AGP Executive Report

Publishing & Books: A new UK-focused book push is in the spotlight: Wilberfoss Limited has published The Ledger, a framework for measuring national wealth beyond GDP, with a “Sovereign Share” metric aimed at tracking whether economies build or deplete underlying assets. Media & Law: Prince Harry’s privacy case against Mail publisher Associated Newspapers Limited is set for judgment on July 7, after a long, high-profile trial. Royal Culture & Reading: Royal Week coverage includes an apology after a “slavery”-linked Confederate flag was flown at an event on King Charles’ estate, while Palace briefings also spotlight JK Rowling’s visit tied to children’s reading. Tech & Publishing Ecosystems: Cloudflare’s stance on AI crawlers and the wider fight over publisher access continues to ripple through the content world. Books & Society: A roundup of July debut novels and “best of” lists keeps the reading calendar moving, from Northern Ireland-set fiction to new popular science titles. Sports & Pop Culture: England’s World Cup run is driving mainstream chatter, including Oasis’ Wonderwall being adopted as an anthem.

Publishing & Books: UK print book sales forecast to fall as higher prices lift market value, M&P hears; plus New Releases: July’s new paperbacks include titles from Alison Espach and Ed Park, alongside a broader Reading Lists: 70 new sci-fi/fantasy/horror books releasing in July and “Books of the Month” picks for July. Media & Rights: AI & Copyright: Google adopts a tough stance in AI licensing talks with publishers, while Monitor parent company joins a suit against copying material for training AI systems. Industry & Regulation: Competition/Antitrust: CAT orders corporate publishers into a disclosure fight in a Google Ad Tech antitrust case. Royal/Books Culture: J.K. Rowling Backlash: Queen Camilla hosts Rowling, sparking fresh social media backlash and renewed debate over her “soft power” role. Local Book Culture: Libraries: National £65k libraries programme targets gaps in e-book access, and Phoenix libraries use dinosaurs and prizes to fight a reading slump.

Publishing & Rights: Libraries Connected wins £65,770 from Arts Council England to improve how public libraries and independent publishers work together on e-books. Media Business: Axel Springer completes its $761m Telegraph Media Group acquisition after regulatory approvals in Britain, Ireland and Australia. Book Retail: A new dedicated romantasy shop, Bad Girl Books, is set to open in Oxford with a large genre range and author events. Independent Press Under Pressure: UK outlet The Canary says Lloyds has “debanked” it, leaving it unable to pay staff and raising alarms about free speech. AI & Publishing: A new push to clarify who’s responsible when AI helps with finance and compliance echoes wider concerns about accountability in tech-assisted work. Royal Reading Culture: J.K. Rowling shares support for Princess Catherine after meeting Queen Camilla, as backlash continues over the photo.

Press Freedom Under Pressure: Uganda’s Nation Media Group says security forces shut its Kampala operations, leaving it “digital now” after a military chief ordered the siege, with CPJ urging forces to withdraw and protect its managing director. Accessible Reading: Wherwell’s David Hall will read on BBC Radio 4 for Living Paintings, an audio-tactile charity for blind and visually impaired children. Royal Books Backlash: Queen Camilla’s photo meeting J.K. Rowling at Holyrood Palace sparks Pride Month fury online, reigniting debate around Rowling and trans rights. Local Libraries & Reading: North Yorkshire launches a music-themed Summer Reading Challenge, while Tunbridge Wells hosts a packed literary festival with major authors and free ticket support. Publishing Industry Watch: Former Faber publishing director Joanna Mackle has died, and UK regulators’ push for transparency in publishing is in focus amid legal fights involving Google and ad tech. UK Book Culture Events: Hungerford Bookshop’s Summer Celebration lines up big-name author talks, plus community book events across the week.

