AGP Executive Report

Iranian politics & books: Reza Pahlavi’s bid to lead a post-regime Iran is getting fresh attention amid war-era rhetoric and high-profile receptions in the US and Europe, with his story now feeding into the wider publishing conversation about succession, legitimacy, and propaganda. Publishing & sports history: ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen is releasing Sports Heaven: The Birth of ESPN as part of a multi-format project (book, audiobook, documentary), promising the behind-the-scenes satellite-era push that created 24/7 sports TV. Media & ethics: A new 30 for 30 audio series, The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani, revisits the interpreter scandal with a newly released recording and competing accounts. Health & long reads: A decades-long study links cumulative childhood weight gain to later metabolic multimorbidity, underscoring “life stage” prevention. Crime & governance: Telangana’s ACB reports its highest quarterly corruption haul since 1983, booking 67 cases in three months. AI & copyright: Multiple reports highlight how AI training is still drawing from copyrighted books and journalism without permission, keeping authors and publishers on edge.

DMV Detour at Illinois State Fair: Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is bringing REAL ID, license and registration renewals, placards, and free genealogy searches to a fair tent—plus Illinois author readings and book giveaways. School Safety Meets Policy: Wicomico County, Maryland is rolling out clear backpacks for middle and high school students, with families buying them and a review planned after the pilot. Romance on the Screen, Books in the Pipeline: At San Diego Comic-Con, Veronica Roth and romance leaders pointed to romance’s steady sales power and announced more novel-to-screen development, including Christina Lauren’s circle and new adaptation news. AI vs. Books, Again: A major Anthropic settlement approved by a judge hands authors payouts while also clarifying how AI can use lawfully acquired texts for training—sparking mixed reactions from writers. Odyssey Backlash: Classicist Emily Wilson, whose translation inspired Nolan, calls the film “abysmal,” criticizing its lack of emotional, political, and ethical depth. Local Literary Life: Reynoldsville’s library hosted Pittsburgh author Clare Beams for its annual Author Luncheon, spotlighting her novel The Garden.

UN Peacekeeping Book Launch (Malaysia): Malaysia’s police chief says a new book, United Nations Peacekeeping Missions of the Royal Malaysia Police, is meant as a “masterclass” in crisis leadership, tracing 13 missions and the doctrine behind them. Memoir Spotlight (9/11 Media): Korey Rowe, co-creator of the controversial Loose Change, turns to his own story in The Soldier That Left, reframing the making of the internet phenomenon. Royal Publishing Buzz: A new Prince Harry book is framed as a missed chance for a more “transformative” monarchy, with broadcaster Simon Vigar weighing in on the split. Tech + Reading Culture: A review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 argues the foldable’s wider, more compact size finally feels right for everyday use. Literary Loss (Japan): Mystery giant Keigo Higashino dies at 68; his publisher confirms colorectal cancer, with The Devotion of Suspect X as his breakout legacy. Education Policy (Texas): Texas signals it may expand use of the Classic Learning Test in admissions, even as an independent review found weaker links to college performance than SAT/ACT. Book-to-Community (Australia): Books in Paradise returns with local author showcases and a student-made children’s anthology, Tales from the Shire.

AI & Piracy Settlement: Anthropic’s $1.5B deal over training Claude on pirated books got court approval, while questions linger about what’s still “fair use” as Europe watches. Publishing & Rights: A UK court ruling says author trust royalties are capital, not income—another reminder that publishing money rules can shift fast. Book Culture Events: Parkersburg’s first Market Street Book Fair packed local authors and vendors into one “bookish” day. Community Reading: Qatar National Library hit 1.25M visits with a focus on access, showing how libraries matter beyond raw stats. New Books: Moshood Yusuf’s debut novella The Dead Load explores love as a life-saving force; Nathaniel Chin’s When Memory Fades maps dementia stages for families. Literary Festivals: Kashmir’s Chinar Book Festival wrapped after drawing thousands, with major programming and festival spin-offs like Rajatarangini discussions. Controversy & Society: A study links “neural noise” patterns to everyday communication challenges in autistic youths.

