AGP Executive Report

Publishing & IP at Venice: ITTV will host two industry conversations at the Venice International Film Festival (Sept 4-5) on how Hybrid AI and creator ecosystems are reshaping the path from book-to-screen and who owns the next wave of intellectual property. Italian book culture: Diana Giovinazzo will discuss and sign Daughters of Naples at Vroman’s (Crooked Lane Books; July 21), a WWII novel set in Naples as Mussolini’s regime falls and German occupation begins. Tech & data rights: A US consumer finance proposal would push banks toward open-banking-style data sharing with security and privacy duties for third parties—an EU-style model that could reshape how readers and customers access services. Books for late summer: Bibliomania highlights four “summer vibe” reads, including Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures. Media tie-ins: Disney+ drops the trailer for The Simpsons exclusive Yellow Mirror (premieres Aug 26), and Pixar’s Cars returns to theaters Sept 4 for its 20th anniversary.

Video Gaming & Payments: New research says U.S. spending on video games could nearly triple by 2035, while a Paysafe study links player spending to smoother, safer checkout—especially in Italy and other European markets. EU Games Snapshot: The European games industry hit €24bn turnover in 2024, with 6,600 studios and 95,000+ workers, plus modest growth in places including Italy. Italian Agriculture Funding: Italy has already disbursed almost €600m in CAP advance payments to farmers, with EU Agriculture Commissioner Hansen stressing support for heat and drought impacts. Orange Wine Watch: A new competition highlights orange wine’s “balance” and texture, with top examples showing no technical faults. Publishing & Culture: A new Seagull Books release, On Persistence (with afterword On Attrition), digs into political agency and “exhaustions” in contemporary struggle. Food Trends (and a book-ish angle): Unilever Food Solutions’ Future Menus event shows how restaurants turn emerging dining habits into hybrid formats—like Italian-Japanese arancini takoyaki.

Italian Publishing Spotlight: Giuntina has released the first Italian translation of I.J. Singer’s “Viaggi in America,” bringing together his Yiddish dispatches from the U.S. for readers in Italy. Cultural & Book World: A new Italian Jewish translation push highlights how classic publishing houses are still opening doors to older voices. Art & Collecting: A signed Picasso etching (“Torero”) stolen in 2018 has been recovered in Milwaukee after a landlord turned it in—another reminder of how art-market stories can circle back years later. Food & Books: Late-summer reading lists keep leaning into fiction and “wedding sabotage” style plots, while culinary culture remains a steady publishing hook. Italy in the News Mix: Italy’s CNR is also in the spotlight for solar tech, showing how “books and publishing” audiences are still drawn to broader knowledge stories.

Photography & Culture: Sharjah’s Vantage Point turns more personal with a new documentary format, commissioning six artists for sprawling series—Sathish Kumar’s “Bond” follows his brother’s Gulf life through intimate family moments. Books & Reading Habits: A reflective piece laments falling reading culture, citing Gen Z survey results and the growing gap between book love and everyday habits. Classics & Translation: “Decolonising the Aeneid” reignites debate over how Rome repackaged Greek culture, while a “Word of the Week” spotlights how “Mentor” and other Odyssey-derived terms traveled into modern English. Publishing & New Titles: A bilingual Homer treasure volume, “Homer at the Gennadius Library,” showcases rare editions and translations, including a Florence 1488 Odyssey-related print trail. Italian Tech for Energy: Italy’s CNR unveils a spectral-splitting bifacial PV tile using a wedged prism to route visible and infrared light to different cell types. Youth Mystery Series: Sisterhood Sleuths launches an eight-book teen/YA mystery universe spanning Italy and beyond, mixing artifacts, secret societies, and hidden histories. Science & Ethics: A “high price of plagiarism” discussion flags misconduct concerns and the ease of spotting copied work online.

Travel & Books as Escape: A new luxury retreat concept, Illuminare, is built around total surprise—guests arrive without an itinerary, and every meal and activity is revealed on the spot, with the brand name drawn from an Italian idea of “lighting up.” Publishing & Culture: Indian-American poet Usha Akella has released three new books, including a Romanian collaboration and an updated English edition of Shri Sai Satcharita, plus an illustrated poem project. Italian Food Heritage Meets Archaeology: Pasta Garofalo’s expansion near Naples uncovered a 2,600-year-old “city of the dead” necropolis, with tombs and rare preserved materials found during the build. International Crime/Detective Reading: A roundup highlights newly translated detective and crime novels—from cozy mysteries to historical thrillers—aimed at readers looking beyond English-language shelves. Books & Film Adaptations: Warner Bros. is pushing The Cat in the Hat globally, with an Italian voice cast featuring Lorenzo Zurzolo ahead of the November release.

