The New Publishing Standard

Syria – Damascus Children’s Book Fair: A Post-Assad Window for Publishers

by Mark Williams | Apr 25, 2026 | Book Fairs, Children's Books, MENA publishing, Middle East, Syria | 0 |

Syria’s Children’s Book Fair gathers 30+ publishers in Damascus, signalling a post-war revival in children’s publishing and offering a new rights window for international houses.

Kazakhstan’s National Book Day Celebrates Sector Excellence with Comics and Cultural Awards

by Mark Williams | Apr 25, 2026 | Book Fairs, Eurasia, Kazakhstan | 0 |

Kazakhstan’s National Book Day honoured publisher Mazmundama and cultural figure Bayan Kabylash, marking official recognition for comics and independent publishing.

Netflix, Manga, AI and the Publishing Industry’s Ministry of Truth

by Mark Williams | Apr 25, 2026 | Book Fairs, Comics, Kids Reading Crisis, Manga, Publishing Controversies, Self-Publishing, UK | 0 |

From comics to Netflix to AI: how publishing’s cycle of panic and embrace tells us everything about the industry’s future. A TNPS deep-dive.

Indonesia is Guest of Honour as Tunis International Book Fair Celebrates its 40th

by Mark Williams | Apr 18, 2026 | Arab publishing, Book Fairs, Indonesia, MENA publishing, Middle East, Tunisia | 0 |

40th Tunis International Book Fair (23 April–3 May 2026) features Indonesia as guest of honour, AI publishing forum, and 900th anniversary tribute to philosopher Ibn Rushd.

Indonesia – Dayak Community Makes Publishing History with First-Ever International Literacy Congress

by Mark Williams | Apr 18, 2026 | Book Fairs, Indigenous Languages, Indonesia, S.E. Asia | 0 |

World-first literacy congress by Dayak indigenous community in Borneo, featuring authentic multi-generational authorship, holistic literacy frameworks, and strategic publishing infrastructure.

Lau Yee-Wa Wins Inaugural Chommanard International Literary Award – A Landmark for Asian Women’s Literature

by Mark Williams | Apr 12, 2026 | Awards, Censorship, China, Hong Kong, S.E. Asia, Thailand | 0 |

Hong Kong’s Lau Yee-Wa wins inaugural Chommanard International Literary Award for Tongueless, spotlighting ASEAN and East Asian female literary talent in 2026.

UAE’s Abu Dhabi International Book Fair Rescheduled for September 2026

by Mark Williams | Apr 12, 2026 | Arab publishing, Book Fairs, MENA publishing, Middle East, United Arab Emirates | 0 |

Abu Dhabi International Book Fair rescheduled to 13–18 September 2026 due to regional conflict, affecting 1,400+ exhibitors from publishing industry.

Canada’s Manitoba Book Awards Return After Two-Year Hiatus (and a School Days Confession)

by Mark Williams | Apr 11, 2026 | Awards, Canada, North America | 0 |

Manitoba Book Awards return after 2024 suspension with six categories; independent board led by David A. Robertson plans full programme restoration by 2027.

Frankfurt Book Fair 2026: Comics Take Centre Stage with New Business Centre and Webtoon Expansion

by Mark Williams | Apr 10, 2026 | Book Fairs, Comics, Manga | 0 |

Frankfurt Book Fair 2026 launches Comics Business Centre and Webtoon Area as global webtoon market hits $14bn. Rights trading, cross-media deals and professional networking for publishers.

TNPS 2025 Story of the Year Part 6: The RODE Revolution: Why the Easiest Time in History to Create Is Also the Best Time to Be a Publisher

by Mark Williams | Apr 9, 2026 | AI, Publishing Controversies | 0 |

Why AI makes human curation the future of publishing.

Record 1.3 Million Attendance, $15.7 Million Sales at Thailand’s Bangkok Book Fair Amid Global Pressures

by Mark Williams | Apr 8, 2026 | Book Fairs, S.E. Asia, Thailand | 0 |

Bangkok International Book Fair 2026 drew 1.3m visitors, generating $15.7m in sales. Gen Z comprised 46% of attendees as rights trading hit $2.65m—up 50% YoY.

My Favourite Story So Far This Year! Google and Slum2School Africa Launch AI-Powered Cultural Colouring Book

by Mark Williams | Apr 7, 2026 | Africa, AI, Nigeria | 0 |

Google and Slum2School Africa launch Stories from Our Home, a Gemini AI-powered Nigerian folktale colouring book for 1,000 underserved primary pupils, blending cultural heritage with educational technology.

