Today, the Caine Prize for African Writing, which awards £10,000 annually to the best short story by an African writer living on the continent or in the diaspora, has announced its 2026 shortlist. These five writers were selected from a Read more >
Emily Wilson, chairwoman of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania, best-selling translator, and website-crashing Christopher Nolan hater, is going back to retranslate The Odyssey less than a decade after the publication of her 2017 modernizing take on the epic. Read more >
September 1st marks, emotionally at least, the beginning of fall. And with it comes that reliable onslaught of literature for which we have been waiting all year. The month starts with a bang, delivering a new Marlon James, Chloe Benjamin, Read more >
The winners of the 2026 Hugo Awards—one of science fiction and fantasy’s most prestigious awards, decided by popular vote of all eligible WorldCon members—were presented this weekend at the 84th World Science Fiction Convention in sunny Los Angeles, CA. A Read more >
September is here, and with it comes a bevy of new books. Below, you’ll find twenty-five delightful reads to consider, each in a fresh paperback edition, including debuts, sophomore releases, rich translations, and new works from established authors. You’ll find Read more >
This morning, fans of both Patricia Highsmith and Dame Helen Mirren have cause to rejoice. The trailer for Anton Corbijn’s new Ripley-adjacent film, A Talent for Murder, is out now. The film stars Alden Ehrenreich, Olivia Cooke, and an almost Read more >
The queen is dead, long live the queen! Dolly Parton—perhaps the most universally beloved American—died at 80 yesterday. She went peacefully, surrounded by family. Known as a formidable singer-songwriter and a tentpole in country/pop music, Parton was an icon to Read more >
Earlier this year, we got wind that Billie Eilish—that reigning maestra of youthful melancholy—will star in a new film adaptation of Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. Directed by the brilliant Sarah Polley, this project represents Eilish’s first foray onto the Read more >
The Mechanics’ Institute, one of the oldest cultural institutions on the West Coast, is now home to a thrilling archive of LGBTQ+ children’s literature. The Tarpey–Schwed LGBT Families Children’s Book Special Collection features more than 200 queer-friendly kids’ books published Read more >
This morning, Kirkus Reviews announced the 18 finalists for the 2026 Kirkus Prize, which recognizes excellence in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction, and Young Readers’ Literature. Books are selected by a panel of peers, editors, and other industry professionals. Winners in Read more >
We’ve all been reading about it for months, and now finally it’s time to read the thing itself: Life of M by Rachel Cusk is available today! And that’s not all: a long awaited sequel to Big Little Lies hits Read more >
Summer isn’t over—in fact, we rue the hater who throws in the beach towel before Labor Day. But there is a definite wind down spirit to late August. Afternoon storms gather steam on a dime, scuttling picnic plans. In New Read more >
Tony Tulathimutte, the dark wizard behind 2025’s seismic Rejection, has won a new (and massive!) literary prize. As the inaugural recipient of the Jack Galef Literary Arts Award, Tulathimutte will receive $150,000. The award is designated for graduates of Iowa’s prestigious Read more >
Today, the Inside Literary Prize, the US’s only literary prize judged by incarcerated readers, announced its 2026 winner: The Book Censor’s Library, by Bothayna Al-Essa, translated from the Arabic by Ranya Abdelrahman and Sawad Hussain. The Inside Literary Prize, which Read more >
August zooms on, or trickles on, depending on how you look at it. We’re reaching a quieter moment of the publishing cycle: a few weeks of slowness and peace before the onslaught of September. But until then, enjoy the numberous Read more >
Per a 404 Media report published this morning, Amazon, that evil empire, “is buying massive quantities of books, scanning them for AI training data, and destroying them in the process.” This news follows slow-creeping revelations that other AI companies have Read more >
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