AGP Executive Report

Italian Politics: Giorgia Meloni’s rightwing government is being framed as Italy’s longest-running since WWII, with Bari set for a festival-style showcase of her coalition’s stability and messaging. Publishing & Books: A new handbook, “Mishna Companion: Maseches Yoma,” is reviewed for making complex study more accessible with illustrated materials and translations. Tech & Media: Peacock’s “The Paper” returns for Season 2, leaning into the pressures on newspapers—AI-written stories, falling traffic, and misinformation—through comedy. Global Tech Policy: A G7 working group urges governments to speed up post-quantum encryption defenses, warning that quantum risks are also an economic and business threat. Consumer Tech/Competition: Apple faces a £2bn London lawsuit over “unfair” app tracking rules, with developers alleging Apple’s gatekeeper power harms third parties. Science & Health: Research in Science finds cancer-fighting T cells need small amounts of ROS—and tumors can block them by removing ROS—pointing to new immunotherapy targets.

Publishing & Archives: Brill releases The Postal Revolution: Courier Networks in Italy, 1260–1600, tracing how Italy’s messenger systems grew from ad hoc runs into professional courier business driven by merchants and diplomacy. Book Culture & Festivals: The Iași International Literature and Translation Festival (FILIT) returns in October with guests including Paul Lynch, David Foenkinos, Aleksandar Hemon and Italian author Laura Pariani, highlighting translation and international literary exchange. Italian-Language Publishing Ecosystem: A new Classics label launch by Studiocanal points to continued catalog strategy for heritage titles. Tech, Media & Competition: Apple faces a £2bn UK lawsuit over App Tracking Transparency rules, with developers arguing the policy unfairly restricts third parties—an issue that matters for publishers and app-based content businesses. Citizenship by Descent: A guide spotlights how Italy and other European states enable citizenship through ancestry, tying legal access to family history for diaspora families.

Publishing & Rights Fairs: South Korea’s culture ministry is bringing a traveling Korean book fair to New York on Sept. 2-3, with 15 publishers, rights meetings for 101 titles, and 40 U.S. buyers including major groups; Italy is also listed as a future stop. Poetry & Books in the Spotlight: Kiki Petrosino is launching her poetry collection “Perfect Italian” with a Sept. 25 reading at New Dominion Bookshop in Charlottesville, focusing on heritage and belonging. Italian Publishing Industry: Bayer says its “blockbusters” push is already delivering in Italy via its Preceon smart corn system, tying seed and crop protection innovation to local farm needs. Copyright & AI Music: Canada’s SOCAN sues Suno over alleged copyright infringement tied to the platform’s outputs and streaming in Canada, joining similar cases in Germany and Denmark. Literary Culture: “On the Road” is spotlighted for its 120-foot scroll origin and lasting impact, as a new feature revisits Kerouac’s breakthrough manuscript story.

Film & Culture: SIFF 2026 spotlights Italy as country of honour, aiming to bring Italian storytelling to young audiences through cultural exchange with the UAE and international filmmakers. Publishing & Books: Studiocanal launches “Studiocanal Classics,” a new worldwide label for restored catalogue titles, betting on renewed cinephile demand (including in Italy). Book Launch (Italy-themed fiction): Vermont author Elizabeth Wellington Rollins celebrates her debut novel “The Three Graces of Pearl Street,” centered on three generations of Italian American women and their family secrets. Rights & Religion in Print: Pope Francis’ preface helps bring “A Christian on Death Row” (Italian edition) to English readers, detailing lay chaplain Dale Recinella’s ministry on Florida’s death row. Food & Italian Reading Culture: A new panzanella-style salad recipe leans on Italian tradition for summer-to-fall tables, while a cookbook author’s tip pairs fennel with roast sausages for an Italian-inspired one-tray meal. Industry/Trade: Korea’s “Outreach New York Book Fair” connects Korean publishers with major US buyers and includes Italy in its outreach stops.

Publishing & Books: Rachel Cusk’s Life of M keeps drawing attention, with readers zeroing in on its cool, clinical look at how celebrity reshapes reality and feeling. Food & Italian Culture: A fresh take on Tuscan/Umbria panzanella pairs peak sweet corn and juicy tomatoes with grilled croutons, quick-pickled red onions, and a basil-forward vinaigrette. Italian-leaning Food Scene: NYC’s Sono aims for real balance in Korean-Italian fusion, built on the chef’s Italian training and Korean roots. Cookbooks & Memoir: Kline & Dine: Every Meal an Adventure lands as both cookbook and culinary memoir, tracing decades of global cooking through family stories and recipes. Literary Events: The Meighen Forum sets a September lineup spanning history, folklore, and language, including panels on acting and fairy mythology. Markets (Italy-facing): Gold and silver dip as bond yields rise; Italy’s FTSE MIB also slips amid risk-off trading.

