Literary Scout Philippa Donovan Sets Up Screen-To-Book Business Two Script Studio To Facilitate ‘Reverse Adaptations’
deadline.com – Tuesday May 19, 2026
Veteran literary scout Philippa Donovan wants to reverse engineer the books-to-screen market through her new business, Two Script Studio.
The operation will create ‘reverse adaptations‘ to allow producers and screenwriters to turn screenplays into novels at an early stage of development. Book rights are then pitched to literary agents and publishers to build an audience or developed as underlying IP for the film or TV project.
Donovan will also help writers rework dormant scripts for publishers, and is offering mentoring where a pitch deck or script is used for narrative structure.
Two Script is so-named to represent the idea that one story becomes two scripts at the earliest possible stage.
A prize-winning story published in Granta was (very likely) written by AI
lithub.com – Tuesday May 19, 2026
It’s another grim day at the human factory. There is strong evidence to suggest that a prize-winning short story published this week in celebrated literary magazine Granta was entirely generated by AI.
Jamir Nazir’s “The Serpent in the Grove,” was published in Granta in partnership with the Commonwealth Foundation Short Story Prize, which annually recognizes unpublished fiction from around the British Commonwealth. Nazir’s story, which follows a rum-drinking farmer who comes across an enchanted grove, was the recognized entry from the Caribbean region.
A set of judges chaired by award-winning novelist Louise Doughty appreciated the story’s “precise yet richly evocative” language, and selected the piece as a regional finalist from a whopping class of 7,806 entries across the board. But literary sleuths smelled a rat.
Ethan Mollick, a Wharton professor who studies AI’s effects on education and the workplace, broke down this “Turing Test of sorts” in a helpful Bluesky thread.
New Literary Agent Listing: Kate Garrick
firstwriter.com – Tuesday May 19, 2026
Looks for projects that demonstrate a clear confidence of intention and a willingness to engage with our changing world with humility and curiosity. She is particularly interested in literary and upmarket fiction, memoir, and narrative nonfiction that endeavors to contribute to the conversations that will move our society forward.
How to protect against scammers – a new guide for authors
writersguild.org.uk – Monday May 18, 2026
An alarming increase in fraudulent activity targeting authors has led WGGB and the Society of Authors (SoA) to join together to issue urgent new guidance outlining measures writers can take to protect themselves.
How to protect against scammers: a guide for authors – which is published today – follows reports of a large uptick in members contacting WGGB and the SoA for advice on scams. Much of this activity is being driven by the rise of AI, which means that scams are taking more sophisticated and convincing forms, including impersonation of agents and publishers. The scammers aim to manipulate writers to part with money or sign away their rights in return for the promise of representation, publication, promotion or important connections.
The guide includes a checklist for authors to help them assess whether offers they receive are genuine or fraudulent. Advice includes being wary of convincing-seeming email addresses which scammers use to impersonate publishers, agents, big-name authors, publicists, marketing providers and others to ‘cold-email’ authors and make unsolicited offers, including attempts to try to acquire rights in books that have not been submitted to them (a practice legitimate agents or publishers would not engage with).
From counterculture to pop culture: The story of indie publisher Headpress Books
mancunion.com – Monday May 18, 2026
It all started with “quite an outrageous horror film,” says David Kerekes, one of the three original founders and head of Headpress. I am on a zoom call with him and the other core member of the team, press officer Jen Wallis, to discuss the company’s story and its upcoming anniversary.
The film David refers to is Jörg Buttgereit’s Der Todesking, the follow up to the German director’s cult horror Nekromantik. Headpress was founded to release Der Todesking in 1991 and the money it made was put into Headpress magazine. David explains that many horror-film-related things emerged from the video’s nasty furor, including a number of magazines. The founders of Headpress were interested in that progression and keen on anti-censorship. Each of them learnt to write on the job.