Archaeology & Publishing: Pasta Garofalo’s expansion in Gragnano near Naples has turned up a 2,600-year-old “city of the dead,” with tomb chambers and rare preserved finds—an unexpected reminder of how Italy’s food industry and deep history can collide. Children’s Books: ATN released the Italian edition of Hilda Lainen’s holiday picture book The Night the Yule Cat Saved the Yule Goat (La Notte in cui Yule Cat salvò Yule Goat), aimed at ages 5–8. Crime & Translation: A roundup highlights newly translated detective and crime novels available in translation, including Yukito Ayatsuji’s The Clock House Murders (Pushkin Vertigo). Italian Puzzle Culture: La Settimana Enigmistica keeps its summer ritual going—crosswords, jokes, cartoons and rebuses—still a beach-umbrella staple for Italians. Book-to-screen Buzz: Warner Bros. unveiled the international voice cast for The Cat in the Hat, including Italian actor Lorenzo Zurzolo, ahead of the Nov. 6 global release.

Puzzle Culture: La Settimana Enigmistica, Italy’s weekly puzzle staple since 1932, is still a summer ritual—crosswords, jokes, cartoons and rebuses under the beach umbrella, with editor Alessandro Bartezzaghi calling it “solitary in winter, social in summer.” Publishing & Books: A fall fiction list highlights major autumn releases, from Marlon James’s The Disappearers to Colm Tóibín’s The Bridge and Louisa Young’s The Golden Hours. Children’s Publishing: BBC presenter Dermot O’Leary’s Toto the Ninja Cat series (translated into 19 languages, 500,000 copies) adds a new seventh book later this year. International Law & Books: ICC president Tomoko Akane warns sanctions are eroding the rule of law after the US targets her and another senior official. EU Policy: The EU weighs sanctions over Israel’s E1 settlement housing tender, with mandatory labeling and academic/security steps on the table. Italy Security: Italian police arrest a 17-year-old suspected of planning a suicide bombing, with explosive-vest blueprints found on her phone.

Publishing & Books: A fiction roundup spotlights major autumn releases, from Marlon James’s The Disappearers (Hamish Hamilton, Sept 3) to Colm Tóibín’s The Bridge (Picador, Sept 3) and Emma Cline’s Switzy (Chatto & Windus, Sept 10), alongside a new episode launch for Epistle Of A Sociopathic Vicar. EU Politics & Publishing-Adjacent Culture: The EU is reportedly preparing sanctions on Israel tied to the E1 West Bank settlement plan, with measures discussed across commercial, academic and security areas. Italy Security: Italian counter-terror police arrested a 17-year-old girl accused of planning a suicide bombing, with alleged explosive-vest blueprints found on her phone. Tech/Media: Naruto’s first official digital cards app, NARUTO NINJA CARDS, goes global today, built by an indie team with Italy among the fanbase. Arts & Community: Burning Man photography lands in Britannia Beach via a new Sea to Sky Gallery exhibit.

Publishing & Culture: Italy’s “Yiddish moment” keeps growing as an unprecedented I.J. Singer translation fuels a wider boom in translated literature. Book Industry & Tech: A warning is making the rounds about AI-assisted translations flooding the online book market, raising concerns for quality and trust. Literary News: Houston-based coverage spotlights Italian writer Andrea Bajani’s novella The Anniversary, a taboo-busting family story now heading to English readers. Publishing Deals: Warner Bros. is in talks for film rights to Allen Levi’s bestseller Theo of Golden, with Tom Hanks attached—another reminder of how quickly word-of-mouth novels can become screen prospects. Books & Events: Ballinasloe author Sheila Bugler returns home for a September 24 launch reading for her new thriller The Stepmother. Publishing in Italy: Leonardo’s GCAP fighter timeline chatter also surfaces in the week’s news cycle, but the publishing thread stays strongest around translations, AI translation quality, and adaptation momentum.

Publishing & Books: Fiction is set to dominate midterm-season book buying, with AP highlighting what readers are reaching for as election chatter ramps up. Language & Culture: Italy’s Accademia della Crusca proposal for “atèfano” — a word for a parent who has lost a child — sparks a wider debate on why some grief still lacks a name. Industry & Print: McKinsey looks at Europe’s pulp and paper squeeze, arguing digitalization is eroding graphic paper demand while packaging holds up better. Tech & Reading: A guide warns that AI-assisted translations are flooding the online book market, raising quality and trust concerns for readers. International Spotlight (Italy-linked): Leaders including France, Germany, Italy and the UK condemn Israel’s E1 West Bank settlement tenders, urging businesses to avoid participation. Film Rights: Tom Hanks is in talks for a Warner Bros adaptation of Allen Levi’s bestseller “Theo of Golden,” after the novel’s surprising self-published breakout.

