The Decolonial Passage is Open for Submissions on the Theme of Ecology | Submit by April 30
brittlepaper.com – Sunday April 12, 2026
The Decolonial Passage, a literary magazine centring African, African-American, and Black diaspora writing, is open for submissions throughout April 2026 for its third issue, themed Ecology. All genres are welcome this month: poetry, short fiction, flash, and creative nonfiction.
The issue takes its cue from Martinican environmental engineer Malcolm Ferdinand’s framework of decolonial ecology, which argues that confronting ecosystem destruction is inseparable from the demand for equality and emancipation and that colonial domination cannot be undone without also transforming the colonial relationship to land, landscape, and non-human life. The editors want work in which human beings are in relationship with their natural environment, plants, and animals, seen through that decolonial lens.
FSG Closes its MCD Imprint, McDonald to Depart
publishersweekly.com – Friday April 10, 2026
In a memo this morning, Mitzi Angel, president and publisher of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, informed the staff that the publisher is closing the MCD publishing program. As a result of the closure, MCD SVP and publisher Sean McDonald will leave FSG April 15.
MCD was launched in 2016 and was the brainchild of then FSG publisher and president Jonathan Galassi. MCD’s goal was "to create a space to publish work and experiment with publishing styles, forms, and genres that are at the edges of FSG’s traditions," Galassi told PW at the time of the launch. But times have changed in the publishing industry and in her memo, Angel wrote that due to “the financial realities” of the industry, FSG has decided to “redirect our attention to FSG’s core programming under the FSG umbrella.” That lineup now includes AUWA Books—which was launched by McDonald in March 2023 under the direction of Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, the drummer and joint frontman for the Roots—FSG Originals, Picador, Quanta Books, and the newly-revived North Point Press.
Submit Applications for Literary Projects Grant Program (Canada)
www2.fundsforngos.org – Wednesday April 8, 2026
Deadline: 04-Aug-2026
The Literary Projects Program provides funding of up to $8,000 for professional non-profit organizations and collectives in Toronto to support literary arts creation, presentation, professional development, and magazine publishing. An additional Accessibility Grant of up to $5,000 is also available for eligible projects.
About the Program
The Literary Projects Program supports one-time or time-limited literary arts projects that contribute to the growth of Toronto’s literary sector.
It funds projects involving:
- Creation
- Presentation
- Professional development
- Literary and arts magazine publishing
Projects must take place within Toronto, and digital projects are also eligible.
Yen Press Launches New Translation Imprint, Avocado House
publishersweekly.com – Tuesday April 7, 2026
Yen Press has announced the creation of Avocado House, a new imprint dedicated to fiction and nonfiction in translation, curated by publisher and editor-in-chief JuYoun Lee. The imprint aims to publish approximately 12 titles per year.
Avocado House grows out of Yen On, the company's existing prose imprint, which has published literary fiction in translation including Keigo Higashino's The Miracles of the Namiya General Store and Kiwamu Sato's Tezcatlipoca. The new imprint gives translation work a distinct identity and dedicated home within Yen Press, which was founded in 2006 as a joint venture between Kadokawa Corporation and Hachette Book Group,
"As divisive as the world can seem at times, books have always remained a great unifier—helping us find commonalities across cultures while celebrating our unique differences," Lee said in a statement. "Avocado House aims to be a true home for authors, a place where their voices can connect with readers far beyond borders and language barriers."
Peelhouse Press Launches as a New Boutique Imprint Focused on Artefact‑Quality Fantasy Books
firstwriter.com – Tuesday April 7, 2026
A new player has entered the small‑press landscape with a distinctly tactile vision. Peelhouse Press, a boutique imprint founded by fantasy author Michael S. Jackson, has officially launched with a mission to create books that feel less like mass‑market products and more like artefacts from the worlds they depict.
Jackson, best known for his epic fantasy series Ringlander, describes the imprint as a response to a growing appetite among readers for high‑quality, collectible physical editions. “Readers want books that feel special,” he has said in recent discussions about the project — books that justify their physical presence in an increasingly digital age.
