Book and Bottle Shop looking for authors as they launch literary magazine, “By the Glass”
whopam.com – Monday January 19, 2026
The Book and Bottle Shop in Hopkinsville is putting out the call—they’re looking for writers from across western Kentucky to feature in their first-ever literary magazine, “By the Glass”.
According to a news release, this new literary magazine is designed to showcase what western Kentucky has to offer in the way of writing prowess. Submissions are open now for the premier issue of “By the Glass”, which is founded by the Draft & Drink Writers Group of the bookstore/wine bar that calls downtown Hopkinsville home.
There are very few restrictions on submissions, though it is encouraged for the submitter to be connected to western Kentucky—authors can submit works of original and unpublished fiction, nonfiction, poetry and other literary prose. For this first magazine, there is not a theme or content recommendation.
Bournemouth Writing Festival to return for fourth edition
bournemouthecho.co.uk – Friday January 16, 2026
Writers and readers will come together for a packed weekend of talks, workshops and literary events.
The Bournemouth Writing Festival will return for its fourth edition from April 24 to 26, filling venues across the town with more than 100 events and activities.
Dominic Wong, festival director, said: “The Bournemouth Writing Festival is all about making writing feel welcoming and achievable, whether you’re just starting out or ready to take your work to the next level.
“We’re proud to offer a wide-ranging programme that mixes top industry expertise with inclusive and accessible events that bring writers together from across the community and the country.”
Events will take place at Pavilion Dance, Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, Patch, Palace Court Theatre, Horseshoe Common and on the beach.
The festival offers a mix of free and ticketed options, with many activities made possible thanks to funding from the Arts Council and ticket sales.
Highlights include Writing on the Beach, children’s writing activities, a dementia-friendly chill-out zone, four book launches and free entry to the Writers’ Hive.
A new Poetry Marquee at Horseshoe Common will offer drop-in sessions and live performances.
Submissions open for BBC Short Story Awards 2026
cam.ac.uk – Thursday January 15, 2026
The prestigious awards, supported by Cambridge University, are celebrating their 21st anniversary with judges including Saba Sams, David Almond & Lily Fontaine announced.
The BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University (NSSA) and BBC Young Writers’ Award with Cambridge University (YWA) have opened for submissions.
Di Speirs, judge of the BBC National Short Story Award since its launch, is this year’s Chair of Judges. Joining her on the panel are 2022 NSSA winner Saba Sams, whose highly acclaimed debut novel Gunk was published last year, two former NSSA shortlistees, Tahmima Anam (2016) and Will Eaves (2017), and Costa Best First Novel Award winner, Andrew Micheal Hurley.
Since launching twenty-one years ago, the NSSA has enriched both the careers of writers and the wider literary landscape. Some of Britain’s most renowned writers have won or been shortlisted for the award including Hilary Mantel, Zadie Smith, William Trevor, Jon McGregor, Deborah Levy, Naomi Alderman, Kamila Shamsie, Tessa Hadley, Mark Haddon, Sarah Hall, Helen Oyeyemi, Lucy Caldwell and Rose Tremain.
Sam Eades and Sophie Wilson join S&S as publishers of new imprint in job share
thebookseller.com – Tuesday January 13, 2026
Sam Eades and Sophie Wilson have joined Simon & Schuster (S&S) UK as publishers in a job share, heading up new commercial fiction imprint Skylight. The imprint will sit under executive publisher Phoebe Morgan as part of the Fiction division, with more details to be revealed later in the year.
Wilson began her career at Transworld and has since worked at Headline on crime and thriller, literary and book club fiction. She has worked with authors such as Rachel Joyce, Soraya Lane, Nick Spalding, Lorraine Kelly, Celia Imrie and Julian Clary and rising talent including Candice Carty-Willams, Emma Jane Unsworth and Kate Weston, as well as devising IP for publishers and ghostwriting projects during her years as a freelancer.
Publishers are “stepping back” from LGBTQ+ books amid bans & the current GOP president
lgbtqnation.com – Tuesday January 13, 2026
"In the face of so many book bans and so much concern about decreasing school library sales of queer content" publishers are "passing" on LGBTQ+ books.
2025 and the return to a GOP president, as well as ongoing efforts to ban books by and about LGBTQ+ people across the country, have created a chilling effect in the publishing industry, according to a new report from The Hill.
