For those who don’t get the chance to open all the regular email notifications from TNPS, a summary of the key stories covered in the past seven days.
Our week began with news that the latest StreetLib-TNPS Middle East North Africa newsletter was back on schedule after a disrupted Q4.
Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited pot payout to KDP authors topped $300 million for the second year in succession.
New records were set at the Doha International Book fair in Qatar.
Fewer books were sold from mainstream publishers in the Netherlands, but revenue rose for publishers.
Big Bad Wolf announced its third 2020 venue – Manila, the Philippines, with 2 million books being shipped.
Brazil’s book market was down again, but not by as much as expected. A silver lining to every cloud.
IPA VP Bodour Al Qasimi will be talking book data in the Arab markets at the Emirates Airlines LitFest.
Piracy made bi news in Europe this week thanks to a report from Italy. But it was also a headline issue in Zimbabwe.
Staying with Africa, and the announcement that Hopster was launched its SVOD service in Congo and South Africa raised questions about whether publishers are missing an exciting opportunity on the African continent.
India and Abu Dhabi have been exchanging events and cultural initiatives.
And in India again, the Chennai Book Fair was setting new records for both visitors and sales.
Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Video aren’t the only subscription operations from Amazon. Amazon Music announced it had 55 million subscribers.
Our Start The Day Global selection looked at translated fiction by women of colour, Filipino comics, a Chilean comic book artist, and women authors lined up for the Emirates Airlines LitFest.
Winners were announced in Bangladesh for the annual Bangla Academy awards.
And we closed the week with news that in the USA going to the library was still the most popular activity, above theme parks, movie and other competing demands on Americans’ leisure time.