Ukrainian Publishing Under Fire: Russia has destroyed more than 1.5 million Ukrainian books in July alone, with strikes hitting printing houses and warehouses—an assault on language, education, and cultural memory. Post Office Scandal Focus: Legal journalist John Hyde says a new book will examine how lawyers helped drive wrongful convictions of sub-postmasters tied to Fujitsu’s Horizon system, arguing the profession failed its ethical duties. Delaware Corporate Law Update: The Delaware Supreme Court cleared amended DGCL Section 144 and Section 220, putting “books and records” and conflict-safe harbors back on solid ground for companies and shareholders. Reading Culture Wobble: A new report highlights fewer Americans finishing books and falling reading proficiency, with teachers assigning fewer full titles than a decade ago. Book-to-Screen Buzz: Apple TV is adapting William Gibson’s “Neuromancer,” while H.D. Carlton announces “Haunting Adeline” graphic novels—both signaling how fast publishing is feeding screen and fandom. Local Book Life: Malaysia’s Book and Semarak Jawi Carnival 2026 aims to pull reading into everyday spaces, with exhibitions, author sessions, and a “Screen vs Page” forum.

AI & Copyright: A US judge approved a $1.5B Anthropic settlement over books used to train Claude, reigniting the fight over consent and compensation in AI learning. Antitrust & Platforms: China fined Trip.com $770M (5.2B yuan) for abusing dominance in online hotel booking, ordering refunds to hotels and targeting exclusive deals. Comics & Publishing Buzz: DC’s Absolute Universe swept multiple Eisner Awards at San Diego Comic-Con, while Akira Toriyama was inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame. Fantasy & Series Updates: George R.R. Martin is working on Dunk and Egg book four, and Netflix’s Ransom Canyon (based on Jodi Thomas’s series) is surging in US streaming. Reading Culture: Libraries and bookstores keep leaning into community—one piece highlights how libraries become safe, welcoming hubs, and another spotlights a local author event at Arboreadum. New Books & Reviews: A Galloway Year pairs natural history with art; Sisters of the Midnight Sun offers a gripping legal procedural from a public defender’s perspective. Local Book Life: Pine River Library’s summer book sale returns with organized categories and new donations.

Malaysia Politics: DAP’s Chong Zhemin calls out MCA’s “conspicuous silence” over Perikatan Nasional election director Sanusi’s remarks about Malays, Indians and Chinese belonging elsewhere, arguing Malaysia is everyone’s home. Ghana Politics: Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo‑Markin attacks Ghana’s 2026 mid-year budget as a “third term” push, blaming stalled jobs and rising electricity tariffs. Books & Reading Culture: Lowcountry librarians share summer picks (including Alice Martin’s Westward Women and Emily Henry’s Beach Read), while a school librarian in Massachusetts resigns after a cellphone-ban protest sparks conflict over reading decline. AI & Publishing Law: A US judge approves Anthropic’s $1.5B settlement with authors over pirated books used to train Claude, even as training on legally bought books remains a “fair use” fight. International Rights: Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen appeals her “hate speech” conviction at the European Court of Human Rights over a 2004 church booklet. Heritage at Risk: Baghdad’s Al‑Turat quarter faces collapse as cracked, humidity-worn buildings threaten residents and heritage experts urge restoration.

Christian Publishing & Redemption: J. T. Thomas’s The Advocate follows a charismatic con man whose schemes collapse into a confrontation with Jesus, faith, and accountability. Hollywood Authenticity: Rasheed Newson’s There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood blends historical detail with a fictional “fixer” who tries to save stars—then has to face what truth costs. Manga Review: You’re Way Too Cheeky, Chigaya-kun! lands as charming comfort-food romance with archery-club characters, even if it leans on familiar beats. Self-Help for Real Change: You Are Not Your Past promises practical tools (hypnotherapy, Timeline Therapy, NLP) to break limiting beliefs and emotional patterns. Book-to-TV Adaptations in Ireland: A look at how Irish authors are increasingly getting their novels optioned and adapted for screens. Banned Books & Community Reading: Alberta’s banned-book club grows, while LitResistance mails copies of Last Night at the Telegraph Club to push back on library bans. AI Copyright: A major Anthropic settlement tied to pirated books used for training gets court approval, keeping the publishing world’s AI fight front and center. Book World Events: Wayne State University Press marks 85 years; a virtual tour spotlights Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Leaskdale home.

