Today’s Book News Saturday, 27th December 2025

Here’s today’s new summary from the global English-language publishing industry. Key news includes a partnership to empower women publishers in Sharjah, record library usage and market growth in Denmark and Saudi Arabia, major rights and compensation deals reported in Australia, Amazon’s 2026 Kindle plans with new devices and AI features, and the Nobel Prize for author László Krasznahorkai.

 

PublisHer and Sharjah Publishing City unite to advance women publishers

PublisHer signed a memorandum of understanding with Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone to support women‑owned publishing companies. The deal offers incentives like streamlined licensing, access to SPC’s network of more than 9,600 companies and mentorship, and aims to embed women’s publishing programmes into Sharjah’s cultural infrastructure and global community.

Denmark’s library renaissance breaks lending records

Denmark’s public libraries reported their highest borrowing in a decade, with national loans jumping to 32.7 million in 2023, an 8 percent annual increase. Both physical and digital loans grew, visits topped 31 million and children’s titles drove the surge, challenging assumptions about library decline and highlighting opportunities for publishers.

Jeddah Book Fair draws 650,000 visitors amid Saudi publishing boom

The 2025 Jeddah Book Fair drew more than 650,000 visitors and 1,000 publishers from 24 countries. Saudi Arabia’s US$2.28 billion publishing market is forecast to hit US$3.21 billion by 2033 under Vision 2030, with regulatory reforms, translation initiatives and digital services creating rights and partnership opportunities for international publishers.

French former agent tells of double‑life toll and sells TV rights

French ex‑spy Jack Beaumont has described the strain of living a double life during his eight years with intelligence agency DGSE. The author’s espionage novels have been optioned for television, with the TV rights sold to the sons of John le Carré.

Krasznahorkai wins the Nobel Prize in Literature

Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai won the Nobel Prize in Literature, recognised for his compelling and visionary body of work. The prize committee praised him for a career that has influenced world literature.

Australian authors secure landmark AI copyright compensation

Hundreds of Australian authors will receive about A$4,500 per book after a landmark settlement over AI‑generated content. The AU$2.2 billion agreement compensates writers whose work was used to train artificial‑intelligence systems and sets a precedent for future copyright payouts.

Amazon outlines Kindle plans for 2026

Good e‑Reader reports that Amazon plans to release a lower‑cost Kindle Scribe without a front light in 2026 and will roll out dark‑mode software and AI features such as Story So Far and Ask This Book across existing devices. From 20 January 2026, customers will be able to download DRM‑free Kindle books in EPUB or PDF formats, expanding flexibility for readers and authors.

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