WH Smith at LaGuardia Airport (photo: Eamonn Conway)

WH Smith recently raised £102 million (about $137 million) in new capital through the sale of 26 million new ordinary shares, after airport customer numbers declined in the U.S. due to the war in the Middle East, the Bookseller reported, adding that the company "raised the funds to improve its balance sheet, pay debt, invest in technology and shut down unprofitable stores."

Due to pressures on gross margins, including the recent deterioration in the North America division, WH Smith said it expected to deliver a profit before tax and non-underlying items of £75 million to £90 million (about $100 million to $121 million), adding that this number is down from earlier estimates because of "observed and anticipated decline in passenger numbers and weakening consumer demand across all divisions and a reduction in brand marketing, increased promotional activity and inflation headwinds." 

WH Smith also released a trading update for the 14-week period to June 6, with revenue increasing by 5% in the U.K. with comparable sales up 2%. While comparable sales in airports was down 1%, hospital stores grew by 7% and those in train stations increased by 2% with a slightly improved trend in the past seven weeks, according to the report. 

A year ago, WH Smith sold its 480 high street stores to focus on the 1,200 stores in airports, hospitals, and railroad stations. In April, Modella Capital, the private equity firm that bought WH Smith's high street stores and rebranded them TG Jones, announced a plan to close up to 100 of the stores.

In the U.S., revenue increased by 10% compared to the prior year on a constant currency basis, but comparable sales in the same period were down 1%. Over the past seven weeks, comparable sales declined by 4%. The company added that this reflected reduced passenger numbers following recent airfare price rises and a reduction in airline capacity linked to the Iran war, which led to lower store foot traffic and consumer demand, resulting in lower spend-per-passenger growth.

In the rest of the world, total revenue for the 14-week period decreased by 2% compared to 2025 on a constant currency basis and increased by 3% on a like-for-like basis, "reflecting the softening in passenger growth over recent weeks."

The company also said that due to its North America InMotion review, it is anticipating a significant non-underlying non-cash impairment charge of up to £150 million for the full year, and plans to shut some stores in Europe and in resorts in North America, the Bookseller noted.

Leo Quinn, executive chair, WH Smith, said: "Early in April, we launched a far-reaching self-help program across WH Smith. Our goal is to greatly strengthen the group's operations while driving more effective implementation of value creation.

"The business has a strong core and operates in attractive markets with ample scope for profit expansion, particularly in North America. However, we need much greater capital discipline and a laser focus on returns. In recent years, the outcomes from certain acquired businesses and contract obligations have been very disappointing. Our priorities are to build an efficient and effective foundation for WH Smith and use this to drive a growth strategy managed for profitability."

Brackish Books, which had operated a mobile book trailer for the past year, hosted an official ribbon-cutting and grand opening celebration on June 6 for its new bricks-and-mortar location at 110 N. Liberty St. in Centreville, Md. 

"For owner Liz Gilbert, of Kent Island, it was all a dream come true," My Eastern Shore Md. reported, adding that as a lifelong book lover, Gilbert said a collective space for people to gather and talk about their favorite authors and page turners has always been the goal. A centralized physical storefront will further provide space for the community to meet.

She added that solidifying the value of reading and the need for independent bookstores, the community's recognition and enthusiasm has been validating, noting that with the cozy new space, she hopes to prevent decision fatigue often found with overwhelming selections. "We want reading to be accessible to everybody," she said.

Gilbert recently won third place in the local entrepreneurial Upper Shore STRT1UP Roadshow, "recognized for bringing a diverse selection of new and used books to Eastern Shore communities, and providing a local reader-focused gathering spot," My Eastern Shore Md. noted. 

The Brackish Books mobile book trailer will continue to appear around the community. 

	R.D. Talley's former location

R.D. Talley Books will reopen in a new location in Las Vegas, Nev., later this month, FOX5 Vegas reported. The bookstore opened last fall in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, becoming the first Black-owned bookstore to open on the Las Vegas Strip. In April, store owner Roderick Talley Sr. was informed that his landlord had terminated his lease and he had 30 days to vacate.

"It was definitely crushing," Talley told FOX5 Vegas. "But I knew right off the bat, hey, I can be sad about this a little bit later. But I need to find a new place. We still got work to do." 

Talley has found a new home for R.D. Talley Books in the Fashion Show Mall, also on the Strip. Talley noted that when he told customers and community members about needing to find a new location, there was "nothing but support from them."

Initially, Talley founded R.D. Talley Books as a way of publishing his own writing, but soon began highlighting Las Vegas history and Black, Latino, and Indigenous authors. Talley remarked: "We're needed. We're a space that's needed. And it's important for us to be here." Talley is aiming for a late-June opening.

