture: Sharjah’s SBA is deepening Malaysia partnerships and library models, while Taiwanese authors bring ocean-themed literature to Prague. Comics Buzz: DC’s Absolute Batman #20 tops weekly bestseller lists, signaling big momentum for the Absolute line.

Publishing Spotlight: A Senate House exhibition is marking the English printing press’s 550th anniversary, tracing the messy early story that really starts with William Caxton—Cologne, then Bruges, then Westminster and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Book Culture: Donna Tartt’s The Secret History gets fresh praise for turning a murder plot into a cold look at obsession and moral self-excuse. Literary Reviews: New fiction buzz includes Max Lury’s No Ghosts (a rigorous creepypasta-style dive), Ruth McKee’s Wild Iris (shame, motherhood, and hallucinatory unease), and Brian Dillon’s Ambivalence (a memoir told at a slant). Industry & Rights: Yen Press announced 17 new acquisitions, while Seven Seas keeps expanding manga and light-novel lines with multiple new English releases. Community & Events: Book festivals and local launches keep popping up—from Newark’s homecoming for Jay McGuiness to a London launch for Slovak writers in translation.

Amazon Bestseller Buzz: Denise Stevens’ kids’ picture book “Sampson the Invisible Cat” has surged up Amazon’s rankings, turning a simple cat premise into a repeat-read hit. Manga Licensing Run: Seven Seas keeps stacking releases—new BL and romance titles including “Pendulum: The Beastmen Omegaverse Saga,” “Good Night, My Little Bird,” and “The Tomorrow I Want to See with Kako,” with multiple English print and audiobook plans rolling into 2026–2027. Publishing Support Pressure: Bangladesh editors and publishers are openly resenting weak government backing, calling for better budgets, skilled editing, and stronger library supply. Community & Fairs: Ottawa’s Ottawa Kitab Book Fair returns with a bigger Arabic focus, while Tehran’s virtual fair pushes discounts and incentives to revive a sluggish market. AI Trust Shock: A Florida local-news site shut down after an investigation found AI-made staff and plagiarized stories—another reminder that “news” can be a mirage. Accessibility Tech: Fastweb+Vodafone and Il Mulino are using AI to generate detailed image descriptions for blind readers.

Doha Book Fair Kicks Off: Qatar’s PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani opened the 35th Doha International Book Fair, running to May 23, with 520 publishers from 37 countries, 910 booths, and 1.85 million books across 231,000 titles—plus 143 new launches and a packed stage of talks and workshops. Legal Fight Over Defamation: A US judge blocked Donald Trump from using “discovery” to dig for proof in his Wall Street Journal defamation case tied to Jeffrey Epstein, calling it improper “groundless litigation.” AI vs Copyright: Korea’s publishers’ chief says the industry must brace for “AI readers,” pushing for standards on copyright protection and fair compensation. Comics Distribution Glitch: Image Comics reported printing damage affecting multiple titles distributed by Lunar, with retailers set to receive replacement copies and freight credit. Local Community Spotlight: San Benito, Texas dedicated a memorial highway sign for fallen SBPD Lt. Milton Resendez.

Courts & Media: A federal judge shut down Donald Trump’s attempt to use discovery to hunt for “actual malice” in his Wall Street Journal defamation fight tied to Jeffrey Epstein, blocking a key path to refiling. Publishing Deals & Collectibles: Gungnir Books launched its Assets collectible program with a limited, non-reprintable Deadweight variant cover for comic shops—plus a limited excerpt issue. New Books, Big Returns: Kathryn Stockett’s long-awaited follow-up to “The Help,” “The Calamity Club,” lands with a 1930s Mississippi women’s community story; and Jean Barlow Hudson’s posthumous mystery “Stephanie’s Secret” finally sees print decades later. Tech & Marketing: TikTok used its ad showcase to push more controllable AI tools, including Smart+ toggles and new commerce features like booking travel. International Book Trade: France’s top court backed minimum home-delivery fees for books to protect independent shops, while Nigeria’s publishers group broke ground on a new six-storey headquarters in Ibadan. Culture & Adaptations: “The Magic Faraway Tree” is turning Enid Blyton into a box-office moment, with more book-to-screen momentum in the UK.

Doha Book Fair Boom: The 35th Doha International Book Fair opens today as the biggest yet, with 910 booths, 1.85 million books across about 231,000 titles, and 520 publishing houses from 37 countries—plus 143 new launches and a packed main-stage program running through May 23. Pop-Culture Meets Sports: Kodansha and Concacaf kick off Blue Lock: Diamonds in the Rough, a U.S. online competition where fans submit soccer-style videos/photos starting May 27, with winners announced at San Diego Comic-Con. Publishing in the Real World: Perth’s Boffins Books will close June 6 after 37 years, blaming CBD retail pressure and work-from-home shifts. AI in Books, Again: The “Shy Girl” debate keeps simmering over whether AI writing slipped into mainstream publishing—or whether it’s a witch hunt. Local Culture Calendar: Cirencester’s Book Extravaganza returns May 16, and New Ulm hosts a reception ahead of a North American premiere of Erich Becker’s revolutionary-era play.

