The 2022 New York Comic Con, "the East Coast's largest pop culture convention," took place this past weekend in the Javits Center. In the pre-pandemic years of the late 2010s, NYCC averaged about 200,000 attendees over the course of the long weekend. "NYCC 2022 was unmatched," the convention's Twitter account announced on Monday, "We had the biggest Show Floor yet."

This year's NYCC was the second that E. Lockhart (Family of Liars, Delacorte) attended. "Last year everyone was masked," Lockhart said, "and you had to show proof of vaccination. But more significantly maybe, DC and Marvel were not here--including their movies and their comics--and publishers like Random House and HarperCollins weren't, either. There was a different vibe." DC, Marvel and the large publishers certainly turned up this year. Several television, movie and comics projects were announced, and tens of panels featured authors and illustrators from both comics and traditional publishing.

Kylie Lee Baker, author of The Empress of Time (Inkyard Press), was a first-time NYCC panelist. "When I was told about this, it was weird to me that I would be doing a panel," she said. "Isn't Comic Con for real celebrities? What are authors like me doing here?" Despite being a little surprised by her invite ("Daniel Radcliffe is here, too! I'm probably not going be in the same green room as him, but it's cool to be in the same building."), Baker enjoyed her experience at NYCC. The panel "was a lot of authors whose books I knew of, but I hadn't actually met those authors in person. It was kind of like meeting Internet celebrities."

Author and illustrator panels covered topics like queer horror, writing advice, bringing witches back, crime fiction, YA graphic novels and so much more. And creators like Sara Alfageeh were able to sell their books as well as their personal artwork in Artist Alley. Alfageeh's Squire (written with Nadia Shammas, Quill Tree Books) won the 2022 young adult New England Book Award and, according to her, was flying off her table faster than her original art. While Alfageeh, who started going to conventions when she was 11, was chatting with Shelf, a reader came to her table dressed as one of her characters: "Seeing someone cosplaying from my book! That brings me right back to my roots." People were really excited to attend the convention this year, she said. "Honestly, the biggest change I saw was in the artists themselves. There's a real solidarity between everyone who is behind the table this year. We survived! You know? We made it." The community, Alfageeh said, was what always made her want to keep coming back. "Kim Jung Gi is this incredible illustrator who passed away just two days ago, and he was supposed to be tabling here. His table is still there, with his nameplate, and people have showered it in flowers and well wishes. That's why I'm an artist. It's not just because I get to do cool work and draw girls with swords--it's because I get to meet people who also want to see girls with swords." --Siân Gaetano, children's and YA editor, Shelf Awareness

Sourcebook authors Vincent Tirado (Burn Down, Rise Up), Katrina Monroe (They Drown Our Daughters) and Kayla Cottingham (My Dearest Darkest) discussed "the rise of queer horror" with moderator Jonathan James, editor-in-chief of Daily Dead.

Chuck Wendig (Wanderers; Wayward), Naomi Novak (Scholomance series), Terry Brooks (Shannara series), Wesley Chu (The Art of Prophecy), Delilah S. Dawson (The Violence) and Peter V. Brett (The Demon Cycle) chatted about "the best advice they ever got" in a panel moderated by Tricia Narwani, editor-in-chief of Del Rey Books.

Moderator Lily Herman (second from the left) spoke with authors (l.-r.) Claudia Gray (The Murder of Mr. Wickham, Vintage), Jake Burt (The Ghoul of Windydown Vale, Feiwel & Friends), Dana Schwartz (Anatomy: A Love Story, Wednesday Books), Alex Segura (Secret Identity, Flatiron Books), Sweeney Boo (Over My Dead Body, HarperAlley) and Fabian Nicieza (The Self-Made Widow, Putnam) about "the appeal of crime fiction."

Graphic novel authors and illustrators (l.-r.) Tochi Onyebuchi (Captain America), Kami Garcia (Constantine; Teen Titans), Gabriel Picolo (Teen Titans), Alys Arden (Zatanna) and Isaac Goodhart (Constantine) discussed "the rise of graphic novels and how they're bringing new readers to comics."

At Elliott Bay Book Company

Independent booksellers celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day in various ways yesterday, and many shared their reflections, book recommendations and event highlights on social media. Here's a brief #IndigenousPeoplesDay sampling: 

A Seat at the Table Books, Elk Grove, Calif.: "This Indigenous People's Day, we acknowledge that we occupy the land of the Maidu, Miwok, and Nisenan people. We recognize that the injustices perpetuated against them led to our current occupation of this land. We encourage donations to the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) and Sacramento Native American Health Center (SNAHC).... We hope that, wherever you are, you can find ways to recognize and celebrate the cultures and contributions of America's first peoples."

