HILLEL ITALIE

Books and publishing writer

Italie has covered the publishing industry since 1998. He writes about notable books, industry trends and ongoing issues such as book bans, AI, consolidation and copyright.

Bruce Springsteen poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere" during the London film festival in London, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Bruce Springsteen performs at New York Public Library gala

Bruce Springsteen surprised guests at the New York Public Library’s annual “Library Lions” gala. On Monday night, he was among six honorees recognized for outstanding achievements in arts and culture.

Author Salman Rushdie appears during an interview in New York on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Salman Rushdie’s new book is his first fiction since a brutal attack. He tells us why

Salman Rushdie’s new book, “The Eleventh Hour,” marks a creative reset for the author. It’s his first fiction work since being attacked on a New York stage in 2022.

Elizabeth Alexander speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington on April 17, 2015. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

The new $50M Literary Arts Fund will support independent publishers and nonprofits

A coalition of seven charitable foundations has established a Literary Arts Fund to support independent publishers and nonprofit organizations.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, accompanied by his wife Lori Shapiro, speaks during a news conference after Cody Balmer plead guilty to attempted murder and other charges, on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025 in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s memoir is coming out in January

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s memoir is coming out in January. It touches on his political rise and the trauma of his home being set on fire.

Reese Witherspoon attends the WSJ. Magazine Innovators Awards in New York on Oct. 29, 2024. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

A character wouldn’t leave Reese Witherspoon alone. It led to her first novel

Reese Witherspoon has co-authored her first adult novel, “Gone Before Goodbye,” with Harlan Coben. The story revolves around Maggie McCabe, an Army combat surgeon who takes on a suspicious plastic surgery job.

This cover image released by Knopf shows "A Guardian and a Thief" by Megha Majumdar. (Knopf via AP)

Oprah Winfrey picks Megha Majumdar’s ‘A Guardian and a Thief’ for book club

Megha Majumdar’s novel “A Guardian and a Thief” is now Oprah Winfrey’s book club pick. The book is already a finalist for the National Book Award and Kirkus Prize.

Toby Talbot, leading patron of art house film, dies at 96, report says

Toby Talbot, a great patron of art house cinema, has died at age 96. Talbot and her husband, Dan, helped introduce audiences to works from Jean-Luc Godard, Pedro Almodovar and hundreds of other international filmmakers and to American favorites old and new.

This combination of book cover images shows "The Slip" by Lucas Schaefer, left, and "King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution: A Story of Hubris, Delusion and Catastrophic Miscalculation" by Scott Anderson. (Simon & Schuster/Doubleday via AP)

Kirkus Prize winners include a novel on identity, a history of Iran and an ode to belly buttons

Kirkus Prize judges have announced their winners for this year, awarding $50,000 in each of three categories.

This combination of book covers shows, from left, "The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine, "Things in Nature Merely Grow" by Yiyun Li, and "A Guardian and a Thief" by Megha Majumdar. (Grove Press/Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Knopf via AP)

National Book Award finalists announced: Alameddine, Majumdar, Li and Russell are among the nominees

Fiction by Rabih Alameddine, Megha Majumdar, and Karen Russell, along with a memoir by Yiyun Li, are among this year’s National Book Award finalists.

This undated image released by the Association of American Publishers shows Georgy Urushadze, founder and publisher of Freedom Letters. (Dmitry Sheiman/Association of American Publishers via AP)

US book publishers honor Russian dissident house Freedom Letters

The Association of American Publishers is honoring a Russian publishing house for its fight against censorship.

Jane Fonda appears at the 31st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 23, 2025. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

Jane Fonda revives Cold War-era activist group to defend free speech

Jane Fonda has revived an activist group from the Cold War era, originally backed by her father, Henry Fonda.

PEN America literary service award recipient Stephen King attends the 2018 PEN Literary Gala on May 22, 2018, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Stephen King is the most banned author in US schools, PEN report says

A new report on book bans in U.S. schools finds Stephen King as the author most likely to be censored.

This photo provided by Cade Martin in September 2025 shows Robert B. Barnett, a powerhouse Washington attorney who became a fixture in the political and publishing worlds as the literary representative for Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton and dozens of other leaders. (Cade Martin via AP)

Powerhouse attorney Robert B. Barnett, known for representing the Obamas and Clintons, dies

The Washington attorney who brokered book deals for Barack Obama, George W. Bush and dozens of other government leaders has died at age 79. Robert B.

Mystery novelist and screenwriter Raymond Chandler appears in 1946. (AP Photo, File)

A piano, a pregnant woman and a prison: Raymond Chandler’s ‘Nightmare’ is revealed

Raymond Chandler’s “Nightmare,” a rarely seen sketch, has been published this week in The Strand Magazine.

George Takei appears at the 75th annual Tony Awards in New York on June 12, 2022. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

George Takei to lead Banned Books Week, urging the fight against censorship

Actor and activist George Takei is taking on a new role as honorary chair of Banned Books Week. The American Library Association announced Monday that the 88-year-old will lead the event, which runs from Oct. 5-11.