Publishing & Books in Italy: Italian author Francesca Giannone’s novel Tomorrow Tomorrow (Domani, Domani) (Dar Al-Arabi; Arabic translation by Ola Mahmoud) spotlights 1950s rural Salento soap-making, family inheritance, and the split paths of siblings as Italy modernizes. Literary Culture: A piece on medieval crime fiction digs into why “detectives” work in a world without modern policing—highlighting the genre’s enduring pull in places including Italy. EU Policy & Pay Transparency: A legal explainer on the EU Pay Transparency Directive maps how penalties differ across member states and stresses that uncapped compensation and reversed burden of proof still apply. Media & Books/Publishing Industry: A report warns that white nationalist organizers are targeting the collapse of local journalism, including via a secret Rome meeting, to exploit rural information gaps. Film Festivals (Italy link): San Sebastián’s lineup includes Fatih Akin’s Ghost Song, and the broader autumn festival circuit keeps Venice’s Italian pull in focus.

Book Publishing & Rights: Alfred A. Knopf (Penguin Random House) will publish Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love on Nov. 10, with hardcover/ebook and an audio edition; Rahul Gandhi says he can “see Papa smiling” as the book finally reaches readers. AI & Publishing Integrity: A warning for online shoppers: AI-assisted translations are flooding the book market, sometimes presented as professional work—buyers are urged to check quality and disclosure. Media Tech & Privacy: UK cinemas are considering restrictions on camera-enabled Meta smart glasses amid “spy glasses” piracy concerns, while a Meta whistleblower testified about harms to children on social platforms. Industry & Work: Goldman Sachs reports AI automation is already pressuring hiring, hitting entry-level workers and specific sectors like call centers, software publishing, consulting, and advertising. Culture & Adaptations: Tom Hanks is reportedly in talks to star in the film adaptation of Allen Levi’s bestseller Theo of Golden. Climate & Reading Culture: Studies project Europe’s wildfire risk could rise sharply by century’s end, even with better fire management—an issue that’s increasingly shaping public debate and storytelling.

Publishing & Books: Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love (Knopf) is set for a Nov 10 release, with the publisher touting a first printing of 100,000 copies and an audio edition via Penguin Random House; the book traces her life from post-war Italy to India. Film Rights & Adaptations: Warner Bros. is in talks to secure feature rights to Allen Levi’s bestseller Theo of Golden, with Tom Hanks reportedly in talks to star; the novel’s global reach includes Italy. Literary Culture: A Yokohama exhibition marks the 100th anniversary of picture-book author Kako Satoshi, celebrating Little Daruma and other folklore-rooted characters. Food & Ideas: Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2026 returns to Turin (Sept 24–27) with “Biodiversity – Be Diversity,” bringing together voices on food justice and sustainable food systems. Media & Society: Goldman Sachs says AI is starting to pressure jobs, hitting entry-level roles hardest, especially in AI-exposed sectors like software publishing and call centers.

Publishing & Books: Sonia Gandhi’s 544-page memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love is set for a Nov. 10 release (hardcover/ebook via Alfred A. Knopf; audio via Penguin Random House), with the author framing her life story as “heartbreak and loss” that pushed her into politics and promising a more intimate look beyond the public labels. Printing & Paper Industry: A new market brief says global printing paper is shifting fast: publishing print is shrinking under digital substitution, while packaging and security printing drive growth, projecting $457.5B by 2035. Book Trade Tech: A commentary revisits “Project Panama” and fears that AI can dismantle purchased second-hand books for training—raising new questions about what buyers really own. Printing Machinery: Heidelberg says it’s pressing ahead with strategic expansion, including taking over manroland sheetfed lifecycle operations and POLAR postpress production. Design & Culture: Berluti turns The Little Prince into a limited leather collection, blending literature and fashion through patination, marquetry and tattooing.

Apple EU Antitrust Fallout: Germany’s competition authority has forced Apple to rewrite iPhone/iPad tracking-consent prompts, ending a probe after binding commitments—changes expected to ripple across much of the EU. Milky Way Breakthrough: Hubble and Gaia data point to the Milky Way’s earliest major merger, swallowing a dwarf galaxy about 11.8 billion years ago, reshaping timelines of how our galaxy formed. Italian Art Crime: Sicily’s Messina museum (MuMe) reports a fast, targeted theft of Renaissance panels by Antonello da Messina during Ferragosto festivities; two panels were later found abandoned. Vatican Finance Update: Pope Leo XIV appoints Princess Gisela Bergmann to the Council for the Economy, adding a lay expert with engineering and investment banking experience. Publishing & Culture Angle: A new interview with Free League’s Tomas Harenstam looks at the steady RPG market and upcoming Alien content. Books & Reading: Booktown USA in the US closes after 23 years, with a final community story tied to a local newspaper feature.