📚This week at Midas, 21-26 June📚
📖Exciting London Book Fair Announcements
On Thursday, @LondonBookFair announced Japan will be their Market Focus country for the 2027 edition of the Fair (16-18 March) at @ExceLLondon.
In other news, submission to the Seminar Programme are now open for entries, and LBF has announced a series of conferences that will take place on Day 0 (Monday 15 March), including the author-focused event The Writers’ Summit, the book-production conference HP ConTEXT, and a training session organised by the IPG.
💂Author Torsten Weitze’s UK Tour
This week, German bestselling phenomenon Torsten Weitze came to the UK for a bookshop tour. The week kicked off with a trip up to Newcastle where we hosted a bookseller dinner with @WaterstonesGate, @ForbiddenPlanet and @ForumBooks, complete with branded tote bags, early proof copies and limited edition merch.
On Thursday the bookseller outreach continued with a book drop around central London from @GoldsboroBooks to @WaterstonesPicc and the Forbidden Planet flagship store. It was so wonderful having the opportunity to introduce Torsten to UK booksellers ahead of the release of Tower of Beggars in September, to share the magic of the Stormfell Academy series and how millions of readers across Europe have become enchanted by Torsten's worldbuilding.
The Tower of Beggars, book one in the Stormfell Academy series, will be published by @absurd_press in the UK and US on the 1st September and is available to preorder now: https://t.co/xKGLe5lH5Y
🔦Book Lover’s Spotlight by Emily Katy
This week @bookshop_org_UK collaborated with author and blogger @ItsEmilyKaty for a Book Lover’s Spotlight on books she recommends about neurodivergence. You can see Emily’s full list of recommendations on https://t.co/yQOvGHHurG.
Read more here: https://t.co/ndScgGmnPE
📚This week at Midas 29 June-3 July📚
🔦Booklover’s Spotlight with Lisa Jewell
This week @bookshop_org_UK collaborated with author @lisajewelluk for a Book Lover’s Spotlight on books that inspired the writing of her new novel, It Could Have Been Her. You can see Lisa’s full list of recommendations on https://t.co/yQOvGHHurG.
🦖Dylan The Dino Boy Saves The Zoo by Andy Day
This week we saw the publication of a roar-some new picture book from @AndyDayTV. Dylan the Dino Boy Saves the Zoo is a hilarious new dino-filled adventure, with over 30 different dinosaurs to discover, illustrated by Alex Patrick, this is a brilliantly funny, heartwarming adventure that shows us how extraROARdinary true friendship can be. Published by @PuffinBooks and available to buy online and in all good bookstores.
⭐Rate this Book by Benji Wilson
This week saw the publication of RATE THIS BOOK by @benjiwils, published by @newmodernbooks. In RATE THIS BOOK journalist and critic Benji Wilson – who both rates and gets rated as part of his job – looks at how star ratings have become as much a part of modern discourse as language itself. We rate everything, we get rated and a dropped star here or there can make or break products and people. The importance of a five-star rating has seen the system gamed so that, ironically, an emblem of trust can no longer be trusted. Reviews are now used as both bait and blackmail.
RATE THIS BOOK is out now online and in all good bookstores.
📖Queen’s Park Book Festival Author Line-up
@QPBookfest is thrilled to reveal an exceptional line-up of authors for its 2026 – and final – edition, showcasing an assorted range of established and emerging talent to celebrate excellent writing in all forms. In its ninth year, the festival will welcome legends @PhilipPullman, Sebastian Barry, @JackyWilsonHQ and many more across an exciting programme of events, speakers, guest writers and performers. Queen’s Park Book Festival takes place from 5-6 September. Tickets are available now at https://t.co/cpdh4tLqTx.
🏎️Dino Racers STNDBY Tour
A busy week for Andy Day! This week, Andy visited a total of 20 schools over three days across Harrogate, Ilkley, and Sheffield to introduce students to his new series Dino Racers and encourage a love of reading in classrooms. Andy followed these school visits with public signings at local independent bookshops @ImaginedThings, @GroveBookshop, and @RhymeAndReas.