AI & Accounting Scrutiny: A Nikkei Asia report says Big-5 tech firms (Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle) have used off-balance-sheet structures tied to Big-4 auditors, with “invisible debts” reportedly ballooning to $1.65tn—an issue that will land squarely in publishing’s world of disclosures and author-facing tech. Copyright & AI Training: Anthropic’s $1.5B settlement with authors gets court approval, while separate disputes continue over whether AI training on books is “fair use,” keeping the author–platform fight front and center. Books & Memory: A new health-focused book, When Memory Fades, tackles dementia and caregiving, urging readers to treat memory changes as medical questions—not normal aging. Summer Reading Picks: A “Top books to read this July” roundup spotlights fiction and story collections ranging from Sigrid Nunez to Mumbai-set romance, plus more beach-bag recommendations. Publishing in the Real World: Belfast businesses get practical guidance for Fleadh Cheoil traffic and delivery rules, a reminder that events and logistics shape what readers can access. Local Book Culture: SPARTA’s big annual book sale returns Aug. 5–8 with thousands of low-cost finds.

Crime & Debuts: North Glasgow author Frances Crawford won the McDermid Debut Award for A Bad, Bad Place, a 1970s Possilpark thriller about a 12-year-old who finds a murdered woman while walking her dog. Publishing & Prizes: Elly Griffiths’ The Frozen People took Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, while Mel Pennant was highly commended for A Murder For Miss Hortense. AI & Copyright: A US judge gave final approval to Anthropic’s $1.5B settlement over pirated books used to train Claude, while keeping intact a separate ruling that training on legally bought books can be fair use. Book Culture Events: Colombo’s first Colombo Literary Festival opens today as a trilingual (Sinhala, Tamil, English) program mixing talks, cinema, and music; Los Angeles hosts the free Los Angeles Indie Book Crawl this weekend. Kids & Community Reading: Thibodaux’s third-annual Look Who’s Reading Book Festival returns Saturday with free books and supplies, and Friendly City Books gears up for the Possumtown Book Festival Aug. 29. Tech for Readers: Kindle Scribe Colorsoft gets a glowing “converted me from paper” review for its paper-like color display and pen note-taking. International Literature: Yemen’s General Authority for Books published Ahmed Ubad’s Cities of Wounds, framed as mobilizing poetry tied to Sana’a and Al-Quds.

AI Copyright Clash: A U.S. judge approved a $1.5B Anthropic settlement with authors after finding the company used pirated books to train Claude—fair use for training, but not for how the books were obtained. Publishing Business Moves: Simon & Schuster launched Simon Stream, a digital-first imprint with an open submissions portal for aspiring authors. Rights & Censorship Watch: Hong Kong customs is reportedly checking “almost every book shipment” from Taiwan more frequently under national security rules, raising fresh concerns about freedom to publish. New Imprints & Models: Market First Publishing debuted “Platform Publishing,” aiming to build an audience during manuscript production so readers are waiting on launch day. Book World Events: A local author will make a first-ever picnic-day signing at St. Jerome Fancy Farm, with proceeds going to the event. Literary Culture: Canongate acquired Thomas Page McBee’s history of gender, Trans Time Travel: Our Shared History.

Amazon Best-Seller Buzz: “The Heart of Success” keeps climbing, with multiple co-authors (Jessica Wright, Geoff Green, Connie GoWright, Kim Sorrelle, Kay L. Harris, Terese Messman, and others) hitting Amazon Best-Seller status after a July 16 launch, signaling big demand for purpose-and-success titles. Identity & Healing in Focus: A new book, “Becoming Your Own Love Story,” challenges how trauma and validation shape women’s identities, while “Making a Life: Catholic Social Teaching and the Meaning of Work” reframes work as community-building rather than drudgery. Local Publishing & Community Events: Carpe Librum opens in Hammond, the Grown-up Book Fair draws nearly 2,000 in Fort Atkinson, and the Verb Readers & Writers Festival returns Sept. 25–27 in Pōneke with 20+ events. Libraries & Reading Access: The Works’ “Find Your Story” bus brings free reading passports and activities to Newport, and Hong Kong’s book fair reports strong attendance and spending. Big Legal/Policy Ripples for Books: A U.S. appeals court upheld an Oregon school district’s ban on a specialist displaying children’s gender-identity books, while the Salman Rushdie terrorism trial spotlights how books can become flashpoints. Publishing Industry Watch: A major AI copyright settlement involving Anthropic (over books used to train models) gets court approval, keeping author rights and AI training in the spotlight.

