Photos: Kids Can Press’s 40th anniversary at Forest of Trees

Franklin the Turtle and Scaredy Squirrel made appearances at Kids Can Press’s 40th anniversary party on May 16, joining thousands of children at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre as part of the Ontario Library Association’s Forest of Reading Festival of Trees.

Click on the thumbnails to see photos from the day.

Canadian Eliza Robertson wins regional Commonwealth prize, Nobel Prize speculation, and more

• Canadian writer Eliza Robertson named regional Commonwealth short-story prize winner 
• Tweet reveals five Nobel Prize in Literature candidates
• Amazon U.K. receives more grant money than it pays in taxes
• Hilary Mantel prefers books with action, gets impatient with romance
• Publishers experiment with digital-only titles

Big Six publishers to testify against Apple at ebook price-fixing trial

All Big Six publishers are expected to testify in U.S. federal court against Apple during its ebook price-fixing trial, which begins June 3.

According to a court document filed yesterday, executives from Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Random House, and Simon & Schuster will admit to conspiring with Apple to adopt the controversial agency model, in an attempt to increase ebook prices and quash Amazon as a competitor.

Last August, Hachette, HarperCollins, and S&S settled with the U.S. government, reimbursing ebook consumers for more than $69 million. Penguin settled in December and Macmillan in February, leaving Apple as the sole defendant. The original lawsuit filing alleges that the publishers colluded in “private dining rooms of upscale Manhattan restaurants,” an accusation denied by all parties in affidavits submitted to the court.

Maclean’s publishes “inside story” on Chris Hadfield mission

If you’re experiencing withdrawal since Chris Hadfield parachuted back to Earth last night, Maclean’s has you covered.

The weekly news magazine has launched its latest ebook, Chris Hadfield: #Good Morning, Earth, by reporter Kate Lunau. The book combines Lunau’s original reporting from NASA’s Johnson Space Center with Hadfield’s Twitter diary, photos, and space experiments.

Rumours are circulating that Hadfield has also signed a book deal, but there’s no word as to which publisher landed the deal.

Since February 2012, Maclean’s has published more than 20 digital titles, including most recently Maclean’s on Justin Trudeau and Maclean’s Portraits.

Toronto Star books columnist Greg Quill dies

Long-time Toronto Star books columnist and arts journalist Greg Quill died on Sunday. He was 66.

Quill was a well-known musician in his native Australia. He got his start in journalism writing about music, and was hired by the Toronto Star in 1984 as entertainment reporter, later becoming its books columnist.

Since the news of Quill’s death was released on Sunday night, members of the Canadian cultural community have been expressing their condolences on social media. Here are some remembrances from the publishing community:

Harper Lee sues agent, Hanif Kureishi loses life savings, and more

• Harper Lee sues literary agent over To Kill a Mockingbird royalties
• Hanif Kureishi loses life savings to suspected fraud
• How did graphic novels become libraries’ fastest-growing category?
• Guelph’s The Bookshelf* celebrates 40th anniversary
• Saul Bellow’s three sons reminisce about their father

*Correction, May 7: The source article incorrectly identified the name of the bookstore.

NASA’s Mars-haiku contest, Granta shutters NYC office, and more

• NASA wants haiku to accompany future Mars missions
• Granta closes New York office
• Claire Messud’s response to questions about “likeable” characters
  
• Dennis Lehane wins Edgar Award
• CIA officers use pseudonyms to review spy fiction for in-house journal

Free Comic Book Day approaches, Masha Gessen writing book about Tsarnaev brothers, and more

• Mark your calendar: May 4 is Free Comic Book Day
• Riverhead acquires rights to Masha Gessen’s book about Boston bombing suspects
• Copenhagen exhibition reveals Kierkegaard’s working methods
• Steven Soderbergh writes novella, tweet by tweet
• Forgotten Philip Larkin poem sold at auction

The Atlantic’s new ebook division, Anansi reveals BSS contest finalists, and more

• The Atlantic launches line of non-fiction e-singles
• House of Anansi announces longlist for Broken Social Scene story contest
• Hachette to offer entire ebook catalogue to libraries
• Kim Jong-il’s “court poet” to publish memoir
• Documents reveal AA Milne served as First World War propagandist

Harper Collins’ digital-first mystery imprint, Tripoli book fair attracts readers, and more

• HarperCollins announces digital-first mystery imprint
• Tripoli’s first second-hand book fair since 2011 war exceeds attendance expectations
• Cory Doctorow suggests publishers should fight e-retailers for data ownership
• J.J. Abrams partners with author Doug Dorst on first novel
• South Korean bookseller significantly cuts ebook prices to grow market