Green Feather Book Company, Norman, Okla.: "Happy Piominko day to my Chikashsha cousins & happy Indigenous Peoples Day to EVERYONE!

At Whitelam Books

Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, Wash.: "Happy #IndigenousPeoplesDay! Our Native American section has a range of titles from contemporary Indigenous authors--including many Northwest and Coastal Peoples--as well as an extensive collection of historical works told from a range of perspectives. We're extremely fortunate to have two of these authors--Julian Aguon and Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe--speaking at Seattle Arts & Lectures this month on Oct 19."

Red Planet Books & Comics, Albuquerque, N.Mex.: "Today, we celebrate Native Peoples across this continent. We remember the struggles and tragedies we have endured along with our triumphs. We remember. And We Are Still Here."

Four Pines Bookstore, Bemidji, Minn.: "Here are some of our favorite Indigenous local and Minnesota authors! We carry many different Indigenous books here at Four Pines for all different ages! Who is your favorite Indigenous author? Jason's is Marcie Rendon!"

Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, Ky.: "It's Indigenous People's Day! This is a holiday to honor the past, present, and future of Native peoples across the country. Pictured here is just a small mix of recent and older titles highlighting Native voices and history that includes contemporary fiction, scifi, poetry, art, and nonfiction. It's also a great day to check out the work of Native-led organizations. One to follow is IllumiNative, who has put together a guide on how to support Indigenous People's Day."

Whitelam Books, Reading, Mass.: "It's a great day to celebrate and learn about Indigenous People! We're here today until 5pm, and carry books by indigenous authors and featuring indigenous characters & stories year round."

Prairie Fox Books, Ottawa, Ill.: "Today we are celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day! We have numerous kids, and adult, books for some great teachable moments."

Story time at Booksweet

Booksweet, Ann Arbor, Mich.: Co-owner Truly Render wrote, "Today is #indigenouspeoplesday. Yesterday, author and ojibwe.net co-founder Stacie Sheldon brought two incredible programs to Booksweet: an Anishinaabemowin storytime for kids and an Anishinaabe Relationship Garden Workshop for teens and adults. At the storytime, a group of happy children with Anishinaabemowin words in their mouths experienced their first land acknowledgment....

"In a circle outside the shop, the sun and breeze on our faces, we feel the feelings of these truths. We let them come, the weight and release of tears. We press on to investigate our relationship to one another and to the land. The world shifts a bit.... I'm far from perfect and I'm certainly still working out how to create sustainable models that grow with time. But we're planting seeds for this new future. Authors, books, readers: we do this every day together. We write and read new realities into being."

Penguin Random House's 11th annual two-day holiday transit program will begin this coming Saturday, October 15, and run through January 31, 2023.

The program, which aims to support independent bookstores during and beyond the holiday season, will again feature a "no minimums" requirement for indie stores, which was added last year. Weather and transport conditions permitting, the company will expedite the picking and packing of orders received from indies at its Westminster, Md., Crawfordsville, Ind., and Reno, Nev., operations centers, and schedule transit "from our dock to the bookseller's door" to arrive in two days or less. All three centers have weekend shifts to expedite Monday shipping for orders received Friday and Saturday.

The shipping program applies to every frontlist and backlist title from Knopf Doubleday, Penguin Publishing Groups, Random House, Random House Children's Books, Penguin Young Readers, Penguin Random House Audio divisions and DK Publishing, as well as the many clients of Penguin Random House Publisher Services.

Jaci Updike, president, U.S. sales, at PRH, said, "In this time of ever-rising freight costs and ongoing shipping-company challenges, we remain steadfastly committed to independent booksellers in the all-important final months of the year. We want to make it as easy as possible for booksellers to focus on creating a great shopping experience for their community, and on getting books into their customers' hands. Two-day transit means less time spent in the back room, and less time looking at computer screens trying to finesse reorders. We are very happy to be able to offer this for the eleventh year in a row."

The Australian Booksellers Association has changed its name, rebranding itself BookPeople.

In an announcement to members, BookPeople said that the new name resulted from "extensive workshopping and discussion" about "positioning ourselves to be a successful and future-facing organisation." Those deliberations determined that "our direction was to be the place where Bookselling Business meets Bookselling Culture." Qualities of importance included "generosity--to be supportive and assured as sustainable and strategic retail partners for our members" as well as "Nurturing a Prosperous Future, Better Bookselling, Trusted Industry Voice, and Strategic Bookselling, ultimately sitting with the statement that Bookshops are Transformational."

