LibraryThing: State of the Thing - July

LibraryThing: State of the Thing Dear {NAME}, Welcome to the July State of the Thing! This month we announce some LT2 updates to Site Search and other LibraryThing pages, highlight TinyCat’s Library of the Month and a TinyCat feature improvement, dish out lots of book world news, present all of our regular columns, and offer 3,157 free Early Reviewer books! You can like LibraryThing on [Facebook]( and follow [@LibraryThing]( on Twitter and [librarythingofficial]( on Instagram for news and updates. More Pages Updated Our LT2 project—updating LibraryThing page by page—added a number of new pages this month. Chief among them is the [Search page](, which now uses high-resolution covers, provides popup hover previews via the work links, and is far more accessible for mobile users. Other pages to get the LT2 treatment include: - Common Knowledge: [Places]( | [Characters](Deschain) | [Events](epidemic) | [Awards](York+Times+bestseller) - Local: [Add Venue]( - [Combine works]( - [Import]( and [Export]( - The [LibraryThing Widget]( - [Cover Guess]( To learn more, please join the conversation over in [Talk](. List of the Month July List of the Month. Rabbits struggling for survival, mice with swords, wise old spiders—the world of fiction is filled with fascinating animal characters. Our List of the Month this July is devoted to our [Favorite Animal Fiction](. Head on over, and add your top ten picks. Check out other recent Lists of the Month: - June. [Pre-1969 LGBTQ Literature]( - May. [EU Fiction: 1950-2022]( - April. [Favorite Recent Poetry: 1980-2022]( - March. [A Ukraine Reading List]( - February. ​​[Favorite Short Fiction]( See our [wiki page]( for a complete List of the Month list, and join us over in our [Talk group]( for further discussion of the project. The Talk of LibraryThing What conversations are going on in our groups? - Discussion of the [Best Classical Concerts]( attended by members is ongoing, over in the [Classical Music]( group.. - An exploration of [What Fiction Can Teach Us About History]( is being undertaken by our [Reading Through Time]( members. - The competing virtues of different fine press editions of [Frankenstein]( are [being debated]( by members of the [Fine Press Forum](. - Book [Articles, Reviews, Announcements & Lists]( continue to be posted by member [featherbear](, over in the [Book Talk]( group.. Speaking of Groups, if you’re new to LibraryThing, there’s a group for that: [Welcome to LibraryThing](21)! Hot on LibraryThing Here are some titles that have been particularly hot on LibraryThing in the last month: - [Lore Olympus: Volume Two]( by [Rachel Smythe]( - [The Bodyguard]( by [Katherine Center]( - [Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow]( by [Gabrielle Zevin]( - [The House Across the Lake]( by [Riley Sager]( - [Twin Crowns]( by [Catherine Doyle]( - [Upgrade]( by [Blake Crouch]( - [The It Girl]( by [Ruth Ware]( - [Horse]( by [Geraldine Brooks]( - [Lapvona]( by [Ottessa Moshfegh]( - [Terms and Conditions]( by [Lauren Asher]( - [An Immense World]( by [Ed Yong]( - [The Hotel Nantucket]( by [Elin Hilderbrand]( - [Twisted Love]( by [Ana Huang]( - [A Prayer for the Crown-Shy]( by [Becky Chambers]( - [The Fine Print]( by [Lauren Asher]( - [She Gets the Girl]( by [Rachael Lippincott]( - [The Locked Room]( by [Elly Griffiths]( - [How to Kill Your Family]( by [Bella Mackie]( - [Good Girl Complex]( by [Elle Kennedy]( - [Nick and Charlie]( by [Alice Oseman]( Hot in Libraries Here's what's hot across [thousands of public libraries]( in the United States: - [Where the Crawdads Sing]( by [Delia Owens]( - [The Hotel Nantucket]( by [Elin Hilderbrand]( - [The House Across the Lake]( by [Riley Sager]( - [Verity]( by [Colleen Hoover]( - [It Ends with Us]( by [Colleen Hoover]( - [The Summer I Turned Pretty]( by [Jenny Han]( - [Sparring Partners]( by [John Grisham]( - [The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo]( by [Taylor Jenkins Reid]( - [The 6:20 Man]( by [David Baldacci]( - [Lessons in Chemistry]( by [Bonnie Garmus]( - [Escape]( by [James Patterson]( - [Book Lovers]( by [Emily Henry]( - [Horse]( by [Geraldine Brooks]( - [The It Girl]( by [Ruth Ware]( - [The Last Thing He Told Me]( by [Laura Dave]( - [The Paris Apartment]( by [Lucy Foley]( - [The Midnight Library]( by [Matt Haig]( - [Reminders of Him]( by [Colleen Hoover]( - [The Measure]( by [Nikki Erlick]( - [Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow]( by [Gabrielle Zevin]( To see what was popular in June 2022, visit the [Syndetics Unbound News / Blog](. This data was collected by Syndetics Unbound, a LibraryThing/ProQuest project to enrich the library catalog. The search data is fully anonymized the day it is collected. For more information about Syndetics