📢MCM Comic Con announcement
Midas is thrilled to have been appointed as @MCMComicCon's communications agency for its upcoming programme of events, including MCM Birmingham (7-9 August 2026) and MCM London (23-25 October 2026). MCM Comic Con continues to strengthen its position as Europe’s leading fan convention, bringing together hundreds of thousands of fans each year to celebrate comics, gaming, anime, sci-fi, fantasy, pop culture and more.
🎨 Midas Paint and Sip social
This week, the Midas team enjoyed a colourful, creative social with a Paint & Sip class. Dinner outside in the sunshine was followed by a class where everyone learned how to paint some very adorable bees. Thank you to the social committee for organising the event!
Read more here: https://t.co/hx5eSaFyUz
Midas is thrilled to have been appointed as MCM Comic Con's communications agency for its upcoming programme of events, including MCM Birmingham (7-9 August 2026) and MCM London (23-25 October 2026).
MCM Comic Con continues to strengthen its position as Europe’s leading fan convention, bringing together hundreds of thousands of fans each year to celebrate comics, gaming, anime, sci-fi, fantasy, pop culture and more.
Midas will lead the delivery of MCM Comic Con’s PR strategy, media relations, partnerships, media centre management, influencer engagement and further activity across all events.
@MCMComicCon #mcmcomiccon
📚This Week at Midas📚
💫Cosmology Talk with the Balzan Foundation
Midas was excited to be at the event organised by the Balzan Foundation at the Italian Cultural Institute on Tuesday 16th June. The talk featured Joseph Silk, 2011 Balzan Prize winner for the Early Universe, and Paolo de Bernardis, 2006 Balzan Prize winner for Observational Astronomy and Astrophysics, in an engaging conversation on the future of cosmology. The International Balzan Prize Foundation recipients for this year will be announced in early September – so stay tuned!
🔍New exhibits at the Winchester Science Centre
Winchester Science Centre, home of educational charity Wonderseekers, today announces the opening of three new outdoor exhibits - Dino Dig, The Chalk Stream and Dormouse Den - giving families with children aged 3 to 12 a new science-led day out this summer on the edge of the @sdnpa. This will be open to the public on 18th July.
🦖Dino Racers by Andy Day
This week saw the publication of a thrilling new series from @AndyDayTV, Dino Racers! With two brilliant short stories in one book, this highly illustrated new series has bite-size chapters and is perfect for new and emergent readers aged five and up. Illustrated by the brilliant Alex Patrick and published by @PuffinBooks, Dino Racers is available to buy online and in all good bookstores.
📚Andy Day x The Reading Agency: Read to the beat
On Tuesday, @AndyDayTVthe reading hosted the launch of the @readingagency 2026 Summer Reading Challenge: Read to the Beat. Broadcast live from the British Library, the event included live performance from young musicians, a Dino Racers rap-along and a special Q&A with Skeku Kanneh-Mason and Andy Day.
🩺Dr Soumya Mukherjee and the Alzheimer “Death Switch”
On Monday, Dr Soumya Mukherjee (Dr Sho) released an article about how researchers have identified what they describe as a molecular ‘death switch’ in the brain – an interaction between two proteins that appears to trigger nerve cell death in Alzheimer’s disease. To read more about this finding, sign up for Dr Sho’s weekly newsletter.
Read more here: https://t.co/ILnWdJtrhh
📚This week at Midas📚
🦖A new picture book from Andy Day!
This week, children’s author and TV Presenter Andy Day @AndyDayTV announced that there will be a second book in his Dylan the Dino Boy series. Publishing on the 2nd July with @PuffinBooks, Dylan the Dino Boy Saves the Zoo is a brilliantly funny, heartwarming adventure that shows us how extraROARdinary true friendship can be. Filled with more than 30 different dinosaurs to find, and excellent illustrations from Alex Patrick. This is the perfect book for children 2+ and available to pre-order now.
💻Navigating AI in Education
This Tuesday, @OxUniPress (OUP) unveiled the results of a new report ‘Navigating AI in Education’, showing that students in the UK have a surprisingly sophisticated attitude towards AI use in the classroom.