Publishing Deals: John le Carré’s screen adaptation Legacy of Spies lands new international buyers, with SBS and Canal+ among the broadcasters/streamers acquiring the series for multiple territories including Italy. Books & Culture: A new Italian Catholic volume, Persone transgender: Scienze, Teologie, Pastorali, co-edited by scholars in Italy and published by Editrice Querinian, explores transgender experiences through theological and pastoral lenses. Media & Books: Penguin India’s handling of Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging remains in dispute, with reports and statements trading accusations over whether the publisher dropped the book or sought editorial changes. Food & Lifestyle (Book-adjacent): Corto Olive launches a limited-edition 2026 Agrumato-method gift set pairing a debut horseradish olive oil with returning Calabrian chili. Arts Calendar: Eugene Opera marks its 50th anniversary season with Macbeth, Carmen, and Sondheim’s A Little Night Music.

Publishing & Books in the Spotlight: Penguin Random House India denied claims of external pressure in its decision not to publish Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love, saying talks hit an impasse over “a particular issue” during normal editorial discussions. Italian Culture & Travel: Two back-to-back features in National Geographic Italia and Vogue Italia spotlight Syros in the Cyclades, praising Ermoupoli’s architecture and the islands’ cultural life. Arts & Media: Venice Film Festival organizers moved to reinstate a juror panel after activist demands to exclude Israel-tied films, as the festival navigates politicized programming pressures. Design & Industry: The A’ Design Award opened entries for 2026–27 after announcing winners, with architecture-heavy results and a broad, multi-category competition. Catholic Publishing & Accountability: A timeline piece revisits the Father Marko Rupnik case, framed around long-running allegations and the Church’s safeguarding failures. Audio & Public Service: An EBU radio leader argues radio’s edge is trust and companionship—built through journalism, local presence, and long-term partnerships.

Rai Investigations Shake-Up: Journalists at Rai’s flagship investigative show Report voted for work-to-rule and hinted at a strike, demanding the reinstatement of host Sigfrido Ranucci after his replacement sparked claims of unfairness and “arbitrary” staffing. Art & Publishing Spotlight: Italian-Ukrainian artist Valerio Zezur’s autobiographical memoir Inside the Nightmare, Beyond the Darkness is expanding in English via Barnes & Noble, framing his material, mixed-media practice as a dialogue with memory after rupture. Culture on the Page: A fall reading roundup highlights new books to watch, including translated works and major literary picks, while The Dog Stars gets a big-screen push tied to Peter Heller’s novel-to-film journey. Media & Books in Motion: Venice Film Festival logistics hit a snag—then course-corrected—after the jury press conference was reinstated, underscoring how festival programming choices ripple into press and publishing visibility. Local Industry Pulse: Frutech 2026 planning continues to build momentum for Sicily’s fruit and veg tech showcase, with the event set for Nov. 25–27 at SiciliaFiera.

Publishing & Books in Italy: A major India publishing row keeps spilling over: Congress figures and media reports claim pressure around Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging, while Penguin Random House India insists it never dropped the book and says it was “willing and keen” to publish. Culture & Media: Venice Film Festival reversed a plan to cancel its jury press conference, restoring the traditional opening setup after backlash. Literary Gossip: Rachel Cusk’s new novel The Life of M is being framed as a thinly veiled portrait of Natalie Portman, reigniting debate over autofiction and celebrity-based fiction. Tech & Publishing Tools: A report on “context engineering” for Claude highlights how AI workflows are shifting—relevant for publishers and authors using AI for research and drafting. Books & Community: A memoir by former Sault library director Willy Eisenbichler, with childhood in Italy, has been published.

Book-to-screen Buzz: Peter Heller’s bestselling “The Dog Stars” is now a Ridley Scott big-screen thriller, with Heller set to discuss the novel’s origins and its journey to film at a Sept. 10 event. Publishing Row: India’s Sonia Gandhi memoir “Belonging” keeps sparking headlines as Penguin Random House India denies it dropped the book, while politicians and state leaders accuse pressure and censorship attempts. Literary Gossip Meets Fiction: Rachel Cusk’s new novel “The Life of M” is being framed as a thinly veiled portrait of Natalie Portman, fueling debate about autofiction, projection, and celebrity. Sports + Culture Reading: A fall preview highlights major classical concerts, while local “First Friday” shopping and bookstore culture points to how communities keep pairing arts with reading. Indie Publishing Watch: Gamescom news includes Cassette Beasts 2002’s March 2027 sequel launch and other upcoming releases, underscoring how publishing extends into interactive storytelling.