Unbound, please visit [Syndetics.com](?utm_source=LT&utm_medium=sott&utm_id=main). Free Books from Early Reviewers! Our Early Reviewers program pairs publishers and authors looking for reviews and book buzz with readers looking for their next great read. This month we’re pleased to feature [South Central Noir](, the newest entry in the [Akashic Noir]( anthology series from [Akashic Books](; [Let No One Sleep](, an English-language translation of [Juan José Millás](’ work, done by [Thomas Bunstead]( and offered by [Bellevue Literary Press](; and [My Mother’s Secret](, our first title from Minnesota-based publisher [History Through Fiction](. Explore the full list and [sign up to request books](. [Let No One Sleep]( [The Lost Melody]( [The Mad, Mad Murders of Marigold Way]( [South Central Noir]( [The Secrets of Emberwild]( [Word of Honor]( [Speak to the Winds]( [Book of Extraordinary Tragedies]( [My Mother's Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region]( [Anything but Plain]( [Body of Evidence]( [Alzheimer's Canyon: One Couple's Reflections on Living with Dementia]( [All that Glitters]( [The City Beneath the Hidden Stars]( [Are All Lives Equal? Why Cost Benefit Analysis Values Rich Lives More and How Philosophy Can Fix it]( [Best of British Science Fiction 2021]( [Dylan Dover: Into the Vortex]( [DragonSin]( [Miranda Writes]( [Bloody Pages]( Our July batch of Early Reviewers has 3,157 copies of 145 books. The deadline to request a book is July 25th, 6pm Eastern time. Did you win a book recently? When you receive your book, make sure you head over to your [Books You've Won]( page to mark it received. After you've read your book, add your review to LibraryThing. First, add the book to your LibraryThing catalog. Then click the pencil-shaped "edit" icon next to the book, or click "edit book" from the work page. Type your review into the Review box, and click "submit" to save it. Reviewing your books gives you a greater chance of winning books in the future, while neglecting to review lowers your odds. For more information, visit the [Early Reviewers Help Page](. Book World News: In Memoriam Dutch poet and author [Remco Campert](, part of De Vijftigers (The Fifties) literary movement of experimental poetry that began in the late 1940s in the Netherlands and Belgium, [has died at the age of 92](. Campert was the son of [Jan Campert](, a writer and member of the Dutch resistance during World War II who died in the Neuengamme concentration camp. In 1956, he won the [Jan Campert Prijs](20Campertprijs) (Jan Campert Prize), named for his father, for his [Met man en muis](. He also won the [Anne Frank Prijs](Frank-prijs) (Anne Frank Prize) in 1958 for his [Vogels vliegen toch](, as well as the [Gouden Ganzenveer]( (Golden Goose Feather) in 2011, and the [Prijs der Nederlandse Letteren]( (Dutch Literature Prize) in 2015. British novelist and journalist [Susie Steiner](, perhaps best known for her [Manon Bradshaw]( mystery series, [has died at the age of 51](. Steiner was a staff writer and editor at [The Guardian]( newspaper for eleven years, and published her debut novel, [Homecoming](, in 2013. She launched the Manon Bradshaw series, praised by [Philip Pullman]( as “police procedural with real imagination and heart and a marvellous lightness of style and wit,” in 2016, with [Missing, Presumed](. In addition to her work as a journalist and novelist, Steiner also wrote extensively about her experience losing her eyesight to retinitis pigmentosa, and finding herself fully blind at the time of the publication of her first book. Beloved Japanese manga artist and game creator [Kazuki Takahashi](, celebrated for his popular [Yu-Gi-Oh!](21) (King of Games) series, [has died at the age of 60](. The Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, including a spin-off manga series, an anime television series, films, video games, and trading card games, is one of the highest-grossing media franchises in the world. The most recent video game, which debuted this past January, has been downloaded 30 million times. Prolific American science fiction author [Eric Flint](, who is notable for having spent most of his working life as a longshoreman, machinist and labor organizer, before launching his writing career later in life, [has died at the age of 75](. Flint is particularly known for his [Assiti Shards]( series, which began in 2000 with the novel [1632](, and which concerns the transplantation of a West Virginia mining town into the middle of Europe’s Thirty Years War. He is also celebrated for his many collaborations with other writers, and the encouragement and professional assistance he offered to newcomers in the genre. Together with his publisher, [Baen Books](, he was the founder of the [Baen Free Library](, an