| Programming note: we’ll be off next week after attending PLA, so look for the Library Express back in your inbox on April 14. Thanks! —Jordan
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Hot News This Week
March 31, 2026
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| On Earth As It Is Beneath by Ana Paula Maia, translated from Portuguese by Padma Viswanathan (Charco Press), has been shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize: “Set in a remote penal colony, this vivid and haunting novel unfolds in a landscape where punishment has replaced justice,” say the prize judges. “On Earth As It Is Beneath is a stark, unsettling exploration of power, violence, destruction and institutional corruption.”
Major congrats to the wonderful authors, translators, and presses honored, including our friends at And Other Stories and Peirene Press whose UK titles are also shortlisted. The winner will be crowned on May 19.
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| A Perfect Turmoil Wins an NBCC Award
“A Perfect Turmoil tells the story of doctor Walter E. Fernald who transformed our understanding of disabilities in ways that continue to influence our views today,” according to the prize judges. “But as Green reveals, Fernald was a complex character whose legacy is both inspiring and troubling. This well-researched biography brings back a story that had been hidden in the archives for a century.”
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| Kid-Favorite Children’s Books
The Children’s Book Council’s 2026 Kids Favorite honorees include six titles from Consortium publishers:
- Dinosaur Pie by Jen Wallace, illus. Alan O’Rourke (Little Island Books)
- Let’s Get Spooky by Stepanka Sekaninova, illus. Lukas Fige (Albatros Media)
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| The Accolades Continue for North Sun
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| More Award News
Alongside Ethan Rutherford, other winners of 2026 Literature Awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters include:
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The finalists for the 2026 Publishing Triangle Awards, which honor the best LGBTQ+ books published last year, include seven titles from Consortium publishers:
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“Another great installment! Once again, it’s very informative yet digestible, and encourages young readers to empathize with even the smallest creatures.” — Rebecca R., New York Public Library
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“Awww, a sweet story of a girl playing hide and seek with her grandma—who is secretly hiding on every page. Young readers will love spotting grandma and the added challenge of finding her chameleons too. I enjoyed this lovely romp with little tidbits of information added in for later exploration.” — Jasmine T., K–12 school librarian
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FICTION
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, trans. Ros Schwartz (Transit Books)
ABA, MPIBA, PNBA, SCIBA, NCIBA, MIPA, NEIBA, and Indie Press Top 40 (#2) Bestseller
NONFICTION
The Beginning Comes After the End: Notes on a World of Change by Rebecca Solnit (Haymarket Books)
New York Times (#12), Bookshop.org, ABA, NCIBA, NEIBA, PNBA, SCIBA, NAIBA, MIBA, MPIBA, SIBA, GLIBA and Indie Press Top 40 (#3) Bestseller
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This week, we’ll be attending the Public Librarian Association conference here in our hometown of Minneapolis, and we’d love to see you there.
Stop by the Consortium booth (#1431) for galleys galore, plenty of freebies, a nice chat about books, or local recommendations for while you’re in town.
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This collection brings together critical works by legendary Black revolutionary and political prisoner Martin Sostre, a founding figure of both the prison abolition movement and contemporary Black anarchism.
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A provocative look at the secret society that’s controlled St. Louis for over a century, this lively history reveals how shadowy elites organize themselves against working-class power.
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Combining ecological cultivation practices with entrepreneurial insights and the artistry of floral design, Floramama is a practical guide for running a successful cut-flower business.
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