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Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.
The Inaugural James Patterson & Bookshop.org Prize
I’m always excited to see what Bookshop.org does next, and I have to say that their latest announcement is pretty dope. They’ve partnered with James Patterson to honor full-length debut books published in the U.S. within the last year with the James Patterson & Bookshop.org Prize. The award stays true to Bookshop.org’s ethos by relying on booksellers for all nominations and selections. The first winner of the award—The Correspondent by Virginia Evans—is an epistolary novel that really made the rounds last year. The runner-up for the prize is Milo Todd’s trans WWII novel, The Lilac People.
PEN America Finds That Literary Translators Are Underpaid
No wonder only about 3% of books published in the US are translated works. In a new report, PEN America highlights the unfairness literary translators experience within the industry. All the way back in 1969, PEN America’s Translation Committee documented how dire it was for literary translators, citing how their “rights have never been satisfactorily formulated.” Then, in 2023, they published a manifesto restating the need for translators to be treated fairly within the industry. And now in 2026, they’ve published a report showing how literary translators are underpaid, with their names often not even included on book covers.
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Dua Lipa to Curate the 2026 London Literature Festival
I’ve come to know Dua Lipa as “That Girl with the bops and the books.” Apart from being a mega popstar with absolute bangers, she’s also been a great advocate for good books and reading. And, her interest goes beyond the superficial, book-toting trend some celebrities seem to have engaged in recently. Many of the authors she’s interviewed as part of her online book club, Service95, have said how thoughtful and engaging she was as an interviewer. I’m excited to see what Ms. Lipa has planned for the festival, which will take place this year from October 21 to November 1.
Read Harder With These New Books Out in April
Have you joined our Read Harder Challenge? If not, there’s no time like the present to start! And, we’ve got a fresh batch of recommendations to help you complete it. Editor Danika Ellis highlights a couple of new gothic releases and more.
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