📙Winners of the 2026 Women’s Prizes for Fiction and Non-Fiction announced
Last night in Bedford Square Gardens, @WomensPrize announced @VirginiaEwrites as the winner of the 2026 #WomensPrizeforFiction for The Correspondent and @bbclysedoucet as the winner of the 2026 #WomensPrizeforNonFiction for The Finest Hotel in Kabul.
The Women's Prize for Fiction is the greatest celebration of female creativity in the world, championing and amplifying women’s voices and nurturing a global community of readers. The Women's Prize for Non-Fiction celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in narrative non-fiction written by women. Congratulations to the stellar winners, shortlistees and longlistees for 2026!
📖Manchester City of Literature's Festival of Libraries in full swing
@MCRCityofLit’s #FestivalofLibraries is officially underway! The celebration of all that Greater Manchester's 133 libraries have to offer began on Wednesday 10 June and will be running until Sunday 14 June, with fun events, interactive workshops, exciting performances and more for everyone to enjoy. The full 2026 programme is available on the Manchester City of Literature website.
Read more here: https://t.co/iwOm8oRXDE
📚This week at Midas📚
🏅The Paul Foot Award 2026
On Monday evening, the @privateeyenews Paul Foot Award 2026 was awarded, celebrating investigative and campaigning journalism. @PeterKGeoghegan and Khadija Sharife (Democracy for Sale) were the winners for their entry “How Labour Together hired a PR firm to target journalists”. Congratulations to the winners, shortlisted journalists and honourees!
📙Matt Cain’s The Castle of Stories
@MattCainWriter's The Castle of Stories is the very first novel from Pansy Books UK, the new publishing house founded by Matt Cain and @hglasstone. A heartwarming story about friendship, family and finding where you belong, it's available now.
📗Life Saver by Freddie P. Peters
Publishing today, the unmissable prequel to the River Swift vigilante thriller series from author Freddie P. Peters. The novella takes readers back to River's time as a combat medic on the frontline in Afghanistan. In a world where mercy is weakness and survival demands sacrifice, River Swift discovers the truth that will define her forever...
Stealthy, explosive, and relentless, Life Saver is available now in ebook and paperback.
📖Festival of Libraries announces Inspired By Libraries speakers
The @MCRCityoLit #FestivalofLibraries has revealed the Inspired By Libraries names set to speak at the festival next week (10-14 June). The list includes @Bobby_Seagull, Divina de Campo and DJ Paulette! The festival will also bring Inspired By Libraries directly to schools with comic artist Molly Ray, and an interactive solo comedy show will be performed by Unlimited Artist in Residence @Sophwoolley.
🔦Book Lover’s Spotlight by Anthony Delaney
This week https://t.co/yQOvGHHurG collaborated with author and historian Dr Anthony Delaney for a Book Lover’s Spotlight on books that shaped his writing process. You can see the post on the @bookshop_org_UK Instagram and Anthony's full list of recommendations on their website.
🩻Dr Ranj’s Human Body Encyclopedia
Dr Ranj's Human Body Encyclopedia is published today by @DKBooks. Packed with amazing facts, colourful illustrations and answers to hundreds of questions about how our bodies work, it's the perfect guide for curious young readers.
Read more here: https://t.co/zpGAf4cYok
Last night, Midas attended the @PrivateEyeNews Paul Foot Award for investigative and campaigning journalism 2026.
Congratulations to @PeterKGeoghegan and Khadija Sharife of Democracy for Sale on their win and to all of the honorees and shortlisted journalists!
📚This week at Midas📚
🐉The Stormfell Academy at MCM Comic Con
Midas attended @MCMComicCon from Friday to Sunday last week, and it was wonderful to speak to attendees at The Stormfell Academy booth about Germany's bestselling Fantasy series. The first book in the series written by Torsten Weitze, ‘The Tower of Beggars’, will be published in the UK and US in the English language on 1 September 2026. At Comic Con, readers were able to step inside the world of The Stormfell Academy with personalised letters from Torsten Weitze, beggar coins as seen in the book, and ‘The Tower of Beggars’ proofs on display.