Publishing & Trade Policy: UK book trade bodies are urging the government to seek an urgent EU exemption from new €3 customs duties on small parcels from 1 July 2026, warning the tariff could hit UK publishers—especially smaller independents—trying to reach European markets. Media Ownership: Axel Springer has confirmed it has completed its £575m takeover of The Telegraph, ending a three-year fight and setting up a push for “digital transformation” and AI-led growth. Competition Watch: Culture secretary Lisa Nandy says she’s minded to intervene in Paramount’s £85bn Warner Bros Discovery takeover, asking the CMA and Ofcom to probe whether the deal could narrow Britain’s media ecosystem. Reading & Wellbeing (UK): Research for Yorkshire and the Humber, commissioned for National Year of Reading, finds active adults say reading helps with stress, recovery, focus and motivation. Local Books & Community: St Richard’s Hospice volunteers reopen Worcester’s St Swithin’s Street charity shop on 4 July, with long-serving book volunteers Dorothy Keeling and Gordon Geikie cutting the ribbon. Royal Books Moment: Queen Camilla meets J.K. Rowling in Edinburgh, with both stressing the importance of children having access to books. AI & Writing Controversy: Trinidadian writer Jamir Nazir wins the Commonwealth Short Story Prize after “Did AI write this?” allegations over his story “The Serpent in the Grove.”

Publishing & Books: Bloomsbury’s new Emily Brontë biography, This Dark Night: The Life of Emily Brontë by Deborah Lutz, digs into the scarcity of Brontë’s surviving papers and the challenge of interpreting her work. Rare Book Market: Christie’s London is set to offer a rare first edition of Wuthering Heights, with estimates stretching into the high figures. Community Reading: A Northern Ireland children’s books piece argues the region’s literature deserves more than the usual “old favourites” lists. Literary Events: Jon Ronson’s new true-story stage show The Castle is touring New Zealand, Australia and Singapore, with a UK-linked buzz around his latest book. Books & Society: A Pride-focused roundup highlights queer titles, while another piece spotlights how banned books and censorship pressures are reshaping what readers can access. Local Culture: A Stamford café hosts a Ukrainian photographer’s exhibition, with print sales supporting Ukraine charities.

UK publishing market watch: NielsenIQ BookData forecasts UK print book sales will dip 2% in 2026 to 187.5m copies, while value edges up 1% to £1.83bn as average prices rise 3% to £9.78. Print media business: Iconic Media (formerly National World) stays in profit after Media Concierge’s buyout, reporting £52.1m revenue in the nine months to 30 Sept 2025 and underlying EBITDA of £3.9m. Distribution deal: Smiths News signs a “transformational” expanded distribution contract with Associated Newspapers’ ANL brands, aiming for national Great Britain coverage from Jan 2028 and forecasting ~£105m extra revenue per year. Pride reading: A Pride Month round-up spotlights queer titles from Amal El-Mohar/Max Gladstone’s This Is How You Lose the Time War to Alice Oseman’s Loveless. Local book culture: A Lake District day-out guide highlights The Book Brewery in Ambleside as a bookshop-café-wine bar stop. Media freedom flashpoint: Uganda’s army chief orders shutdown of the country’s biggest media group, with NTV Uganda and Spark TV taken off air.

Northern Ireland Publishing: Maria Prince has launched Prince Literary in Holywood, stepping away from a 13-year university job to represent local academics and emerging fiction writers, with a focus on research impact in arts, humanities and social sciences. Devon Heritage: The Tiverton Canal Company has passed day-to-day control to Becky Poxon and Dave, continuing the family-run, horse-towed, slow-travel experience after the Brind parents step back. Bookish Health & Learning: Nursing Times publishes a peer-reviewed explainer on the liver’s vital roles, from detoxifying blood to producing bile and blood-clotting proteins. AI & Law: A US-style push to legislate “AI consciousness” is criticised as premature and too final, with UK readers likely watching how these ideas spread. Publishing Materials: James Cropper teams up with children’s author Charlotte Mason-Curl to print a new under-5s book on recycled Vanguard paper, tying each copy to its CupCycling™ initiative. Literary Notes: A piece revisits Saleem Jafer’s life and corrects errors in earlier accounts, drawing on Urdu scholarship and magazine letters.