AI + Publishing Leadership: Wesley Paterson’s new book The Hero’s Rope argues “hero culture” is costly in recruiting, HR, and workplace safety—and says AI can either widen opportunity or lock companies into “hire your clone” habits. Cybersecurity: A fresh supply-chain attack wave hit npm and PyPI, with malware released as open source and tied to infections spreading through popular packages. AI Search Marketing: Proven ROI launched an “AI Search Visibility Framework” with free tools aimed at winning citations across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Copilot, and Grok. Global Book Fairs: Doha International Book Fair opens Thursday with record scale—910 booths, 1.85M+ books, 231,000 titles, and 520 publishing houses—while Arab–Greek publishing ties get a boost at Thessaloniki. Culture & Books: LAIKA teased Wildwood; Nobody’s Girl (Virginia Giuffre) won top UK book honors; and Cannon made history by winning the Stella Prize for the first graphic novel to do so.

Media Ownership Shift: The Spokesman-Review’s nonprofit owners say they’ve hit the fundraising goal, kicking off a transition that will move the nearly 140-year paper from the Cowles family to a community-operated newsroom. Platform Regulation Clash: In Russia, digital services have started slapping drug-warning tags onto classic children’s books, and platforms are now removing or revising affected titles as the rules bite. Publishing + Politics: Pakistan’s National Assembly passed bills on plastic book covers and anti-rape trial changes on Members’ Day, rejecting opposition amendments. Books as Culture: A new collection from Australia’s National Library spotlights the enduring power of handwritten letters. Global Book Fairs: Doha’s book scene adds new scholarship and translation-heavy programming, including a 500+ title showcase from Abu Dhabi’s Arabic Language Centre. Film/Animation: Sycamore Studios has begun work on Doctor Dolittle: King of the Wild, aiming for a 2027 delivery.

Awards & Format Shake-Up: The Griffin Poetry Prize is holding a town hall to re-evaluate its award format after backlash over combining prizes and leaving Canadian poets off this year’s long list. Memoir Spotlight: Nigeria’s former head of state Yakubu Gowon says his new autobiography is meant to clarify his civil-war decisions—not reopen wounds—ahead of a May 19 launch in Abuja. Publishing Meets Culture Wars: A Cannes protest over “Zapper Bolloré” alleges Vincent Bolloré’s media reach is tightening control of French film from financing to distribution. Platform Rules Hit Creators: Kickstarter tightened mature-content policies, with comics facing stricter page standards and creators warning of lost revenue and confusion. Indie Momentum: St. Paul children’s publisher Planting People Growing Justice founder Dr. Artika R. Tyner was named a national Zoom Solopreneur 50 honoree. New Book Tech for Authors: AuthorOnAir launches an AI podcast host that reads a manuscript and distributes the interview to major platforms for $19/month. Global Book Fairs: Turin Book Fair kicks off with Zadie Smith and other major names.

AI Copyright Clash: Five major publishers and author Scott Turow accuse Mark Zuckerberg and Meta of “massive” book piracy to train Llama, saying Zuckerberg personally ordered the move instead of paying—Meta vows to fight. School Cyberattack: Wisconsin’s Canvas platform is down after a cyber attack, hitting UW campuses and K-12 districts; the hackers are demanding a settlement or threatening to release huge amounts of data. Book Trade Spotlight: Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir Nobody’s Girl just won Book of the Year at the British Book Awards, adding to the Freedom to Publish prize shared with Meta whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams. Publishing & Tech Tension: A new reading-promotion push in China pairs with fresh debate over AI in literature, as Shy Girl’s fallout keeps raising questions about disclosure and originality. Pop Culture Crossovers: Fourth Wing is getting an Amazon Prime Video series order, and Fourth Wing’s TV momentum keeps stacking on top of book-to-screen news.

AI Copyright Clash: Elsevier has joined a class-action lawsuit against Meta, alleging Meta used copyrighted journal and book content to train Llama—adding major publishing muscle to a fight that’s still searching for a clear legal line. Streaming & Adaptations: Elin Hilderbrand’s “The Five-Star Weekend” is headed to Peacock (July 9), with Jennifer Garner leading an eight-episode Nantucket getaway drama. Publishing Business Watch: Former Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon’s memoir “Frankly” didn’t sell huge, but her company assets reportedly quadrupled after the book deal—raising fresh questions about how author earnings are handled. Community Reading Push: One Word at a Time and EveryLibrary named winners of the “Be Mighty for Your Library Challenge,” aiming to keep youth reading alive amid budget pressure. Pop-Culture Heat: Mumbai Comic-Con 2026 drew 55,000+ fans over the weekend, underscoring how comics and gaming keep pulling mainstream crowds.