(This is still not quite there... coverage will expand soon!)
DAILY SUMMARY:
Claire Lynch makes history as the first debut novelist to win the Nero Gold Prize; the Women's Prize for Fiction longlist lands with sixteen titles; and the publishing industry braces for London Book Fair disruption as the Iran conflict snarls Gulf travel routes. Dan Houser pivots from Grand Theft Auto to a full publishing imprint, the Authors Guild opens its AI-free certification scheme to all US authors, and the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards shortlists are revealed. Sarah J. Maas's two new ACOTAR novels continue to ripple across the trade.
Publishing Industry News
The Authors Guild has opened its Human Authored certification programme, which verifies titles as written by humans and not AI, to all authors whose books are published in the United States. The programme launched in beta for Guild members in 2025.
The digital content provider known for library app Libby, school app Sora, and video app Kanopy has appointed digital strategy expert Marc DeBevoise as its next president. DeBevoise previously held top roles at Brightcove and CBS Interactive.
The US-Israeli attack on Iran and retaliatory strikes on Gulf countries have left passengers stranded in Dubai airport, potentially disrupting travel plans for publishers heading to next week's London Book Fair. Australian and Asian publishers are scrambling to find alternative routes.
The shortlists for this year's Ockham New Zealand Book Awards have been revealed, with four titles in each category competing for the top prizes. The winner of the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction will receive NZ$65,000.
Claire Lynch has made history by becoming the first debut author to win the thirty thousand pound Nero Gold Prize for her novel A Family Matter, published by Chatto, which explores themes of homophobia in 1980s Britain.
Judges have revealed a longlist of sixteen books for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2026, with Susan Choi and Katie Kitamura among the authors selected.
Library Journal's Book Pulse reports on the winners of the Libby Book Awards and Audie Awards, the appointment of Marc DeBevoise as OverDrive president, and Sarah J. Maas discussing her new ACOTAR titles.
Library Journal reports that funding trends in 2025 reflected an unsettled landscape, with few identifiable patterns and many questions about what the future may hold.
Times Higher Education explores growing academic complaints about slow response times, poor peer review and deteriorating service from scholarly publishers, with one historian describing how academics are largely at the mercy of presses.
The Irish Examiner reports that two Irish authors are among those longlisted for the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction award.
Audiobook News
The Rakuten Kobo VIP Membership programme is increasing in price from ten dollars per year to twenty dollars, with the change set to take effect in April 2026.
Notable Book News & Book Reviews
Maas revealed the sixth and seventh books in her A Court of Thorns and Roses series, scheduled for October 2026 and January 2027 respectively, during an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast.
The New York Times reviews Lake Effect, the latest novel from the author of The Nest, described as a big family drama about four adult siblings reconvening to rehash their privileged but fraught adolescence.
The New York Times reviews Plastic Inc by journalist Beth Gardiner, which argues that oil companies are increasing plastic production as a safeguard against falling revenue from fossil fuels.
The New York Times reviews Every Time We Say Goodbye, in which the Croatian author explores personal and political crises through lyrical prose set on a European train journey.
The New York Times reviews Reproductive Wrongs by classicist Sarah Ruden, which traces efforts to exert political control over family planning back two thousand years.
The New York Times profiles artist Bethany Collins, who hand-transcribed Herman Melville's entire novel as an artistic project exploring centuries-old political anxieties that still resonate today.
The Guardian reviews Will Self's new novel as a raucously inventive state-of-the-nation satire.
NPR examines a new book by Katie da Cunha Lewin that explores why we are captivated by the spaces where authors write, subtitled The Hidden Worlds That Shape the Books We Love.
Books Ireland reports that Irish writer David Brennan's Spit has been shortlisted for the Queen Mary Small Press Fiction Prize.
The Irish Independent reviews a gothic horror novel set on a remote Irish island, declaring the nightmares it induces to be worthwhile.
The Irish Independent reviews a novel described as a quietly devastating exploration of love, longing and self-discovery.
The Irish Independent reviews a book exploring how cultural attitudes to motherhood have evolved from traditional ideals to influencer-era stereotypes.
The Irish Independent interviews author Evie Woods, who discusses her belief that while many books address craft, few address giving yourself permission to pursue a creative life.
The Irish Independent reviews a short story collection described as surprising, authentic and occasionally disturbing, with not a single weak entry.
The Irish Independent reports that Dearbhla Mescal is among the writers appearing at a Wicklow literary event celebrating International Women's Day.
The BBC reports on Claire Lynch's historic Nero Gold Prize win for A Family Matter, a debut novel inspired by the author's experience of growing up with lesbian mothers in 1980s Britain.
The BBC reports that Nigerian doctors have been suspended following the death of acclaimed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's son.
Literary Hub publishes the full longlist for the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction, highlighting the range of titles selected by judges.