💫Joseph Silk at the Italian Cultural Institute
Midas is excited to be working with the Balzan Foundation on their upcoming event at the Italian Cultural Institute on 16th June, 12pm. A dialogue between Joseph Silk, 2011 Balzan Prize winner for the Early Universe, and Paolo de Bernardis, 2006 Balzan Prize winner for Observational Astronomy and Astrophysics. Join the Italian Cultural Institute and the Balzan Foundation for a conversation on the future of cosmology — from the search for the “First Light” to the mysteries of the universe’s “Dark Ages”.
🏆Women’s Prize Trust Announced Winner and Scholar of Discoveries
Yesterday, the Women’s Prize Trust @womensprize announced this year’s winner and scholar of #Discoveries2026, Ruixi Zhang and Mirha Butt, respectively. Discoveries is the popular and pioneering writer development programme and prize run in partnership with @audibleuk, Curtis Brown @CBGBooks and the @cbcreative writing school.
🎙️Agnieszka Piotrowska on BBC Radio London
This upcoming weekend, Agnieszka Piotrowska will be interviewed on @BBCRadioLondon with @RobertElms, talking about AI and her new book, ‘AI Intimacy and Psychoanalysis’, published by @routledgebooks.
🥼Filming with Dr. Soumya Mukherjee
This week MIDAS collaborated with neurosurgeon Dr Sho to film social media content for his profiles and talk all about brain health!
📚Book Lover’s Spotlight with Gemma Correll
This week @bookshop_org_UK collaborated with author and illustrator @gemmacorrell for a Book Lover’s Spotlight on books that made her feel seen! You can see Gemma's full list of recommendations on https://t.co/yQOvGHHurG.
Read more here: https://t.co/CRPdx7vKe1
📚This week at Midas📚
📕AI Intimacy and Psychoanalysis by Agnieszka Piotrowska publication
This week was publication week for Agnieszka Piotrowska's insightful new book AI Intimacy and Psychoanalysis (out from @routledgebooks), a deep dive into the topical subject of human-AI relationships.
📘A new publication for New Modern: In Another World by Graeme Thompson
@newmodernbooks has added another brilliant title to their growing list. In Another World: The Four Seasons of Talk Talk is the definitive biography of one of the most critically acclaimed and enigmatic groups of all time. Author and music writer Graeme Thompson seeks to unpick this knottiest of musical locks.
🛝Horniman Museum and Gardens launch nature-themed play area
@HornimanMuseum's new nature-themed play area launched this week, as part of its 125th anniversary celebrations and Nature and Love project. The free play area is one of many new permanent outdoor activities opening across the Horniman Gardens in time for half term, alongside a new AR Trail, improved Nature Trail, Community Garden and more.
🧙♂️The Stormfell Academy at MCMComicCon
This week, Midas introduced the bestselling Epic Fantasy series, The Stormfell Academy, to the UK. Written by Torsten Weitze, the series has become one of the bestselling Fantasy series in Germany. On 1 September the first book in the series, The Tower of Beggars, will publish in the UK & US in the English language. The Stormfell Academy booth at ComicCon will be up all weekend. @LAUSCHmedien
🐦Nosy Crow and the British Museum announce Bayeux Tapestry children’s books
@NosyCrow and the @britishmuseum have announced five new books for children aged 0–12 tied to the British Museum’s upcoming landmark Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, opening in September 2026, as they mark 10 years of their publishing partnership.
🏆Helen McCarthy on the Wolfson History Prize judging panel
The @WolfsonHistory Prize has announced that acclaimed historian and former Wolfson History Prize shortlisted author, Professor Helen McCarthy, will join the judging panel for the UK’s most prestigious history writing prize in 2026.
Read more here: https://t.co/VLDHn3T7kG
A charity auction to win four tickets to Laughterama (London, 29 July – 2 August), plus a Meet & Greet with Josh Widdicombe and a signed Parenting Hell goodie basket.
https://t.co/pKuZCFdhmZ
📚This week at Midas📚
📙British Book Awards
Midas attended the British Book Awards @thebookseller with the @Londonbookfair team to celebrate authors, publishers, bookshops, libraries and the publishing industry as a whole. Congratulations to all nominees and winners!