AI Copyright Fallout: A San Francisco judge has given final approval to Anthropic’s $1.5B settlement with authors and publishers over alleged training on pirated books, with payouts of about $3,000 per work across roughly 500,000 titles—while other AI copyright fights continue. Book Retail as Experience: Books Kinokuniya is opening its first Melbourne store at Melbourne Central, signaling how bookstores are leaning into in-person experiences as shopping centers expand. Local Bookshop Resilience: Bound Booksellers in Franklin, N.J. reopened after a water-line mishap damaged hundreds of books, turning the disaster into a community event and discount sale. Publishing & Community Events: Pendleton Public Library is hosting mystery author Mary B. Hansen for “Blood in the Archives,” and local author Meaghan Kent is promoting a novel drawing on survivors’ experiences of intimate partner violence. Literary Spotlight: Rosanne Dingli’s “Chance and Necessity: A novel of Narrogin and Williams” is shortlisted for the WA Premier’s Book Awards. Children’s Reading: “Wanted: Your House” highlights middle-grade hopes and housing insecurity through a new story aimed at summer readers.

AI Copyright Showdown: A U.S. judge has given final approval to Anthropic’s landmark $1.5B settlement with authors after pirated books were used to train Claude, with about $3,000 per claimed work and deletion of the stolen files. Publishing & Power: The ruling turns on how the books were obtained, even as training itself was treated as fair use—another sign that “creator rights” is becoming the new battleground in AI. Local Literacy Push: Pullman’s Whitman Read-A-Thon and Literacy Fair (Aug. 1) will raise funds for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, with author readings, a documentary screening, and a book swap. School Library Fight: Camdenton Middle School will keep Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, but with restrictions after a complaint alleging sexually explicit language. Manga Industry Update: Kodansha says Satomi U’s Heisei Haizan-hei ☆ Sumire-chan manga will go on hiatus from mid-July to mid-October for maternity leave. Book-to-Screen Watch: Peacock is developing a series based on Kennedy Ryan’s Before I Let Go, continuing the push to adapt emotionally driven romance for TV.

AI Copyright Settlement: A U.S. judge has given final approval to Anthropic’s record $1.5 billion settlement with authors and publishers over alleged misuse of copyrighted books to train Claude, ending the biggest U.S. copyright class action tied to generative AI. Book Culture & Community: Toronto’s new “Book Bar” blends browsing with cocktails and conversation, while Oshkosh’s Caramel Crisp Bookstore ramps up summer programming with an aviation-themed author visit and a Harry Potter birthday celebration. Publishing & Events: The Muslim Literary Festival returns to Toronto Aug. 8 with industry networking and a keynote on grief and creative practice. Indie Kids Lit: The UK’s Indie Children’s Authors Network hosts a free family festival in Menston featuring independent picture book and children’s fiction creators. True Crime Spotlight: A new book, “Catch the Devil,” revisits a Gulf Coast murder case and the push for justice that prosecutors say went sideways. Local Reading Momentum: Wisconsin’s Rainbow House highlights domestic violence homicide warning signs, tying Rachel Louise Snyder’s “intimate terrorism” framing to local prevention efforts.

AI Copyright Showdown: A federal judge in San Francisco gave final approval to Anthropic’s $1.5 billion settlement with authors over alleged book piracy used to train Claude, calling it the largest known U.S. copyright class-action payout and setting up major implications for the next wave of AI training lawsuits. Authorship Under Pressure: A Philippine literary contest added new rules requiring writers to provide human-authorship materials, warning that entries without proof of predominantly human work (including undisclosed AI drafting) could be disqualified. New Fiction Spotlight: Chilean writer Galo Ghigliotto returns to short fiction after more than a decade with “His Corpse Moves Toward the Sea,” a politically charged collection centered on death, memory, and everyday violence. Classics Meet Pop Culture: Greek translator Emily Wilson says Nolan’s “The Odyssey” movie boosted interest in her translation, but she still wants the film to better capture essential themes of the poem. Community Reading & Protest: A 1619 Freedom School Read-In drew 700+ attendees in Iowa, featuring Black YA authors and explicitly positioning the event as a response to book bans.