Wasafiri Calls for Creative Submissions: Fiction and Non-Fiction | Deadline: 1 May 2026
brittlepaper.com – Monday April 6, 2026
Wasafiri, one of the world’s leading magazines of international contemporary writing, is now open for creative submissions in fiction and non-fiction from 1 April to 1 May 2026.
The magazine is looking for innovative creative writing that, in form, focus, or theme, aims to expand the boundaries of global literary culture. With decades of publishing behind them, Wasafiri has consistently platformed cross-genre and inter-regional conversations, and this open call is an invitation to be part of that tradition.
HarperCollins forges ahead with AI-assisted YouTube series based on books. Some authors have concerns
fastcompany.com – Sunday April 5, 2026
Reactions to two announcements this week underscore how book publishers are treading into thorny new territory.
HarperCollins Publishers and AI-powered animation studio Toonstar have announced a multiyear partnership to coproduce original YouTube series based on HarperCollins titles.
It marks the second announcement this week from the book publishing giant regarding a partnership with an AI-centered company.
On March 30, Harlequin, a division of HarperCollins, said it entered a multiyear agreement to coproduce 40 animated micro-dramas with AI entertainment company Dashverse. Inspired by Harlequin Romance titles, the collaboration launches in April, beginning with an adaptation of A Fairy-Tail Ending by Catherine Mann.
The deals highlight how book publishers are turning to AI as a way to explore new modes of storytelling, but they are also generating backlash from those who are not thrilled about the effort.
Penguin to sue OpenAI over ChatGPT version of German children’s book
theguardian.com – Tuesday March 31, 2026
Publisher alleges AI research company’s chatbot violated its copyright over Coconut the Little Dragon series
Penguin Random House has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging its chatbot ChatGPT violated copyright by mimicking and reproducing the content of a popular series of German children’s books.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Friday with a Munich court against OpenAI’s Ireland-based European subsidiary, states Penguin Random House’s legal team had prompted ChatGPT to write a story in the vein of Penguin author and illustrator Ingo Siegner’s Coconut the Little Dragon series.
In response to the prompt “Can you write a children’s book in which Coconut the Dragon is on Mars”, the chatbot generated text and images the publishing group said were “virtually indistinguishable from the original”.
As well as generating the text of a story, the AI-powered chatbot created a cover featuring Siegner’s orange dragon and two sidekicks, as well as a blurb for the back cover and instructions for how to submit the manuscript to a self-publishing platform.
£10.5M investment to establish North East Centre for Writing and Publishing
placenortheast.co.uk – Tuesday March 24, 2026
Building on one of the North East Combined Authority’s key areas of investment for the region, it is teaming up with Northumbria University to establish the creative hub in Newcastle.
The centre, a partnership with the charity New Writing North, has already received £5m from the government’s Cultural Development Fund and £1m from Newcastle City Council.
Now, Northumbria University has committed £2.5m, with a further £2m to come from NECA, set for approval later this month, taking total funding to £10.5m.
The intended location is the grade-two listed Old Post Office on St Nicholas Street, subject to approval. The building underwent a £5.8m renovation in 2016 and was used as offices until it was put on the market by NBS in July last year.
Horror novel reportedly pulled from publication after suspected use of AI during writing process
independent.co.uk – Saturday March 21, 2026
One of the largest book publishers in the U.S. has pulled an upcoming horror novel on Thursday after widespread accusations that the author used artificial intelligence to write it.
Hachette Book Group was approached by apparent evidence, collated by The New York Times, that the novel “Shy Girl” by Mia Ballard appeared to be AI-generated. A day later, the company said it was removing the book from publication and from Amazon as well as Hachette’s websites.
The publisher said that Orbit Books, one of its publishing divisions, decided not to publish “Shy Girl” after reviewing the text, adding that the book will be discontinued in the UK, where it was published last fall and has sold around 1,800 print copies, according to NielsenIQ BookData.
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