The counterculture tone of the magazine steadily established itself, its masthead being ‘sex religion death’. David highlights “the circle of interest was really very strong,” especially pre-internet. “It was a touchstone for a lot of people.”
Is ChatGPT a good writer?
the-berliner.com – Sunday May 17, 2026
In the summer of 2022, I met the founder of a Berlin publishing company that used early AI-writing tools like Rytr to write novels. They were quickly going out of business. The writing made absolutely no sense and took too long to edit. Later that year, OpenAI launched ChatGPT, gaining over one million users in less than five days, and AI writing has only grown more sophisticated since. I don’t know if that company is still in business, but if it is, it isn’t alone, because using AI to write a novel is no longer the novelty it once was.
AI is all over publishing. According to a BookBub survey, 45% of authors use it. Penguin Random House recently filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT mimicked and sold a popular German children’s book series, Ingo Siegner’s Coconut the Little Dragon. Last year, the AI firm Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5 billion to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by authors who claimed the company stole their work to train its AI models.
That’s not to mention the Shy Girl drama.
Call for Submissions | Iska Press and Iskanchi Magazine Want Your Unruly African Writing
brittlepaper.com – Thursday May 14, 2026
Iska Press, the Utah-based independent publisher that describes itself as a home for “unruly African literature”, is currently open for submissions on two fronts, and African writers working in English or in translation should take note.
Iskanchi Magazine, the press’s literary journal, publishes short, original, irreverent, disobedient, and experimental work, writing that pushes the boundaries of experimental fiction in both content and form. The Summer Issue is currently open, with a deadline of 30 May. Subsequent submission periods open in August for the Fall Issue and January for the Spring Issue.
New Literary Agent Listing: Natalie Rosselli
firstwriter.com – Wednesday May 13, 2026
Handles adult fiction, seeking romance, romantasy, and women’s fiction. Interested in historical and contemporary romance, romcom, western, fantasy, and gothic work, with an emphasis on strong tropes and high emotional stakes. Looks for romantasy with balanced world-building and love stories, including elemental magic and gothic elements. In women’s fiction, seeks emotionally rich narratives exploring friendship, coming of age, and mother‑daughter relationships.
New Publisher Listing: Curiosity Unlocked Books
firstwriter.com – Tuesday May 12, 2026
Publishes curiosity‑driven books for children from birth to twelve, including concept‑based board book series, picture books ranging from realistic stories to fantasy, historical themes, biographies, humorous texts, poetry, informational titles, and wordless narratives. Also publishes early chapter books for developing readers, middle grade novels across genres such as realistic fiction, fantasy, science fiction, historical stories, mystery, humor, and horror, as well as high‑interest nonfiction designed to inspire engagement and exploration. Seeks math‑themed fiction, social studies fiction, and STEAM‑focused stories that introduce ideas through character and plot rather than formal instruction. Also publishes seasonal fiction and nonfiction. Does not handle academic textbooks, curriculum‑driven material, didactic stories, YA, or adult manuscripts.
Authors Guild Issues Updated AI Best Practices for Writers
publishersweekly.com – Tuesday May 12, 2026
As questions continue to swirl around how to ethically and legally use AI in the writing and publishing of books, the Authors Guild has updated its guidance to help authors better navigate the changing landscape.
The revised guidelines feature two new sections that break down the specific legal and professional risks writers should be aware of when using AI tools, along with a framework for understanding that not all AI use raises the same concerns, according to the announcement released by the Guild.
The Guild first published best practices for AI use by writers in February 2024. The newly updated best practices—the result of conversations with many writers and deliberations by the Authors Guild Council—"seek to add some context and clarity around the best practices and are provided in response to the many inquiries we have received around AI issues,” the Guild writes in its "AI Best Practices for Writers" advisory, adding “these are guidelines, not rules.”
The revised guidelines are broken down into four short sections: Guiding Principles; Risks to Be Aware of When Using AI; Categories of Use; and Recommended Best Practices.
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