Already the association's website and social media pages have changed so that, for example, the new website URL is bookpeople.org.au; e-mail addresses will change; BookPeople will be added to newsletters and other material, and the Booksellers Choice name will be replaced.

BookPeople emphasized that the organization hasn't changed. "We will work on the day-to-day and specific projects as always and remain your association, but with a contemporary consumer-facing brand. With its connotations of personal and professional, BookPeople represents booksellers' uniqueness, individuality, and expertise."

Australian Booksellers Association remains the group's legal name.

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Waterstones' new warehouse system is now "stable and effective" but the chain needs to clear a backlog of orders before the "painful process" is over, according to COO Kate Skipper. The Bookseller reported that the retailer "has been battling problems since July, when it upgraded its stock distribution technology. Although it initially said it aimed to resolve the issues by the end of August, problems have persisted, causing a build-up of orders to bookshops that have left authors, customers and publishers frustrated."

Waterstones said it has been working with Blue Yonder, the company providing the new system, to resolve the problems after installation. "Blue Yonder over the last month have steadily addressed the warehouse system issues and believe it is now stable and effective," Skipper said. "They work now on the various data backlogs. Volumes being processed by the Hub are back to close to normal for this time of year, with our challenge to clear the physical backlog caused by the implementation issues. 

"In short, we now have a working warehouse management system in place, but we require further improvements as the system data is cleared and warehouse congestion is relieved. Meanwhile, Christmas stock-build is well underway and already landing in our shops. Our sales in shops remain robust and we are very grateful for all the support our publishing partners continue to show throughout this painful process."

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David Thorp and Lynne Jones, co-owners of McLeods Booksellers in Rotorua, New Zealand, have decided to "sell up and retire" after 40 years in business, the Daily Post reported. Prue des Forges, who has worked part-time at McLeods for the past 18 months, is the new owner of the iconic bookshop, which has been in the Thorp family for 55 years.

"We're really pleased that it's staying in local hands," said Thorp, whose father, Trevor Thorp, bought the store in 1967 from its original owner, Ken McLeod. David Thorp joined the business in the late 1970s and took over its management in 1982. Over the years, the shop has moved several times.

"It's certainly an emotional wrench now letting go of it," Jones said. "I've got really mixed feelings now that we've finally sold it. It's just played such an important part in our lives and just been an amazing place to work all these years."

Noting that she felt "very privileged" to lead the iconic bookshop into a new era, des Forges said: "So, the next chapter in the story of McLeods begins--new owner, new shop, but the same great books and the same great staff--it's exciting to be a part of it." --Robert Gray

Peter Robinson

Crime writer Peter Robinson, "whose work included poetry and short stories as well as his bestselling thrillers," died October 4, the Guardian reported. He was 72. Robinson was best known for his novels featuring Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks, the first of which was published 35 years ago. Born in Leeds, where much of his fiction was set, Robinson emigrated to Canada to continue his studies after completing an English degree at the University of Leeds, and lived in Canada for the rest of his life.

A total of 8.75 million copies of his books have been sold by his U.K. publishers Hodder & Stoughton and Pan Macmillan, and his books have been translated into 19 languages. Robinson's novels were adapted into the popular TV drama series DCI Banks, starring Stephen Tompkinson.

His debut novel, Gallows View, which was published by Viking in 1987 and introduced DCI Banks, was shortlisted for the John Creasey Award in the U.K. and the Crime Writers of Canada best first novel award. A Dedicated Man followed in 1988 and was shortlisted for the CWC's Arthur Ellis Award. The Bookseller noted that Robinson "wrote a number of other award-winning novels, both in and outside the Inspector Banks series, as well as a number of short stories." His final Inspector Banks novel, Standing in the Shadows, is scheduled for publication next March.

Robinson's editor, Hodder managing director Carolyn Mays, described him as a combination of all the best bits of DCI Banks, "thoughtful and passionate about justice" and with "fine taste and a totally down-to-earth view of the world.... Peter Robinson was an immensely talented writer over a very wide range, from poetry to short stories, noir thrillers to more literary works. He was in fact Dr. Robinson, with a Ph.D. in literature, and we saw glimpses of that, and sometimes his poetry, in his novels--as well of course as his very eclectic love of music, shared by Banks.

"His novels are superbly plotted (one reviewer said he had the precision of a Swiss watchmaker) and the settings are vivid and fully real, but it's the richness and depth of his characters that keep the readers--including me--coming back for more."