#Nibbies #BritishBookAwards
🎤 Frank Cottrell-Boyce Laureate Lecture
@frankcottrel_b called for national action to tackle the children’s reading crisis at the first Laureate Lecture, ‘The Kids Are Not Alright’. To coincide with Frank’s speech, @Booktrust shared the results of their latest Family Survey, which carries a hopeful message that young people and their parents still love reading.
🏆Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize Winner Announced
On Thursday, the winner of the world’s largest literary prize for young writers, the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize @dylanthomprize, was revealed as American poet Sasha Debevec-McKenney @sashjdm– for her debut collection Joy Is My Middle Name (@FitzcarraldoEds). The judges praised her poetry as “energising, exuberant and robust” – and, above all, joyful.
🔍Private Eye Paul Foot Award 2026 Shortlist Announced
The Private Eye Paul Foot Award 2026 shortlist has been revealed on Wednesday 13th May, featuring the best submissions from across national and regional, digital and print publications. Congratulations to all the journalists shortlisted! The winner will be announced on 1st June.
@PrivateEyeNews@LLBruce@pressjournal@eveningexpress@BigIssue@theleaduk@theipaper@joeduggan1@chloehadj@ObserverUK@sheffieldtrib
Read more here: https://t.co/TPaZh3yV2L
📚This week at Midas📚
🎨Affordable Art Fair Hampstead
This week, @AAFLondon returned to the stunning Heath for their Hampstead edition, getting off to an excellent start with their Private View on 6 May. The new Ceramics Unbound exhibition made its debut, featuring 27 talented ceramicists curated by Caroline Jackman. The fair runs until 10 May with plenty for new and seasoned art lovers alike to enjoy, and it has been great to see coverage run in the Times, The Sun, Monocle and more.
🕵️♀️True Crime by Patricia Cornwell publication
This week marked the publication of @1pcornwell's achingly honest memoir True Crime, in which she autopsies her own life, overcoming obstacles which led to her becoming a worldwide publishing phenomenon. It was great to see coverage run in @TimesMagazine, @DailyMail and @rte Guide, with more still to come.
♥️The Heart You Kept by T L Swan publication
T L Swan’s The Heart You Kept was published in the UK this week, and it follows the story of Alora Sorensen and Edward Prescott who meet during a secret weekend in the Swiss Alps. Three years later, they couldn’t be further apart. Alora with her life of quiet simplicity and Edward a billionaire mastermind. Secrets bound them together, but can those same secrets destroy everything? This is the first book in the Kings of the Rivera series.
📘The Folio Society Summer Collection released
This week, the stunning Summer Collection from @foliosociety was released. It is comprised of a variety of genres: from history titles to fantasy novels, non-fiction science books to crime fiction. Head to the Folio Society’s website to check out the beautiful range of titles included in the 2026 Summer collection.
🔦https://t.co/yQOvGHHurG Book Lover’s Spotlights
@bookshop_org_UK has had several recent Book Lover’s Spotlight collaborations, with some excellent recommendations on display on Instagram: author James Hunt (@ storiesaboutautism) listed his favourite books about autism, recipe developer Susanna Bowers listed the books that made her the cook she is today (@ myglobalpantry), and Hannah Taylor-Matthew from A Creative Pause listed the books that all women who want to be more creative should read (@ a.creative.pause). You can see each of the posts on Instagram, and the full lists of recommendations on the https://t.co/yQOvGHHurG website.
Read more here: https://t.co/J4MOYUTYKI
🎧 Hear exclusive interviews with our 6 shortlisted authors 📚 on the run-up to the prize ceremony (14th May), in our new series of 'Bookends' podcasts. Begins 8th May! 🎙️
Explore our back catalogue of interviews from previous years here: https://t.co/zMunqzybOT #SUDTP26
📚This week at Midas 📚
🎉Festival of Libraries 2026 Full Programme released
Late last week, full programme details for @MCRCityofLit
’s Festival of Libraries were announced. With a vibrant programme spanning all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester, Festival of Libraries will return from 10-14 June to highlight the library network’s full offering.
📢Paul Foot Award longlist announcement
This week, the longlist of the prestigious Paul Foot Award (organised by @PrivateEyeNews
) was revealed, celebrating the best investigative and campaigning journalism in Britain. Congratulations to all the journalists nominated!
