Holocaust scholar says publisher cancelled book after he refused demands to condemn Israel
jewishnews.co.uk – Thursday July 16, 2026
A Holocaust scholar has claimed his latest book was cancelled after he refused what he says were demands to condemn Israel before it could be published, despite the project already being ready to enter production.
Dr Rafael Medoff, founding director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies in Washington DC, said Cartoonists Against the Holocaust had been scheduled for publication by Dark Horse Comics in summer 2026.
The dispute first emerged in reporting by the New York Post, which said Medoff objected to proposed wording for the book’s introduction that referred to alleged Israeli “war crimes” and compared US immigration policies to “concentration camp-style prisons”.
Speaking to Jewish News, Medoff said the project had already reached its final stages before the disagreement.
“Dark Horse accepted Cartoonists Against the Holocaust for publication, sent me a contract, and scheduled it for release in the summer of 2026. The designer completed the layout, the book was ready to enter the production process, and then the editor suddenly began making outrageous political demands. Denouncing Israel became the prerequisite to publishing my book.”
Springer Nature launches Nature Books imprint
researchinformation.info – Thursday July 16, 2026
Springer Nature has launched Nature Books, a new imprint designed to give authors the opportunity to publish long-form work under the famous brand for the first time.
The publisher says the new imprint combines the subject expertise of in-house Nature Portfolio editors with Springer Nature’s established academic books programme, creating a publishing model intended to help authors develop, strengthen and broaden the reach of their work.
According to the publisher, Nature Books will focus on publishing titles aimed at academics, policymakers and funders, bringing together expertise, evidence and insight on some of the most significant challenges facing research and society.
Harsh Jegadeesan, Chief Publishing Officer, Springer Nature commented: “Books are an important part of the research ecosystem because they allow authors to explore complex questions with a depth and context that other formats cannot always provide. As the world’s largest academic book publisher, we’re committed to offering publishing options that support author choice and help maximise the reach and impact of their work.
Beware the latest author scam-impersonating legitimate literary agents!
penbaypilot.com – Thursday July 16, 2026
If you're an author these days, you're getting at least five emails a week from people who claim to be book club presidents, social media experts, Goodreads gurus, and more. The shadiest ones are "I like your book. Can you tell me more about it?"
It's only designed to hook you in with flattery, so they can sell services. But how do you tell who is legitimate? What if you overlook an opportunity because you're wary of the scams?
This week, I have seen this email going around where an email from rebeccalogan.editorial@aol.com purports to summarize your book with an easily recognizeable churned AI summary and then claims she wants to know about your current and future literary projects.
Now, it's getting insidious when scammers are impersonating real people or real book conferences in the guise of extracting money from you.
Travel, photography and music didn’t stop for these creative writing students
news.northeastern.edu – Thursday July 16, 2026
After Petrina Danardatu graduated from Northeastern University’s Boston campus in 2025, she found herself being pulled in two opposite directions.
The dual journalism and English major already had dreams of writing a novel, but was torn between investing time pursuing a career in creative writing or going back to Indonesia, where her family is from, and traveling with friends.
Danardatu found a third option – the Northeastern London virtual graduate degree in creative writing.
“I was like: ‘I can do both of these things at once,’” said Danardatu. “I can be traveling and having these new cultural experiences while also getting my master’s degree and developing my creative practice.”
Danardatu is not alone. In recent decades, postgraduate creative writing degrees have established themselves as a key route into a fiercely competitive industry, allowing would-be authors, poets and nonfiction writers to experiment in varied forms of self-expression with expert guidance.
New Literary Agent Listing: Grace Garrahan
firstwriter.com – Wednesday July 15, 2026
Handles popular psychology, self‑development, pop culture, and memoir, with additional interest in literary‑leaning commercial fiction and mysteries or thrillers. Seeks platform‑driven nonfiction and character‑focused fiction with strong commercial appeal.
Take a Break fiction magazine pauses commissions and starts using AI
pressgazette.co.uk – Sunday July 12, 2026
Bauer Media’s monthly Take a Break-branded fiction magazine has told writers it is pausing commissions as it introduces the use of AI tools to help produce more content in house.
According to AI-checking service Pangram, short stories appearing in the title credited to the in-house team are 100% AI generated.