experimental digital library of science fiction and fantasy titles that are free to the public, and can be downloaded without copy protection. [Joan Lingard](, a British author who wrote close to sixty novels for both children and adults, [has died at the age of 90](. Born in Scotland, Lingard spent her formative years in Belfast, Northern Ireland—a setting that would inform much of her work. She is particularly remembered for her series of novels about [Kevin and Sadie](, two Belfast teens who fall in love across the sectarian divide in Troubles-era Northern Ireland. The first of these books was [The Twelfth Day of July](, and numerous commentators have noted that Ms. Lingard passed away on that same date. Other losses in the book world this past month: - [Suzanne Bellamy](, Australian artist and writer, [has died at 74](. - [David Blackwood](, Canadian artist and printmaker, [has died at 80](. - [Peter Brook](, English theater and film director, [has died at 97](. - [Bobby Byrd](, American poet and publisher, [has died at 80](. - [David Dalton](, British-born American rock journalist, [has died at 80](. - [Jerome M. Eisenberg](, American antiquities expert, [has died at 92](. - [David Weiss Halivni](, American-Israeli rabbi and Talmudic scholar, [has died at 94](. - [Nikolai Krogius](, Russian chess grandmaster, [has died at 91](. - [John Merriman](, American historian and scholar, [has died at 75](. - [Frank Moorhouse](, Australian author and activist, [has died at 83](. - [Ni Kuang](, Hong Kong novelist and screenwriter, [has died at 87](. - [Eugenio Scalfari](, Italian journalist and author, [has died at 98](. - [Richard Taruskin](, American musicologist and music critic, [has died at 77](. - [Marcia Willett](, English dance instructor and novelist, [has died at 76](. Book World News: Freedom of Expression The [IPA]( (International Publishers Association) has [expressed concern]( about the ongoing harassment of Thai publisher Thanapol Eawsakul, the editor-in-chief of [Same Sky Books](, an academic press known for its political and cultural criticism. Eawsakul [was arrested at the end of June]( for violating Thailand’s Computer Crimes Act by allegedly sharing information that could undermine national security. He was released shortly thereafter, when MP Rangsiman Rome used his influence to secure bail, but he must now report to the authorities every fifteen days. Eawsakul and his publishing house have been in and out of trouble with Thai authorities since 2006, with the most recent incident being the confiscation of his computer and mobile devices, this past January. As we reported in [last month’s issue]( of SOTT, Same Sky Books is on the [shortlist for this year’s IPA Prix Voltaire](, which recognizes “publishers – individuals, groups or organizations – who stand firm on freedom to publish.” Increasing Chinese censorship of Taiwainese books has [recently been reported]( by Beijing booksellers. Previously, most books published in Taiwan could be imported to the People’s Republic, but now entire publishers have been blacklisted, due to their publication of books on “sensitive” topics, while some volumes, arriving after many months’ delay, have had sections cut out. Books currently banned in China include [China: A History in Objects](, written by [Jessica Harrison-Hall]( and published by the British Museum; [Naked Earth]( and [The Rice-Sprout Song]( by Chinese-American author [Eileen Chang](; and a work on the Chinese Civil War by Malaysian-Taiwanese author [Ng Kim Chew](. In the United States, the conflict over library curation and classroom curriculum, covered in many past issues of SOTT, is ongoing. NPR reports that many state legislatures are pushing laws that would give lawmakers [greater control over public libraries](. Hearings for the Virginia Beach obscenity lawsuit, which challenges the distribution to children of [A Court of Mist and Fury]( by [Sarah J. Maas]( and [Gender Queer: A Memoir]( by [Maia Kobabe](, have [been scheduled for August](. Meanwhile, the public library in Vinton, Iowa has [closed indefinitely](, following the mass resignation of staff, due to local criticism of LGBTQ-themed book displays, and LGBTQ staff. Book World News: Awards Awards and Prizes. [Jesamyn Ward]( has [been named]( as the winner of the 2022 [Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction](, meant to “honor an American literary writer whose body of work is distinguished not only for its mastery of the art but also for its originality of thought and imagination,” and which has “told us something about the American experience.” Librarian of Congress [Carla Hayden]( praised Ward’s literary vision, which “continues to become more expansive and piercing, addressing urgent questions about racism and social