🎉Midas shortlisted in the CIPR Global Excellence Awards 2026
In exciting news, @OxUniPress
and Midas have been shortlisted in the CIPR Excellence Awards 2026, for the ‘Teaching the AI-Native Generation’ campaign. Congratulations to all of the other shortlistees! @CIPR_Global
🦖Introducing Andy Day's new series: Dino Racers
Last week, children's author and TV Presenter @AndyDayTV
announced his brand new series, Dino Racers! With two brilliant short stories in one book, and fantastic illustrations from Alex Patrick, this highly illustrated new series has bite-size chapters, perfect for new and emergent readers aged five and up. @PuffinBooks
📰Patricia Cornwell interview in the Times
It was great to see @1pcornwell
's interview in the Times Saturday Magazine run over this past weekend, discussing her phenomenal memoir True Crime, which is out from @LittleBrownUK, on 5 May.
🖼️Affordable Art Fair returning to Hampstead
Next week, Affordable Art Fair will be returning for its Hampstead edition from 6-10 May. With an inaugural ‘Ceramics Unbound’ exhibition, outdoor watercolour workshops on the heath, and more than 1000 artworks on display, Affordable Art Fair Hampstead will have something for every art lover to enjoy.
📚Book Lovers Spotlight on books that left a mark
Last week @bookshop_org_UK collaborated with interiors author & designer Emily Henson for a Book Lover’s Spotlight on books that left a mark. You can see the post on Emily’s Instagram page (@lifeunstyled) and her full list of recommendations on https://t.co/yQOvGHHurG
Read more here: https://t.co/Wvk9M10Bel
📢 Join us on 13th May for a very special shortlist celebration 📷 at the @britishlibrary. Enjoy readings and insight from the shortlisted authors on the eve of the award ceremony. Hosted by the judge of the judging panel,@IrenosenOkojie! 📷https://t.co/h1sKDnPD4B
📢 Join us on 13th May for a very special shortlist celebration 📚 at the @britishlibrary. Enjoy readings and insight from our shortlisted authors on the eve of the award ceremony. Hosted by the head of our judging panel, @IrenosenOkojie!
🎟️https://t.co/OuYXRBhNKe
#SUDTP26
📚This week at Midas📚
📢Women’s Prize for Fiction Shortlist Announcement
The @WomensPrize Trust has revealed the shortlist for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction – the greatest celebration of female creativity in the world. Congratulations to this year’s shortlist!
Flashlight by Susan Choi
Dominion by Addie E. Citchens
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson
Kingfisher by Rozie Kelly
Heart the Lover by Lily King
🏆Unwin Award Winner Announcement
On Tuesday night, the #UnwinAward announced Hannah Ritchie - bestselling author, researcher and editor - as the winner of its prize. Congratulations Hannah! The Unwin Award is a literary award administered by @PublishersAssoc recognising non-fiction authors in the earlier stages of their careers as authors whose work is considered to have made a significant contribution to the world.
📕Fallout by Eleanor Anstruther publication
This week Fallout by Eleanor Anstruther was published by Empress Editions It is a dazzling, defiant coming-of-age novel set against the backdrop of the Greenham Women’s Peace Camp - where punk, protest, and unexpected love collide. Midas were excited to attend the Fallout launch at @LRBbookshop on Thursday to celebrate the release.
🕰️Seconds to Midnight by David Orson Newton publication
Thursday was publication day for Seconds to Midnight by @DOrsonNewton, published by @chiselbury. Seconds to Midnight is a taut, disturbing, yet all too plausible thriller about the fragility of human control in the age of intelligent machines, where every choice counts and time is running out. The year is 2029. Europe is teetering on the brink of war. Conscription has been launched in the UK, but some say it is too late. The Doomsday Clock, which indicates proximity to a world-ending catastrophe, ticks towards the final seconds to midnight.
📘Failure is Always an Option by Steve Mason publication
This week saw the publication of Failure is Always an Option: Glorious Adventures on the Beta Band Front Line and Other Tales. The long awaited autobiography from the musical maverick, polymath and Beta Band front man, Steve Mason was published by New Modern and is available to buy now online and in store.
Read more here: https://t.co/BFKB3CWE5T