Take a Break Fiction Feast contains short stories aimed at women, written by external writers and members of an in-house editorial team, as well as puzzles.
The magazine costs £3.50 in shops or subscribers can get three issues for £5 and then pay £14.99 for six issues.
Press Gazette understands an email was sent to regular Fiction Feast writers on 12 June announcing a pause in commissions as too many had been received. AI was not mentioned.
Fiction writer Patsy Collins shared a second email sent on 1 July which indicated the magazine would rely on in-house stories using “AI tools” rather than commissioning new work.
Miles Morland Foundation Writing Scholarship 2026 (up to £18,000)
opportunitydesk.org – Friday July 10, 2026
Applications are open for the Miles Morland Foundation Writing Scholarship 2026. It can be difficult for writers, before they become established, to write while simultaneously earning a living. To help meet this need the MMF annually awards a small number of Morland Writing Scholarships, with the aim being to allow each Scholar the time to produce the first draft of a completed book. The Scholarships are open to anyone writing in the English language who was born in Africa, or both of whose parents were born in Africa.
Miles Morland set up the foundation which bears his name in 2013, after a career investing in Africa via two companies he created, Blakeney Management and DPI (Development Partners International). Based in London, the Miles Morland Foundation (MMF) is a UK registered charity which makes grants in areas reflecting its founder’s interests.
How I Write: Laura Evans
thegloss.ie – Thursday July 9, 2026
Getting into the writing process …
Laura Evans was born in Burnley and grew up in the Midlands in the UK. She completed Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic studies at university before a career as a magazine editor, with a particular interest in travel and nature. A graduate of Curtis Brown Creative’s novel-writing course, she lives with her family in Norwich. Her debut novel, Little Wild (Mantle Debut), a story of class tensions, secrets and first love set in Suffolk in the 1930s, is out now.
My daily writing routine is not as routine as I’d like it to be. When I’m mid-story I could happily do nothing else for days, but like most parents who write I’ve had to adjust, and largely I think that’s a good thing. I write (around other work) when the children are at school; if I’m not too tired, in the evening; sometimes a little on a weekend. There’s a lot to be said for the advice to produce something daily, however small – but if hours are limited I’d prioritise reading every time. Writing isn’t just the act of putting words on the page; reading fuels the thinking, and thinking fuels the work.
My writing spot is currently a box room overlooking our street. Because it’s so small, the furniture has to be slightly miniature: a chaise longue in front of the window even I, at 5’3”, can’t fully lie on; a compact desk. (Facing the wall, because given any distraction I will daydream for hours.) Over the years I’ve written in coffee shops, libraries, on the kitchen table surrounded by children’s art – and sometimes I still do, but it’s such a gift to have the choice.
My favourite part of the writing process isn’t a stage per se, but the almost physical sensation of things clicking into place. Sometimes it’s a detail uncovered in research that perfectly connects two plot points; sometimes it’s just the sense of capturing something human and universal. If I had to boil down why I write to a single reason, that’s what it would be: those tiny moments of ‘yes’.
What Writers and Literary Agents Are Reading This July
insidehook.com – Thursday July 9, 2026
Recent discourse has begged the question: Why aren’t men reading fiction? Are they reading anything at all? In this monthly series, we’re talking to men in literary spaces about the books they think other guys should check out right now. Whether it’s revisiting a classic, getting engrossed in a memoir or devouring something fast-paced and action-packed, there’s bound to be something here for any reader to enjoy.
If you have yet to pick up a book this summer, you are truly missing out on months’ worth of stellar new releases and debuts. Luckily, we have another superb collection of books to read this month — titles that are both old and new — from literary men with curated taste. Feast your eyes on one of these before the end of July.
If you’re looking for some more recommendations, I thought I’d share what books I currently have on hold at my local library. There’s Yesteryear, the Caro Claire Burke debut about a modern-day “tradwife” influencer who goes back in time to the 19th century; The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, an epistolary novel that follows the life of a retired lawyer through sent letters and Theo of Golden by Allen Levi, a bestseller that feels reminiscent of Tuesdays with Morrie.
New Publisher Listing: Vulpine Press
firstwriter.com – Thursday July 9, 2026
Publishes fiction and personal nonfiction distinguished by innovation or exceptional execution, including work that crosses or blends genres.
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