Publishing Row in India: Kerala CM VD Satheesan escalated the Sonia Gandhi memoir “Belonging” dispute, accusing Penguin Random House India of censorship and intimidation, while PRHI insists it is “willing and keen” and says it is not the India publisher. Book Industry Watch: Multiple statements and counterclaims keep swirling around who publishes the India edition and whether fact-checking or editorial changes were the real sticking point. Classic Literature in Motion: Emily Wilson says she’s retranslating Homer’s “Odyssey” again, aiming for a fuller, more precise version than her 2017 bestseller. Italian Literary Spotlight: Andrea Bajani’s novella “The Anniversary” (The Anniversary) returns to Italy-set themes of trauma and family control, with sparse prose highlighted in review coverage. Cultural Publishing & Rights: The US designation of the Italian hack collective Autistici/Inventati as a terrorist group raises fresh concerns for digital freedom and access.

Publishing & Books: Emily Wilson says she’s doing a full retranslation of Homer’s The Odyssey, aiming for more accurate distinctions in ancient Greek terms for enslaved people; the new, longer edition is underway. Book Trade & Culture: Libros Colette, a new bookstore-café in the US, is built around visual reference books and “hidden gems,” with rare signed editions kept intentionally accessible. Digital Rights & Publishing Tech: An Italian hacktivist collective behind Autistici/Inventati faces a US terrorism designation; a defense push urges action before Sept. 25. Publishing Controversy: Penguin Random House India insists it is not the Indian publisher of Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging, after reports of a dispute over editorial changes; Knopf has set a Nov. 10 release. Italian Arts & Media: Rai replaces Sigfrido Ranucci as host of investigative show Report with Giulia Presutti and Daniele Piervincenzi. International Book/Film Buzz: HBO’s Harry Potter reboot lore gets a book-accurate Hogwarts letter detail, while A Talent for Murder lands a trailer starring Helen Mirren.

Publishing Industry Watch: Penguin Random House India is denying it backed out of publishing Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love in India, saying it was “willing and keen” throughout talks and that fact-checking plus editorial recommendations are normal—after reports claimed the author rejected requested edits. Rights & Culture: A new Swedish exhibition at Bonniers Konsthall, The Defeated: The Aesthetics of Resistance 2026, spotlights antifascist art and draws on Peter Weiss’s books, positioning culture as resistance ahead of Sweden’s election. Books & Learning (Geneva): Geneva’s Foundation for Geneva unveiled Critical Code, a multilingual comic distributed in schools to explain why multilateral cooperation matters, created for a city reshaping its future amid UN-era upheaval. Italy Angle (Publishing Ecosystem): ELECTE (Milano) launched The ELECTE Quarterly, a print journal on AI and human judgment, as part of its move from software into publishing and public infrastructure.

Publishing & Books: September 2026 is shaping up as a big month for readers, with a roundup of 45 new books publishing in September and another guide to “short” reads (including nine novellas) plus a list of 12 crime/mystery novels in translation—useful for anyone tracking Italian and international releases. Italian Culture & Events: Italy’s September calendar leans cultural and literary, from Viterbo’s Santa Rosa festival to Milan’s I-Days and other must-see events. Music & Language in the Spotlight: Souls of Diotima surprise-release “Senza Rancore,” sung in Italian, ahead of their October album “Arcade,” blending metalcore aggression with retro-wave atmospheres. Climate & Heritage: A new open-access dataset maps 386 coastal UNESCO World Heritage sites with precise digital boundaries, flagging flood and erosion risks as heatwaves keep intensifying in Italy. Arts & Learning: A feature on Joy Cowley highlights why children’s books should reflect children’s real lives and contexts—an argument that lands well for Italian publishers thinking about representation.

Italian Reading Snapshot: ISTAT data pushes back on the “Italians don’t read” narrative: 57.1% of people 6+ read at least one book in the past year, and 14.9% visited a library in 2025. Publishing & Culture: Paolo Nouri is planning a new novel on Leo Tolstoy, aiming for a 2028 release tied to the Russian author’s bicentenary. Book-to-screen & Copyright: A Brisbane author’s copyright bid against Disney over alleged similarities between her e-book and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was rejected at appeal. Literary Picks: Adrian Duncan shares his latest cultural favorites, spotlighting contemporary Italian cinema and other reads. Tech & Energy Research: Italian researchers describe a reversible Carnot battery concept combining heat pump and ORC units for residential PV storage. Health & Youth: A US study reports a near ten-fold rise in type-2 diabetes cases among young people under 20 since 2002.