injustice being voiced by Americans,” and described her writing as “precise yet magical.” This year’s [ALS Gold Medal](Gold+Medal), given out annually by the [Association for the Study of Australian Literature]( (ASAL) to the best contribution to Australian literature from the preceding year, has [been awarded]( to [Andy Jackson]( for his poetry collection [Human Looking](. The judges praised Jackson’s book as a “sharp and brilliant collection,” one that “illuminates the world differently and gives us a new way to see.” The [Mary Gilmore Award](20Gilmore%20Prize) for the best first book of poetry, also given out by ASAL, was awarded to [Jelena Dinić]( for her [In the Room with the She Wolf](, while the [Magarey Medal for Biography](20Medal) has gone to [Bernadette Brennan]( for [Leaping into Waterfalls: The Enigmatic Gillian Mears](. The winners of this year’s [Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards](20Australian%20Premier's%20Book%20Awards) have [been announced](, with the Premier’s Prize for an Emerging Writer going to [Elfie Shiosaki]( for her [Homecoming](, and the Premier’s Prize for Writing for Children going to [Shirley Marr]( for her [A Glasshouse of Stars](. The [Daisy Utemorrah Award for Unpublished Indigenous Junior and YA Writing]( has gone to Mariah Sweetman for her forthcoming book, “Robert Runs.” The 2022 winners of the [Chief Minister’s NT Book Awards](20Minister%E2%80%99s%20NT%20Book%20Awards), given out annually to authors from Australia's Northern Territory, [have been named](. In the Fiction category, the winner is [Dani Powell]( for [Return to Dust](, while the winner in the Nonfiction category is [Kieran Finnane]( for [Peace Crimes: Pine Gap, National Security and Dissent](. The winner in the Children’s and Young Adult category is the [NPY Women’s Council]( for their [Tjanimaku Tjukurpa: How one man came good](. In Canada, the 2022 [Griffin Poetry Prize](Poetry+Prize) winners [have been announced](. In the Canadian category, [Tolu Oloruntoba]( has won for [The Junta of Happenstance](, which the jury praised as colliding “the language of revolution with the landscapes of the body,” thereby producing “exquisite poems” that “leave an imprint both violent and terrifyingly beautiful.” In the International category, American poet [Douglas Kearney]( has won for [Sho](, described by the jury as “Kearney’s genius, vulnerability, and virtuosity on full display.” The winner of the [Feltrinelli International Poetry Prize](, awarded every five years by the [Accademia dei Lincei]( in Rome, [has been announced](, and the prestigious prize has gone to Irish poet [Michael Longley](. The judges praised Longley for "the extraordinary relevance of his themes and their cultural implications, as well as the very high stylistic quality of his oeuvre.” Ukrainian author [Serhiy Zhadan]( has [been announced as the winner]( of the [Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels]( (Peace Prize of the German Book Trade), awarded since 1950 to demonstrate “the book trade's commitment to serving international understanding between nations and cultures.” The statement from the judges read: "Thoughtful and listening, in a poetic and radical tone, Serhij Zhadan explores how, despite all the violence, people in Ukraine are trying to lead an independent life determined by peace and freedom." The 2022 [Orwell Prize](20Prize) winners [have been announced](. Given annually by the [The Orwell Foundation](, these awards are named for [George Orwell](, and recognize the best in political writing. The winner in the non-fiction category is [My Fourth Time, We Drowned: Seeking Refuge on the World's Deadliest Migration Route]( by [Sally Hayden](, while in the fiction category, the winner is [Small Things Like These]( by [Claire Keegan](. This year’s [Walter Scott Prize](Scott+Prize), named for the famous Scottish author of such classic works as [Ivanhoe](, and celebrating excellence in historical fiction, [has “returned home,”]( going to Scottish author [James Robertson]( for his [News of the Dead](. The judges said: ‘The novel fulfils in abundance the prize’s key criteria of ambition, originality, innovation, enduring appeal and quality of writing and we hope readers will enjoy not just the glen itself with all its ‘dangers and gifts, its capabilities and limitations’, but the cast of characters the author assembles, always with a twinkle in his eye.” The [PEN/Pinter Prize](, established in 2009 in memory of Nobel-Laureate playwright [Harold Pinter](, and awarded annually by [English PEN]( to a writer from the UK, Republic of Ireland or Commonwealth nation who “casts an ‘unflinching, unswerving’ gaze upon the world, and shows a ‘fierce intellectual determination… to define the real truth of our lives and