The Inked Page will open in downtown Overland Park, Kan., this summer, the Johnson County Post reported.

Located at 7942 Santa Fe Dr., the Inked Page will occupy the same space as Ink & Page, a bookstore that will close in July after roughly three years in business. While the Inked Page will pay homage to the previous bookstore with its name, it will have its own identity, particularly a focus on mysteries, thrillers, horror, and true crime. 

Co-owners Courtney Moffitt and Katie Jones told the Post they want the Inked Page to reflect their tastes and personalities, and they hope for it to be a gathering place for like-minded community members.  

Jones and Moffitt are longtime friends, having first met while working together in a bridal shop. They have a combined 30 years of experience working in retail, though the Inked Page marks their first time being business owners. 

"We know what it takes to run a business like this, we just have never been the ones 100% in control of it," Jones said. "Getting to be the ones that make the decisions and having full ownership of that, but also using it to connect with the community, is what I'm most excited about."

Moffitt said there has already been a lot of support for the bookstore. "There seems to be a lot of interest for a mystery (and) thriller bookstore." The owners hope to have the bookstore open by the end of July.

A Great Good Place for Books in Oakland, Calif., closed on Sunday after 22 years in business. Owner Kathleen Caldwell had announced in April her plans to shut down the operation after "many tears, difficult conversations, and sleepless nights." A community staple, the bookstore was founded in 1997 by Debi Echlin, with Caldwell taking over as owner in 2005, the Oaklandside reported.

"It's been a wonderful and wild ride," said Caldwell, adding that her bookstore brought people together from all walks of life. " You name the author, I've probably done an event with them," she noted, adding that what she will miss most is "turning a kid onto an amazing book. So many cool things come out of the printed word."

In a heartfelt Facebook post two days before closing, Caldwell wrote, in part: "Looking back at the last 22 years and I realize just how lucky I've been to be a part of the magic that was A Great Good Place for Books. It has been one of greatest honors of my life.... I have loved being a part of this community....

"GGP's employees.... What do you say when you've surrounded yourself with some of the best people in the universe? Thank you for being my GGPeeps, I will be forever grateful you spent time making this store and its community so awesome. The way you all stepped up the year I was sick and loved my store as if it were your own will always bring tears to my eyes.... So thank you for making this chapter the ride of a lifetime. I will miss being a part of your daily life and be grateful for how you've enriched mine.... Thank you Montclair and maybe one day I'll see you in the stacks."

Interabang Books, Dallas, Tex., hosted the launch for Kate Khavari's historical mystery A Botanist's Guide to Tradition and Treachery (Crooked Lane Books). Khavari (r.) was in conversation with fellow historical mystery author Elizabeth Hobbs. 

Sleepy Dog Books in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., has received a $20,000 Amex Shop Small Grant from American Express and Main Street America, the Morning Sun reported. The bookstore will put the money toward expanding both its retail operations and the operations of its literacy foundation, the Sleepy Dog Books Foundation. 

"Through this opportunity, we will be able to expand our ability to serve the Mid-Michigan region in our retail location and through our literacy Foundation," said store owner Jenny Justis. "With access comes opportunity and by focusing on literacy, the possibilities become endless."

Sleepy Dog Books is one of 505 small businesses, including several independent bookstores, around the U.S. to receive an Amex Shop Small Grant.

"Have you seen the windows this month!?" Left Bank Books in St. Louis, Mo., shared pics of the bookshop's storefront window display on Instagram, noting: "Thanks to our manager and Children's book buyer they are looking so good! Happy Pride and Junteenth y'all!"

Excelsior Bay Books in Excelsior, Minn., shared a photo of the shop's sidewalk chalkboard, featuring a romance novel-themed message: " 'You look tired.' Yeah, well the friends didn't become lovers until 2 a.m., Greg!"

Sara Johnson has joined Abrams as associate director of digital and social marketing.

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Mark Meneses has joined Open Road Integrated Media as business development manager.

Tomorrow:
Today: Melissa Albert, author of The Children (Morrow, $32, 9780063487437).

Also on Today: Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East, authors of The Courage to Commit: Embrace the Radical Power of Sticking with Something (Portfolio, $32, 9798217047222).

Kelly Clarkson Show: Prue Leith, author of Being Old...and learning to love it! (Short Books, $24.99, 9781804193747).