Jared Bland, outgoing publisher of McClelland & Stewart in Canada, told CBC News: "Peter Robinson was an incredibly gifted writer and a lovely man, and we're all deeply saddened by his loss." 

Several authors shared tributes on social media, including Val McDermid ("We were both first published in 1987, and our paths often crossed (usually accompanied by beer) in Canada and his beloved Yorkshire."); Sara Paretsky ("Peter Robinson's death is a shock, and a loss to his friends and readers all over the world."); Peter James ("A truly lovely, generous spirited guy and an immensely gifted writer.") and Ian Rankin ("Hellish news about my dear friend Peter Robinson.").

Congratulations to the Country Bookshelf, Bozeman, Mont., which is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year. Among other ways of marking the occasion, the store is compiling a virtual memory book and collecting contributions posted on social media, using the hashtags #CB65th and #countrybookshelf. In addition, the store is selling limited-edition 65th anniversary stickers, T-shirts and tote bags.

Country Bookshelf wrote: "We're so excited to celebrate our 65th year of serving Bozeman and Gallatin Valley readers. Founded in 1957, this woman-led independent bookstore has become an anchor of Downtown Bozeman thanks to the support of our loyal and voracious readers. We are the bookstore everyone dreams of: two floors of hand-selected volumes, a knowledgeable and caring staff, and events to expand horizons. Country Bookshelf is a place to experience the power of literature and conversation, a place to feel welcomed and encouraged to explore ideas and identities.

"Country Bookshelf is a big store with a big heart--and even bigger ideas about how books can be a powerful tool for change. We believe books help us to better understand our neighbors near and far, and we strive as a business to help build a world where all feel welcome and have access to books."

Posted on Instagram by Lark & Owl Bookshop, Georgetown, Tex.: "Even though Banned Books Month has come to an end, that doesn't mean that banned books are not on our minds.

"Fact: 'Texas banned more books from school libraries this past year than any other state in the nation, targeting titles centering on race, racism, abortion and LGBTQ representation and issues, according to a new analysis by PEN America, a nonprofit organization advocating for free speech.' --The Texas Tribune.

"At Lark & Owl, we champion these challenged books and encourage you to join us. Why not make it even more fun by grabbing one of our Blind Date Banned Books? Surprise yourself!"

Novel Bay Booksellers, Sturgeon Bay, Wis., shared a photo of the shop's sidewalk chalkboard featuring a Fall Checklist:

▢ Caramel apples
▢ Books
▢ Pumpkin spice everything
▢ More books
▢ Leaf piles
▢ Football
▢ Pumpkin & apple picking
▢ So many books

At Simon & Schuster Children's:

Emily Hutton has been promoted to director of sales.

Emily Ritter has been promoted to assistant director of digital marketing (teen). She was most recently a senior marketing manager.

Nadia Almahdi has been promoted to assistant director of digital marketing (kids). She was most recently a senior marketing manager.

John Medina will join the team as digital marketing assistant.

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Alice Gelber has joined Little, Brown Books for Young Readers as marketing assistant.

Curse Undone (Gold Spun Duology 2) by Brandie June (CamCat Books).

Today:
Good Morning America: Erin McDowell, author of Savory Baking: Recipes for Breakfast, Dinner, and Everything in Between (Harvest, $40, 9780358671404).

Also on GMA: Nick Viall, author of Don't Text Your Ex Happy Birthday: And Other Advice on Love, Sex, and Dating (Abrams, $24.99, 9781419755491).

Today Show: Jessi Hempel, author of The Family Outing: A Memoir (HarperOne, $27.99, 9780063079014).

The View: Geena Davis, author of Dying of Politeness: A Memoir (HarperOne, $28.99, 9780063119130). She will also appear on Live with Kelly and Ryan.

Fresh Air: Melissa Clark, author of Dinner in One: Exceptional & Easy One-Pan Meals: A Cookbook (Clarkson Potter, $29.99, 9780593233252).

Tomorrow:
Good Morning America: Temple Grandin, author of Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions (Riverhead, $28, 9780593418369).

Today Show: Julia Boorstin, author of When Women Lead: What They Achieve, Why They Succeed, and How We Can Learn from Them (Avid Reader Press, $29.99, 9781982168216).

Drew Barrymore Show: Constance Wu, author of Making a Scene (Scribner, $29, 9781982188542).

FX's Kindred, the new series based on Octavia E. Butler's novel, will premiere December 13 on Hulu, Deadline reported, adding that the premiere will include all eight episodes. The series will soon be available on Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ under the Star banner in all other territories.