our societies’,” has gone to [Malorie Blackman](. Blackman, who is the first writer for young people to win the award, [was praised by the judges](, who said that “for more than two decades she has delivered visionary and challenging work that resonates far beyond the written page.” The award will be shared with an “International Writer of Courage,” to be named by Blackman at the award ceremony this coming October. In other news from English Pen, this year’s [PEN/Ackerley Prize](Prize), which recognizes the best in British literary autobiography, has gone to [Frances Stonor Saunders]( for her [The Suitcase: Six Attempts to Cross a Border](. Saunders' work was [praised by the judges]( as “not only a riveting and elegantly constructed detective story, but… a subtle and profoundly moving meditation on borders and belonging, nationality and displacement, and the far-reaching effects of major historical events upon the lives of individuals caught up in them.” The winner of the 2022 [Wolfson History Prize](20History%20Prize), awarded annually by the [Wolfson Foundation]( in order to promote excellence in the writing of history for the general public, [has been announced](, with [Clare Jackson]( taking home the honors for her [Devil Land: England Under Siege, 1588-1688](. The judges declared the book a “masterpiece that will change our view of the 17th century. Exciting and well-written, it provides fresh insights by looking at England through European eyes.” The [Desmond Elliott Prize](20Elliott%20Prize), an annual award for a debut novel written in English and published in the UK, [has been given]( to [Maddie Mortimer](, for her [Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies](. Judge chair and 2020 winner [Derek Owusu]( said that Mortimer’s book was “full of poetry and wonder, interior and exterior examination, sadness, though without the pessimism that sometimes accompanies it, love, and through all things, hope.” The winners of this year’s [CWA Dagger Awards](, which honor the best in crime writing, [have been announced](. The winner of both the [CWA Gold Dagger](20Gold%20Dagger) and the [Ellis Peters Historical Dagger](Ellis+Peters+Historical+Dagger) was [Ray Celestin]( for his [Sunset Swing](, the fourth installment of his [City Blue Quartet](. The winner of the [Ian Fleming Steel Dagger](20Ian%20Fleming%20Steel%20Dagger) was [M.W. Craven]( for [Dead Ground](, the fourth in the [Washington Poe]( series. [Janice Hallett]( has won the [John Creasey New Blood Dagger](20John%20Creasey%20New%20Blood%20Dagger) for her [The Appeal](. The [Gold Dagger for Nonfiction](20Gold%20Dagger%20for%20Non-Fiction) went to [Julia Laite]( for her [The Disappearance of Lydia Harvey: A True Story of Sex, Crime and the Meaning of Justice](. For a complete list of winners, see [this announcement](. The [Trillium Book Awards](20Award), established in 1987 to recognize excellence in Ontario writers and writing, [have been awarded]( in multiple categories. In the Fiction category, the English-language winner is [Ann Shin]( for her [The Last Exiles](, while the French-language winner is [Robert Marinier]( for [Un conte de l’apocalypse](. In the Poetry category, the English-language winner is [Bardia Sinaee]( for [Intruder](, while the French-language winner is [Chloé LaDuchesse]( for [Exosquelette](. In the UK, the winners of the [Northern Writers Awards](, established in 2000 in support of “work-in-progress by new, emerging and established writers across the North of England,” [have been announced](. The award for Fiction has gone to [Katie Hale](, whose debut novel, [My Name is Monster](, was published in 2019. The winners in the Poetry category include [Kit Fan](, [Hannah Hodgson]( and [Suzanne Batty](, while the winner in the Children’s Novel category is [Karon Alderman](. See the complete list of winners [here](. Discontinued Awards: In sad news for the book world, it [was recently announced]( that the [Costa Book Awards](, which had run for half a century in the UK, were being scrapped. The surprise announcement was made by award sponsor [Costa Coffee]( in early June, and [was greeted with dismay](. No explanation has been given for the decision to discontinue the awards. In early July it was announced that the [Blue Peter Book Awards](Peter+Book+Award), run by the UK’s [Book Trust]( since 2000, and presented in recognition of excellence in both fiction and nonfiction writing for children, would [also be coming to an end](. The decision by the Book Trust has been described as a “horrible loss” for the children’s book world. The [Desmond Elliott Prize](20Elliott%20Prize) (mentioned above), in the meantime, has announced that [they will be on hiatus next year](, while the [Sunday Times Short Story Award]( might also be