Manta Expands into Manga Market with Kodansha Partnership

by Mark Williams | Apr 7, 2026 | Anime, Manga, South Korea, USA | 0 |

Manta expands from webcomics into manga with 400+ Kodansha titles including WIND BREAKER, targeting 19M+ users in all-in-one digital storytelling push.

Pakistan – KP Textbook Board Seeks Return to In-House Publishing

by Mark Williams | Apr 7, 2026 | Education Publishing, Pakistan, South Asia | 0 |

Pakistan – KP Textbook Board seeks policy amendment to reclaim in-house publishing rights, cut Rs60m annual royalty payments to private publishers, and improve quality control.

Southeast Asian Libraries Pioneer ESG Literacy Initiative

by Mark Williams | Apr 6, 2026 | Academic and specialist publishing, Cambodia, Libraries, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, S.E. Asia | 0 |

Cambodian Librarians Association partners with CamEd Business School and international universities for a 2026 ESG reading contest targeting emerging markets.

Markets Are Made, Not Found: Publishing’s Self-Fulfilling Prophecies

by Mark Williams | Apr 5, 2026 | Audible, Audiobooks, IP Rights | 0 |

Publishing’s ‘self-fulfilling prophecies’: How supply shapes demand, AI breaks barriers, and 95% of books remain silent – not for lack of listeners, but of access.

Kenyan Publishers Push Back on Parliamentary Deposit Bill’s Tight Deadline

by Mark Williams | Apr 5, 2026 | Africa, Kenya | 0 |

Kenyan publishers demand extended deadline for new legal deposit requirements under Books and Newspapers (Amendment) Bill, 2025, citing operational challenges.

Indonesia – Big Bad Wolf Returns to Makassar for Tenth Anniversary Tour

by Mark Williams | Apr 5, 2026 | Big Bad Wolf sale, Indonesia | 0 |

Big Bad Wolf Books returns to Makassar for its tenth anniversary Indonesian tour, offering millions of discounted titles at SMMCC through 12 April 2026.

Argentina – Feria de Editores Launches Fifth Fellowship Programme for International Publishers

by Mark Williams | Apr 4, 2026 | Argentina, Fellowships, Ibero-America, Latin America | 0 |

Fifth edition of Feria de Editores’ fellowship programme for French, Spanish and Italian publishers runs 4–9 August 2026 in Buenos Aires.

TNPS Analysis: Four Moves, One Strategy: What Harlequin’s AI Microdrama Deal Is Really About

by Mark Williams | Apr 4, 2026 | AI, Anime, Publishing Controversies | 0 |

Harlequin’s Dashverse deal is the fourth act in a deliberate AI pivot. TNPS traces the strategy – and what it means for every publisher with a back-catalogue.

All

Netflix, Manga, AI and the Publishing Industry’s Ministry of Truth

Syria – Damascus Children’s Book Fair: A Post-Assad Window for Publishers

Syria – Damascus Children’s Book Fair: A Post-Assad Window for Publishers

Kazakhstan’s National Book Day Celebrates Sector Excellence with Comics and Cultural Awards

Netflix, Manga, AI and the Publishing Industry’s Ministry of Truth

Indonesia is Guest of Honour as Tunis International Book Fair Celebrates its 40th

Indonesia – Dayak Community Makes Publishing History with First-Ever International Literacy Congress

Lau Yee-Wa Wins Inaugural Chommanard International Literary Award – A Landmark for Asian Women’s Literature

UAE’s Abu Dhabi International Book Fair Rescheduled for September 2026

Canada’s Manitoba Book Awards Return After Two-Year Hiatus (and a School Days Confession)

Frankfurt Book Fair 2026: Comics Take Centre Stage with New Business Centre and Webtoon Expansion

TNPS 2025 Story of the Year Part 6: The RODE Revolution: Why the Easiest Time in History to Create Is Also the Best Time to Be a Publisher

Record 1.3 Million Attendance, $15.7 Million Sales at Thailand’s Bangkok Book Fair Amid Global Pressures

My Favourite Story So Far This Year! Google and Slum2School Africa Launch AI-Powered Cultural Colouring Book

Manta Expands into Manga Market with Kodansha Partnership

Pakistan – KP Textbook Board Seeks Return to In-House Publishing

Southeast Asian Libraries Pioneer ESG Literacy Initiative

Markets Are Made, Not Found: Publishing’s Self-Fulfilling Prophecies

Kenyan Publishers Push Back on Parliamentary Deposit Bill’s Tight Deadline

Indonesia – Big Bad Wolf Returns to Makassar for Tenth Anniversary Tour

Argentina – Feria de Editores Launches Fifth Fellowship Programme for International Publishers

TNPS Analysis: Four Moves, One Strategy: What Harlequin’s AI Microdrama Deal Is Really About

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