In this week’s edition: Record sales at British publisher Bloomsbury, New Jersey is the second state to try to prevent book banning, U.S. and European lawmakers seek to develop an AI “code of conduct,” Simon & Schuster partners with BookTop influencers, and more.

Bloomsbury Sales Hit Record as Readers Opt for Affordable Entertainment
Financial Times
Sales growth for the publisher saw a huge boost from the success of the fantasy series by Sarah J. Maas and new digital academic resources.

Legislation in New Jersey Would Prohibit Libraries, Public Schools from Banning Books
ABC News
Following Illinois’s lead, New Jersey has proposed legislation that would limit the banning of books and put libraries at risk for losing their funding if they don’t abide.

EU and US Lawmakers Move to Draft AI Code of Conduct Fast
TechCrunch
A commission is calling to move ahead on the voluntary code of conduct with G7 and other key partners, as a stopgap measures until regulation is in place.

The2023 Plutarch Award for the Best Biography
Biographers International Organization
Jennifer Homans’ Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century (Random House) is the winner of the 2023 Plutarch Award for the Best Biography of 2022.

S&S UK Launches Publishing’s First Romance TikTok Creator House
The Bookseller
Simon & Schuster will work with BookTok influencers to promote half a dozen new romance novels.