Several industry professionals told the outlet that over the past year, more publishers have rejected queer book proposals and manuscripts, while authors have seen a drop in royalties for their queer books. The anti-LGBTQ+ right’s fixation on children’s books has made things particularly difficult in children’s book publishing.
As The Hill notes, PEN America tracked over 10,000 book bans across the country at the height of the book-banning craze — which has targeted books by Black authors along with LGBTQ+ titles — during the 2023–2024 school year. During the 2024–2025 school year, the group identified nearly 7,000 bans across 87 school districts in the U.S.
Some authors of banned books have reported spikes in sales in recent years, and at least one bookseller told The Hill that sales of queer novels remain steady.
New Online Session for Scriptwriters: Rewrite Techniques for TV and Film
northernirelandscreen.co.uk – Monday January 12, 2026
Refresh your script in just two hours with Pilar Alessandra
A short, practical online session for screenwriters and television writers who want to revisit and rework an existing script.
Screenwriters and television writers are invited to apply to this online workshop designed to help you unlock new energy in your script. Rewrite Techniques for TV and Film is a focused two-hour session led by renowned writing coach Pilar Alessandra, offering hands-on tools you can apply immediately to elevate your work.
Date: Monday 2nd February
Time: 12pm–2pm
Location: Via Zoom
Whether you’re stuck in a rewrite or looking to sharpen a draft, this session is built to help you rethink, refresh, and re-engage with your story.
What is next for kids' books in 2026?
thebookseller.com – Wednesday January 7, 2026
As we look ahead to 2026, we find the world in a state of instability. Yet within that uncertainty there is comfort in how we have adapted to finding a way forward, no matter what lies ahead.
In the creative realm, we are witnessing a shift towards nostalgia, traditional, comfortable and analogue. There is an increasing desire among audiences to buy work that feels safe, familiar and wholesome. A demand for stories that are uplifting, spiritual, with a deeper meaning; dreamy and full of hope. Alongside this sits fantasy, escapism and educational progress.
The key themes I see emerging are bravery, hope, comfort and meaning.
Visual shifts: a return to the hand-drawn
Visually, at a time when digital imagery and AI make everything look the same, we are seeing a rise in hand-drawn, imperfect work. There is also a resurgence of heritage brands with traditional settings. This is an exciting time for illustrators and authors, as many of these brands are being reinvented, updated or extended with careful approvals and estate collaborations.
Literary agent Alia Habib on "What is an Agent For?"
humanities.uci.edu – Wednesday January 7, 2026
Literary agent Alia Habib on publishing non-fiction trade books
You have an idea for a book or you're curious about the route to publication outside of academia, but don't know where to begin. How do you go about finding an agent and what role will they play in the process? What kind of materials do you need before you query agents and what should that query include? And what will the process of publishing a trade book—from proposal writing to editing to publication--look like for an author?
The Humanities Center invites you to hear from literary agent Alia Hanna Habib and her client Anastasia Berg , UCI Assistant Professor of Philosophy, as they share insights from both sides of the publishing relationship and process.
New SFF Award Announced for 2026 Times/Chicken House Competition
firstwriter.com – Tuesday January 6, 2026
A major expansion is coming to one of the UK’s most prominent competitions for emerging children’s writers. Chicken House has revealed that its long‑running Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition will introduce a dedicated science fiction and fantasy award in 2026, created in partnership with specialist bookseller The Broken Binding.
The new category, titled The Broken Binding Prize, is designed exclusively for YA authors working in fantasy, sci‑fi, and speculative storytelling. Its winner will secure a £10,000 publishing contract with Chicken House, along with a conversation about literary representation with Stevie Finegan of the Zeno Agency.
Predictions: what lies ahead for the book trade in 2026?
thebookseller.com – Monday December 29, 2025
As we enter 2026, it is clearer than ever that the way audiences discover and consume content is rapidly evolving, and our priority must be to evolve with them – not just maintaining our existing readership but actively reaching and building future audiences.
There are huge opportunities if we are smart about how we reach readers. At HarperCollins we are seeing global success with responsive, reader-driven publishing, subscription boxes and TikTok Shop and – crucially – developing strategies that are founded on a comprehensive understanding of the reader.
AI enables us to dramatically change the way we interact with and grow audiences. The opportunities are genuinely exciting – finding new ways to help readers discover books they will love, innovating in the ways we market and reach audiences, building new channels and adapting to new methods of consuming content.
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