From left, Sonny Curtis, Bobby Vee, Joe B. Maudlin and Jerry J.I. Allison perform at the Stillman auditorium in Clear Lake, Iowa on Friday Jan. 30, 2009. (AP Photo/The Globe-Gazette, Teresa Prince, File)

Sonny Curtis, Crickets member who penned ‘Mary Tyler Moore Show’ theme, dies at 88

A vintage rock ‘n’ roller who wrote both the rebel anthem “I Fought the Law” and the theme to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” Sonny Curtis has died at 88.

Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami sits for photos during a news conference at the Waseda University in Tokyo on Sept. 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)

Haruki Murakami to be celebrated with an evening of words and music in New York City

Haruki Murakami will be honored in December with an evening of words and music. The Japan Society and The Town Hall are presenting “The Murakami Mix Tape,” featuring readings from his books and performances by jazz artist Jason Moran and others.

Robert Caro poses for a portrait, Sept. 11, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)

Robert Caro reflects on childhood as he receives New York Historical’s Historians’ Laureate Medal

Robert Caro has received the first-ever Historians’ Laureate Medal from The New York Historical. Speaking Wednesday night, Caro reflected on his childhood visits to the institution.

This cover image released by Buckingham Records/Rhino Records shows the digital reissue of “Buckingham Nicks,” the 1973 pre-Fleetwood Mac album by Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. (Buckingham Records/Rhino Records via AP)

Music Review: ‘Buckingham Nicks’ is an engaging blueprint for the classics to come

The long-awaited digital reissue of “Buckingham Nicks” offers two perspectives on the 1973 pre-Fleetwood Mac album by Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.

Actors Robert Redford and Jane Fonda hug as they pose for photographers at the photo call of the film "Our Souls at Night" during the 74th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Sept. 1, 2017. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP, File)

Robert Redford remembered for his deep legacy in environmental activism and Native American advocacy

Robert Redford, who died Tuesday at 89, was known for his deep commitment to activism, especially for Native American rights and the environment.

Joy Reid speaks during the during the TIME 100 Summit, April 23, 2019, in New York, left, and Percival Everett appears at the Booker Prize award dinner in London, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo)

Joy Reid and Percival Everett will be honored with American Book Awards

Former MSNBC host Joy Reid and authors Percival Everett and John Edgar Wideman are among this year’s recipients of the American Book Awards.

Arthur Sze attends the 70th National Book Awards ceremony on Nov. 20, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP, File)

Arthur Sze is appointed US poet laureate as the Library of Congress faces challenges

The Library of Congress has named Arthur Sze the new U.S. poet laureate. The library announced Monday Sze will serve a one-year term, starting this fall.

This July 6, 1967 file photo shows the musical group, The Monkees, from left, Peter Tork, Mike Nesmith, David Jones, and Micky Dolenz at a news conference at the Warwick Hotel in New York. (AP Photo/Ray Howard, file)

Bobby Hart, co-wrote ‘Last Train to Clarksville’ and other hits for the Monkees, dead at 86

Bobby Hart, who co-wrote some of the Monkees’ biggest hits, has died. He was 86. Along with Tommy Bryce, he was a key part of the Monkees’ multimedia empire.

This cover image released by Mariner shows "The Wilderness" by Angela Flournoy. (Mariner via AP)

National Book Awards longlists include new works by Angela Flournoy, Susan Choi and Yiyun Li

The National Book Foundation has announced the longlists for the National Book Awards. New fiction by Angela Flournoy and Susan Choi, a tragic memoir by Yiyun Li and a historical novel by Nobel laureate Han Kang are among the nominees.

Dan Brown poses for a portrait on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)

Dan Brown on his new book, ‘The Secret of Secrets,’ and how he manages the writing process

Dan Brown’s latest thriller, “The Secret of Secrets,” has been published this week. Known for “The Da Vinci Code” and “Angels & Demons,” Brown, in his new book, explores themes of consciousness and what happens after we die, inspired by his personal reflections following his mother’s death.

This cover image released by Riverhead Books shows "All the Way to the River" by Elizabeth Gilbert." (Riverhead via AP)

Oprah Winfrey selects Elizabeth Gilbert’s new memoir for her book club

Oprah Winfrey’s new book club pick is Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir, “All the Way to the River.” In the book, published this week, Gilbert shares a consuming love affair with a self-destructive, terminally ill woman named Rayya.

Author George Saunders poses for a portrait on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

From slaughterhouse worker to literary giant: George Saunders wins National Book Award

George Saunders has been named this year’s winner of the National Book Award for Distinguished Contributions to American Letters.

Patrick Hemingway, son of famed author Ernest Hemingway, stands for a photo in Tanzania on Feb. 28, 1969. (AP Photo/Nair, File)

Patrick Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway’s last surviving child, dies at 97

Patrick Hemingway, the last surviving child of Ernest Hemingway who in emulation of his father lived for years in Africa and later oversaw numerous posthumous works by the Nobel laureate, has died.

This cover image released by Knopf shows "Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice" by Virginia Roberts Giuffre. (Knopf via AP)

Publisher agrees to changes in Virginia Giuffre’s memoir after family objections

The publisher of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, “Nobody’s Girl,” has finalized a draft with her family after they raised concerns.

Author James Patterson poses for a portrait in New York on Aug. 30, 2016. (Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, File)

James Patterson’s new initiative gives emerging authors up to $50,000 to finish their books

James Patterson has launched an initiative to support emerging authors. On Wednesday, he announced the first 12 recipients of grants from his “Go Finish Your Book” campaign.