The announcement was made at New York Comic Con during a Kindred panel presentation featuring showrunner and executive producer Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and cast members Mallori Johnson, Micah Stock, Gayle Rankin, Austin Smith, David Alexander Kaplan, Sophina Brown and Sheria Irving.

Kindred has been adapted for television by Jacobs-Jenkins, who executive produces the series with Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields, Darren Aronofsky, and Ari Handel of Protozoa Pictures, Courtney Lee-Mitchell, Jules Jackson, and Ernestine Walker. Janicza Bravo directed and served as an executive producer on the pilot. The season is produced by FX Productions.

Winners of the 2022 ALTA Awards, sponsored by the American Literary Translators Association, are:

National Translation Award in Poetry: Purgatorio by Dante Alighieri, translated from Italian by D. M. Black (NYRB Classics)
National Translation Award in Prose: The Morning Star by Karl Ove Knausgaard, translated from Norwegian by Martin Aitken (Penguin Press)
Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize: Cold Candies by Lee Young-ju, translated from Korean by Jae Kim (Black Ocean)
Italian Prose in Translation Award: Penelope by Silvana La Spina, translated from Italian by Anna Chiafele and Lisa Pike (Bordighera Press)
Spain-USA Foundation Translation Award: The Adventures and Misadventures of the Extraordinary and Admirable Joan Orpí, Conquistador and Founder of New Catalonia by Max Besora, translated from Catalan by Mara Faye Lethem (Open Letter Books)

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The shortlist for the £50,000 (about $55,180) 2020 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction has been announced. The winner will be announced November 17. The shortlist:

Legacy of Violence: A History of the British by Caroline Elkins
The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland
My Fourth Time, We Drowned: Seeking Refuge on the World's Deadliest Migration Route by Sally Hayden
The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown by Anna Keay
A Fortunate Woman: A Country Doctor's Story by Polly Morland
Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne by Katherine Rundell

The poems in Matt Donovan's The Dug-Up Gun Museum are for anyone who has gathered students into a quiet corner as an administrator jiggled the handle of the door; anyone who has watched as the news unfolded the details of yet another shooting; anyone who has dropped their kids off at school, hoping they will be safe there; anyone, in fact, who lives in the United States in this era of gun violence.

Donovan attempts to capture the feelings of fear, despair and even self-reflective questioning. This vulnerability shines through in "Fake News Bus Stop Prayer," a poem of unrhymed couplets with long conversational lines. In it, a neighbor at the bus stop rants about "fake news" and the machine gun shoot he goes on each year, and the poem asks, "And yet, who am I to pretend to know nothing/ of the pleasure of ruin, especially after the Tri-County Fair,/ where I forked over a few extra bucks in order for my family to watch/ the school bus smash-up derby, where my sticky blue wristband/ proclaimed yes to wreckage, to wincing & mock groans, yes/ to a hymn of broken glass where the point was good riddance/ & to see our look-both-ways world shattered."

Traveling to sites around the country (like the museum in Wyoming of the book's title), Donovan investigates the many ways a fascination with guns has pervaded United States culture, including paintball and airsoft and the NRA. Donovan visits NRA headquarters in "Thousands or Millions of Tiny Dots of Varying Size," where the drive in, "made me feel as if/ I was lost in someone's idea of what America should be:/ eye-catching, with plenty of parking, & a flailing/ inflatable tube man/ who rises & falls, arms raised, frantic."

The collection is divided into five sections, three of which are long poems, each a different "Portrait of America as," such as the Winchester Mystery House or "a Philadelphia Derringer Abraham Lincoln Assassination Box Set Replica." The remaining two sections contain shorter poems, less stylized but all equally earnest and searching in their own way. In "Here the Thing with Feathers Isn't Hope," the poem is built around Garland Martin Taylor's art installation Conversation Piece, suggesting, "Maybe feathers could turn the pistol into/ a thing you approached with a question/ instead of praise," which is also what Donovan is doing with his poems. --Sara Beth West, freelance reviewer and librarian

Shelf Talker: The Dug-Up Gun Museum confronts the issue of gun violence in a series of questioning and imaginative poems that hold up a mirror to this tragic piece of history and culture in the United States.

The bestselling self-published books last week as compiled by IndieReader.com:

1. Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
2. Facets of Revolution (The Firebird Chronicles Book 4) by T.A. White
3. Buy Then Build by Walker Deibel
4. Coen by Sawyer Bennett
5. Bargain With a Beast by Grace Goodwin
6. Black Velvet by Lynn Raye Harris
7. Just a Kiss by Tabatha Kiss
8. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter
9. The Gift of Failure by Ari Rastegar
10. Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

[Many thanks to IndieReader.com!]