Publishing & Books in the UK: Over 250 UK publishers have opted in to a collective AI licensing scheme, a sign the industry is trying to get ahead of scraping and rights disputes rather than fight them case-by-case. Book-to-screen & Romance: Prime Video’s rom-com adaptation of Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling The Love Hypothesis has finally dropped its trailer, continuing the wave of UK-and-US readers turning novels into mainstream hits. Libraries & Reading for Kids: Portage la Prairie Regional Library’s TD Summer Reading Club returns with a “Dive In” theme, prizes and a big summer book sale—another reminder that local events still drive reading habits. Censorship & Curriculum: Texas has approved a required Bible-and-classics reading list for public schools, reigniting the global debate over what counts as “literature” and who gets to decide. Media & Publishing Jobs: Rukhshana Media is hiring a UK-based Managing Editor to lead its English editorial strategy covering women and girls in Afghanistan. Local Book Culture: A North East photographer is launching a major pop-up exhibition at Newcastle Quays, spotlighting regional stories through documentary-style photography.

Ancient Text Breakthrough: A charred Herculaneum papyrus scroll, PHerc. 1667, has finally been read end-to-end using AI-assisted micro-CT scanning, revealing nearly 1.5m of Greek text after centuries of failed attempts. Literary Tourism Trend: BookTok is driving “literary tourism”, with readers booking trips around novels, authors and bookshops—Skyscanner says 55% would consider literature-inspired travel. New Fiction Spotlight: Maggie O’Farrell talks about her novel Land, sparked by her great-great-grandfather’s Irish mapping work during the Great Hunger, blending archives with grief and history. Publishing/Schools Row: Pearson’s GCSE Spanish revision guide has sparked backlash after it includes phrases about admiring people who “fight for the transgender community”. Local Culture & Crafts: Bristol Harbour Festival Fringe reveals its 2026 programme, including comedy at The Gaffe and a new Spike Print Fair at Spike Island. Bookish Bargain: A personalised hardback photobook deal drops to £1.69 with code PHOTO (delivery extra).

Publishing & Books: M. John Harrison’s new “anti-memoir” Wish I Was Here (Serpent’s Tail) lands with a marketing twist that tries to sell the “best writer you’ve never heard of” while critics note Harrison’s long-standing resistance to branding. Children’s Books: Candy Jar Books backs Chris McGuire’s Crooks and Nannies Too, a six-to-nine read built to make kids laugh rather than compete with screens. Literary Culture: Tributes mark 120 years since Catherine Cookson’s birth, recalling her near-80-book output and TV adaptations that helped cement her as one of Britain’s best-loved novelists. UK Book Industry Watch: Over 250 UK publishers have opted into a collective AI licensing scheme, as debate over AI scraping and “trusted” news sources continues to heat up. Local Bookish Spotlight: A new heritage trail explores Agatha Christie’s Cheadle links, while Edinburgh’s Rebus returns to screens in 2027, based on Ian Rankin’s best-selling books.

Publishing & Books: A new Scottish anthology, Scotland, edited by Kathleen Jamie & Don Paterson, is reviewed as a “glum” read, with contributors blaming dour stereotypes and arts-funding gaps. Royal & Culture: A piece revisits Princess Diana’s jewellery hand-me-downs, focusing on how Kate Middleton has worn the sapphire engagement ring and other heirlooms. UK Books & Community: The Press reveals its 2026 “Best Chippy” winner in York—Thompsons Fish and Chip Restaurant in Malton Road—pairing interviews with reader voting. Media & Policy: Coverage highlights a global push to restrict children’s social media access, with Sri Lanka reportedly weighing cabinet-level options. Travel & Consumer Rights: A consumer guide warns UK holidaymakers that many don’t claim flight-delay compensation, urging people to keep paperwork and follow through. Sports/Streaming: World Cup viewing guides keep popping up, including free-to-watch options via BBC iPlayer for New Zealand vs Belgium.

