Publishing leaders offer predictions for 2026—AI, audio, BookTok, the Year of Reading. But what if we treated them like Roman chicken-liver omens: not certainty, but judgement? An essay on the real signs, the contradictions, and what growing up might look like for the trade

World Book Day is a global celebration of books and reading. But did you know that it’s celebrated in different ways all over the world? From books and roses in Spain to manga and poetry in Japan, each country has its own unique way of honouring the power of stories