Daily Book News Tuesday, 20th January 2026

DAILY SUMMARY:

From Norway’s buoyant book market to blockbuster rights deals, Monday served a smorgasbord of publishing intrigue. Publishers hired new talent and snapped up novels, librarians prepared for a conference and a battery‑free writing tablet turned heads. Book fairs from Delhi to Tokyo boasted record crowds and new prizes, while Qatar dangled big money for Arabic authors. Poets pocketed the TS Eliot Prize, Julian Barnes was both celebrated and critiqued, and wordless storybooklets & manga forecasts completed a varied day.

Publishing Industry News

Boldwood bolsters romance editorial team with two new hires

Romance specialist Boldwood Books hired Emma Grundy‑Haigh as editorial director and brought in Jasmine Callaghan as senior commissioning editor, adding more love to its in‑house talent.

IPG 2026 Spring Conference books star speakers

The Independent Publishers Guild revealed that journalist Katie Razzall, author Ajay Chowdhury and former BookTrust chief Jonathan Douglas will headline its spring conference next year.

Granta wins four‑way auction for Henry Hoke’s new novel

Granta triumphed in a four‑way bidding war to acquire Henry Hoke’s forthcoming novel *The First Girl in Hell*, expanding its fiction list with the buzzy title.

Corsair appoints Stephanie Melrose to new joint role

Little, Brown imprint Corsair named Stephanie Melrose director of commercial publicity and associate editor, blending marketing with editorial duties in one post.

WH Smith appoints Leo Quinn as executive chairman

Stationer and bookseller WH Smith announced that business leader Leo Quinn will become executive chairman on 7 April 2026.

Daphne Press signs Megan Chee’s SFF duology

Daphne Press snapped up debut author Megan Chee’s duology, starting with *The Archaeology of Falling Worlds*, in a “stunning” science‑fiction and fantasy acquisition.

Matt Hutchinson joins Hodder & Stoughton as head of publicity

After eleven years at Penguin Press, publicist Matt Hutchinson moved to Hodder & Stoughton to lead its publicity department.

The Bright Agency signs Catherine Rayner

Illustrator Catherine Rayner joined The Bright Agency, which will represent her across licensing, advertising and editorial projects.

Norway’s Aschehoug sale signals shake‑up

Norwegian publisher Aschehoug Forlag agreed to be sold for about NOK 1.5 billion; the deal may require divesting its stake in audiobook platform Fabel.

Média‑Participations invests in Miyu Productions

Europe’s leading comics and manga group Média‑Participations bought a 25% stake in animation studio Miyu Productions, signalling further expansion into animated film and television.

French indie bookshops record modest growth

A survey of French independent bookshops reported 2025 sales up 0.9%, including a 4.3% rise in literature but a 7.7% slump in manga.

UK and Irish print markets diverge

Market data showed the UK’s adult nonfiction sales fell 5% while adult fiction climbed 5%, whereas Ireland’s print market overall grew, underscoring divergent trends and inflation’s impact.

Italian trade sales decline but optimism remains

Italy’s book trade slipped 2.1% by value and 1.5% by volume in 2025, yet industry leaders expressed optimism for 2026 and beyond.

Livraria Leitura leads Brazil’s book retail

Brazilian chain Livraria Leitura expanded to 133 stores and aimed for 25% growth, making it the country’s largest bookseller.

Japan’s publishing hierarchy snapshot

A snapshot of Japan’s publishing landscape ranked Kadokawa ahead of Shueisha and Shogakukan, highlighting the country’s changing power structure.

New Delhi World Book Fair draws over two million visitors

The 53rd New Delhi World Book Fair offered free entry and recorded about 2.02 million visits, hosting 1,050 publishers and 3,200 stalls and attracting a young, long‑staying crowd.

Doha book fair launches new publishing prizes

Qatar’s Ministry of Culture unveiled the 2026 Doha International Book Fair Awards, allocating 230,000 QAR across eight categories for publishing excellence, children’s and YA specialists, translation and creative writing; entries close on 1 March 2026.

Norwegian book sales reach four‑year high

Norway’s book market rebounded in 2025 with 7.9 million copies sold across 50,700 titles—an 8% increase—powered by nonfiction hits, crime novels, children’s books and strong backlist sales.

AnimeJapan 2026 offers publishers new opportunities

AnimeJapan 2026, running 28–31 March, will expand into new halls with more than 120 exhibitors; business days promise licensing meetings and seminars, and analysts expect digital manga to command most of the market by 2030.

Self-Publishing & Independent Publishing News

Academic & Scholarly Publishing

Notable Book News & Book Reviews

Karen Solie’s Wellwater wins TS Eliot poetry prize

Canadian poet Karen Solie took home the 2025 TS Eliot Prize for her collection *Wellwater*, earning £25,000 and praise for her spare, lyrical writing.

£50,000 reader‑led writing prize launched

Hachette UK and the reading platform Libraro launched a reader‑led prize that offers a £50,000 package for an unpublished novel; readers will curate the shortlist before a judging panel chooses the winner.

Julian Barnes’s fiction ranked

Ahead of the release of his final novel, critics ranked Julian Barnes’s fiction, celebrating its wit, melancholy and occasional parrots.

*Departure(s)* by Julian Barnes review

A review of Julian Barnes’s final novel, *Departure(s)*, applauded his blend of memoir and fiction while noting its slippery, elegiac meditation on ageing and mortality.

*Be More Bird* review

Reviewers found Candida Meyrick’s quirky self‑help book *Be More Bird* struggling to take flight despite its avian conceit.

Bestseller Awards honour Ruth Jones and David Nicholls

At the NielsenIQ BookData & BolognaBookPlus Bestseller Awards, authors including Ruth Jones, David Nicholls and Bella Mackie were recognised for outstanding sales.

Historic Royal Palaces unveils Wordless Stories project

Historic Royal Palaces introduced Wordless Stories—illustrated booklets without words—to help people who find written text challenging engage with Britain’s heritage sites.

Kaite B5 Plus writing tablet reviewed

Good e‑Reader reviewed the Kaite B5 Plus, a battery‑free 10.3‑inch e‑paper tablet that uses microcapsule technology and a stylus with eraser; priced around US$99.99, it is aimed at students and note‑takers.

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