Production companies Curious Gremlin (The Testament of Ann Lee) and Kari Skogland's new banner Take a Trip Media are developing a film adaptation of Ava Reid's 2024 bestselling novel, Lady Macbeth. Deadline reported that the screenplay for "the gothic feminist retelling of Shakespeare's play" will be written by Emma Donoghue (Room), with Emmy and BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Skogland (The Handmaid's Tale) set to direct.

"At Curious Gremlin, we have always aimed to share our excitement for telling fresh, bold, and daring stories that trust their audience to embrace new perspectives and sit with complexity," said co-founder Sinan Eczacibasi. "In that spirit, Ava Reid's Lady Macbeth--a ferocious reimagining of the timeless Scottish Play from a fresh and surprisingly overlooked lens--adapted for the big screen by Emma Donoghue, with Kari Skogland in the director's seat, feels like a natural fit for us. We are delighted to be partnering with Take a Trip on this wonderful film and look forward to sharing it with the world."

The PEN/Faulkner Foundation has chosen Elizabeth McCracken as the winner of the 2026 PEN/Bernard and Ann Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story, which recognizes writers who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in the short story form. McCracken will be honored at the annual PEN/Malamud Award Ceremony, held in partnership with American University, on October 4. 

"Elizabeth McCracken's short stories are meticulously crafted with such intelligence and heart," said Malamud committee chair Jung Yun. "She embraces her characters and grants them the dignity of fully imagined interior lives, rich with humor and irony, heartbreak and grief. With each collection, McCracken's stories renew the form's old promise that a few thousand words can hold a whole life. Reading her is a welcome reminder of why people fell in love with short fiction in the first place."

McCracken is the author of nine books of fiction and nonfiction. Her short stories have appeared in The Best American Short Stories, the Pushcart Prize, and on NPR's Selected Shorts. Her most recent collection, The Souvenir Museum, was longlisted for the National Book Award. Thunderstruck and Other Stories was also longlisted for the National Book Award and won the 2015 Story Prize.

"Short stories--writing them, reading them--have been a way for me to understand every angle of my life and the lives of others: microscope, telescope, periscope," said McCracken. "They have given me so much over decades that it feels impossible to summarize what the PEN/Malamud means to me. Everything, really. It's a prize that has been given to so many of my most important influences and my most beloved writers, and named after one of our greatest. I won't say I'm humbled, because in my private moments I'm insufferably happy to be in such company, and also incredibly grateful and astonished."  

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Winners of the 2026 Australian Book of the Year Awards, voted on by Australian booksellers and sponsored by the Australian Booksellers Association, are: 

ABA BookData Adult Fiction Award: Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
ABA BookData Adult Non-Fiction Award: Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent
ABA Kids' Reading Guide Children's Award: Here Come the Cousins by Maggie Hutchings and Sarah Zweck

photo: Jordan Villegas-Verrone

P.C. Verrone's work has appeared in FIYAH, Nightmare, PodCastle, Strange Horizons, and numerous anthologies. He graduated from Harvard College and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Rutgers University-Newark. His debut novel, Rabbit, Fox, Tar (Catapult, June 2, 2026), explores the complexities of race, desire, and selfhood through a mysterious Black woman's arrival in an insular neighborhood with a sordid history.

Handsell readers your book in 25 words or less:

If you're intrigued by the combination Beloved meets Frankenstein meets Br'er Rabbit, this book might be for you.

On your nightstand now:

The Age of Calamities by Senaa Ahmad. I have literally been waiting for her short story collection since I first read "Let's Play Dead" in 2021. Also, Richard Siken's collection of prose poems I Do Know Some Things. I bought it as a gift for my husband who loved it so much that he is insisting I read it.

Favorite book when you were a child:

I was a big fan of Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth, which set me on a path of adoring books with wordplay, puzzles, and an absurdist kind of humor. As a kid, I spent many summers writing stories that were far less clever versions of that book, though my parents (bless them) never let on.

Your top five authors:

Toni Morrison is my number one, and I know that's not a unique answer, but it's true. Her work with language is just extraordinary. John Steinbeck has been a longtime favorite, and reading him always makes me feel distinctly Californian. Louise Erdrich's characters feel so alive, and I really connect to the way she crafts her stories. I feel the same way about Carmen Maria Machado's writing. I love spending time in her worlds, no matter how horrific they are. I was introduced to Helen Oyeyemi's work in grad school, and her punchy voice and play with fairy tales made her an instant favorite.

Book you've faked reading:

Walden by Henry David Thoreau. It was assigned in high school at the same time as two other books, and I just did not have time to read them all. That came back to bite me in college when a bunch of my friends wanted to visit Walden Pond, and I still had to pretend I'd read the book.