UK Publishing & Books: Mark Tuohy’s debut novel Walk the Ball turns Dublin’s walking football into a story of friendship, memory and redemption, following six retired teammates wrestling with old guilt. Literary History: AK Blakemore’s new third novel Doom Painting retells the Peasants’ Revolt through Wat Tyler, linking medieval protest to the politics of taxation. Theatre & Adaptation: Bell Shakespeare’s Mackenzie reimagines Macbeth as a 2000s kids’ TV backstage satire, using pop-culture gloss to probe ambition and violence. Reading Habits: A new UK-wide study finds teenage boys are “stuck” on primary favourites like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, while girls’ reading diversifies into broader fiction. Book Culture & Access: A memoir, Lions in the Garden, by Lybster author Alison J Kirk, charts a 1960s African childhood shaped by apartheid-era danger and a return to England. Weather & Public Life: The Met Office pushes the UK’s hottest June record again (up to 37.3C), with red extreme-heat warnings still in play.

Royal Transparency: Buckingham Palace says King Charles III has published his personal tax payments, paying £12.9m in 2024-25 and more than £30m since becoming monarch—an unprecedented move aimed at boosting transparency. Publishing & AI: UK policy pressure is building around “trusted” news on social feeds, while separate legal fights keep heating up: small publishers and local papers are suing OpenAI and Microsoft over alleged copyright scraping. Overseas Voting: Campaigners want the Representation of the People Bill to go further on overseas voting, pushing options like earlier ballots and digital/secure voting. Books & Culture: Picador releases Sathnam Sanghera’s George Michael study, Tonight the Music Seems So Loud, reframing the pop icon’s artistry beyond biography. Media Industry: Karl Stefanovic’s exit from Nine is framed as a ratings gamble—his podcast is surging on Apple charts. Tech & Rights: A former Meta executive sues after a memoir-related arbitration order sought to “silence” her.

Publishing & Bookseller News: The NCTJ is urging the UK government to restore a £17m-a-year Strategic Priorities Grant for journalism training, arguing the Media Green Paper on “trusted news” needs real funding behind it. Book Culture & Community: “Love Is For All Of Us” (poetry and essays from LGBTQ+ writers and friends) has won gold at the Nautilus Book Awards, with organisers pointing to reader feedback from across the globe. Literary Events: The Hay Festival is spotlighted as a major UK books-and-ideas weekend, with big-name authors and free-to-enter festival bookshop access. UK Media & Legal: The Sun has agreed to pay “substantial” damages to actor Qasim Akhtar after a defamation settlement over false claims linking him to Islamic extremism. Tech, AI & Copyright: A report on the hacker attack on Babel details how a script was hidden in files and how CERT-UA analysed the incident, underscoring the risks facing newsrooms. Weather & Reading Life: A heatwave is breaking records across the UK, with 38C forecast—another reminder of how summer conditions shape everyday routines, including what people reach for to read and cool down.

Cambridge Publishing: University of Cambridge scientists have released The Professor, the Pipette & the Path Not Taken, a branching adventure book with 277 pathways and 10 possible endings to help young people map science careers. AI & Copyright: Nearly 400 local newspapers have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging unauthorised copying of copyrighted reporting to train AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot. Books & Media: The Orwell Society/NUJ Young Journalists Awards 2026 went to early-career writers Hugo Harvey and Katie O’Donnell, with Harvey’s Gaza-focused piece drawing Orwell-style language scrutiny. Publishing on Screen: Daisy Edgar-Jones is set to star in a new film adaptation of Sense & Sensibility, with Focus Features and Working Title behind it. Local Governance: East Riding of Yorkshire Council ordered a temporary closure of Moor Lane, Full Sutton, for passing-place works from July 13 to July 31. Sports Culture: Leeds United moved to sign Wales winger Harry Wilson on a free transfer after his Fulham deal expired.