Book you're an evangelist for:

The Route of Ice and Salt by José Luis Zárate. Seductive, gay vampires on a boat! It's sensual and gothic and creepy and overflows with gorgeous prose (I read David Bowles's translation). It hits the perfect balance of uncanny and suspenseful and horrifically sexy and delightfully queer. And no one knows about it (at least, not in the United States)!

Book you've bought for the cover:

Ours by Phillip B. Williams, and it did NOT disappoint. That vibrant image of two Black kids in pastel outfits and haloes immediately caught my eye. That cover certainly captures the vibe: the lushness of Williams's language and the verdure of the setting in that incredible Afrosurrealist saga.

Book you hid from your parents:

I was one of the many preteens who saw Wicked the musical and then read the Gregory Maguire novel WAY too young. I am certain my parents had no idea how mature that book was, but I remember reading it in my closet because I thought they might suspect something. I especially did not want them to accidentally see the illustration before Part III.

Book that changed your life:

Anne Carson's Autobiography of Red. I was living in Vancouver and happened to wander into a reading by Carson. I was so delighted by her sense of humor that I bought the first book of hers I could find, which happened to be Autobiography. Reading that novel as a queer, lovesick 18-year-old completely blew me away. I had no idea you could play with mythology that way, or that you could write so tenderly and yet with such a sharp wit. I have introduced so many other readers to that book, and it is always a hit!

Favorite line from a book:

Since we're talking about Autobiography of Red: "Then he met Herakles and the kingdoms of his life all shifted down a few notches." I mean, if you're going to introduce a doomed romance, that's it!

Five books you'll never part with:

A Mercy is my favorite Toni Morrison novel. You can just feel her excitement to explore the characters' perspectives in a time period that predates race as we know it. East of Eden by John Steinbeck is a perfect epic, moving between deeply personal and biblical scales seamlessly. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong is filled with so much poetry and tenderness and yearning. I adore Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders because it is hilarious and contains such hauntingly bizarre imagery. I love novels with multiple points of view, and There There by Tommy Orange is a masterclass in weaving characters together in unexpected ways.

Book you most want to read again for the first time:

This is hard because I love revisiting books, and I think you notice so much more on the second, third, or 18th read. Maybe In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado. I have read that memoir four or five times from cover to cover, but it really is a completely different experience if you don't know the twists and turns it takes.

Darcy Whitecrow (Across the Ice) and comics author Cail Judy's Makade Asin/Black Stone is a striking and contemplative dual-language picture book based on a traditional Indigenous story. The work opens with a question: "When you are full of fear... how do you stop being afraid?" This query immediately situates readers within an emotional and philosophical framework that is effectively direct. The abstract tone, though, may require a moment of adjustment for younger audiences before the narrative's action begins.

An unnamed Indigenous child, depicted near a shadowy figure, seeks guidance from an elder, who instructs them to find a mysterious black stone that will lessen the hold of fear. The child embarks on a perilous trek through various landscapes: thick jungle, rushing waters, and quicksand. The episodic structure emphasizes moments of confrontation and self-realization as the child faces each challenge with increasing resolve. For example, the child dissipates tension in a meeting with a large cheetah by meeting its gaze, transforming fear into connection.

The full-bleed digital illustrations from Maya McKibbin (The Song That Called Them Home, with David A. Robertson) make powerful use of every inch of the page, even adding panels atop areas of blank space. Swirling, kinetic lines and jagged forms heighten the sense of danger and urgency, and contrasting colors distinguish emotional states. The spirit-like figure associated with the child's fear appears in a cooler palette with an outline of diffuse silver; the child is rendered in saturated greens and copper tones. The imagery is dense and immersive, reinforcing the intensity of the youth's experiences.

The bilingual presentation, with text in both Anishinaabemowin and English (translated by Pamela Johnson), adds an important cultural dimension. The narrative underscores themes of inner strength, cultural continuity, and self-discovery: "Look within," the child hears in the desert. "What do you see?" The conclusion remains deliberately open-ended. The elder's request--"Tell me how you faced your fears"--invites reflection rather than providing a fixed interpretation. Readers are given space to consider their own answers since the child's experiences are not neatly summarized. A closing note from Whitecrow states, "In my culture, vision quests are an important part of finding your path." Readers of any age--especially those with an appreciation for Daniel Nayeri and Matt Rockefeller's Drawn Onward--may leave Makade Asin/Black Stone with a feeling of strength, courage, solemnity, and creativity. --Julie Danielson

Shelf Talker: Makade Asin/Black Stone, a culturally grounded picture book about fear and self-discovery, invites readers to confront the unknown.