discontinued, depending upon their ability to find a new sponsor. Additional Award-Winners This Month: [The Alligator’s Mouth Award]( | [The AKO Caine Prize for African Writing]( | [The Branford Boase Award]( | [The CLMP Firecracker Awards]( | [The CLPE Children’s Poetry Award]( | [The Commonwealth Short Story Prize]( | [The COVR Visionary Awards]( | [The Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize]( | [The Indie Book Awards]( | [​​The Kraszna-Krausz Photography and Moving Image Book Awards]( | [The Michael Gifkins Prize]( | [The Pleasure of Reading Prize]( | [The Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction]( | [The RNA Joan Hessayon Award]( | [The Selfies Book Awards: US]( | [The Text Prize]( | [The Whiting Literary Magazine Prizes]( | [The William Mills Prize for Nonfiction Polar Books]( Other Book World News Bookselling and Publishing A labor conflict at the New York headquarters of [HarperCollins]( has recently boiled over, with unionized workers [authorizing a strike]( earlier this month, if their demands for a new contract were not met. The publishing company and the union—Local 2110 of the UAW (United Auto Workers)—have been in negotiation since December, 2021. [July 20th was chosen]( for the day of the strike, [which was underway]( at the time that SOTT was going to press. The publisher [Macmillan]( has been confronting trouble of a different kind, in the meantime, experiencing a cyber attack in late June that forced their computer systems offline and [left them unable to fulfill orders]( for close to a week. The situation initially affected the U.S. division of the company, where offices were closed as a result, before it [spread to the UK](. The company [announced on July 1st]( that it had made progress on restoring its systems, and it was [able to begin processing orders again]( on July 4th. 2022 [book sales were down 6.6%]( in the first quarter in the United States, it has been reported, with [print book sales then dropping 8.8% in July](. French [book sales were down 6%]( in the first half of the year, while European book sales overall [have also decreased](. Sweden was an exception to the trend, with [sales increasing by 4%]( in the first quarter. In the legal sphere, the European Parliament has [recently passed the Digital Services Act](, which is meant to curtail digital piracy. The passage was praised by the [Federation of European Publishers]( (FEP), who nevertheless said that the legislation did not go far enough. Amazon, in the meantime, is [facing scrutiny in both Germany and the UK]( over antitrust issues. Book lovers the world over were distressed by [the recent fire at the Giannino Stoppani Children’s Bookstore]( in Bologna, a popular destination for visitors to the city, particularly attendees at the annual [Bologna Children’s Book Fair](. In late June, another bookstore—the [Sacco Company Catholic Store]( in Houston, Texas—[was also struck by fire](, and mostly destroyed. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Library and Literary News [Ada Limón]( has been named as the [next Poet Laureate of the United States](. Limón has published six books, has been awarded a Guggenheim fellowship, and has won a [National Book Critics Circle Award](Book+Critics+Circle+Award) for her [The Carrying: Poems]( and the [Pushcart Prize](Prize) for her poem, "[How to Triumph Like a Girl](." She hosts a poetry podcast, [The Slowdown](, and will assume her duties as Poet Laureate this coming fall. Librarian of Congress [Carla Hayden]( has said that Limón’s “accessible, engaging poems ground us in where we are and who we share our world with. They speak of intimate truths, of the beauty and heartbreak that is living, in ways that help us move forward.” In Wales, Welsh-Iraqi writer [Hanan Issa]( has [been named National Poet](, the first Muslim to hold the position. Of mixed heritage, Issa grew up speaking multiple languages, including the Arabic of her Iraqi grandparents, as well as Welsh. Her first collection, [My Body Can House Two Hearts](, was published in 2019. As part of her tenure as National Poet, she hopes to reintroduce many people to the ancient Welsh poetic form of cynghanedd (harmony), which uses stress, alliteration and rhyme within each line of verse to create a particular sound pattern. [Joseph Coelho]( has been [chosen as the new Children’s Laureate]( for the UK, taking over from [Cressida Cowell](. Coelho, whose 2014 poetry debut, [Werewolf Club Rules and Other Poems](, won the [CLPE CLiPPA](20/%20Centre%20for%20Literacy%20in%20Primary%20Poetry%20Award) award, plans to focus on making poetry accessible to children as one of his main campaigns as laureate. Former UK Children’s Laureate [Michael Rosen]( has marked the 75th anniversary of the publication of [The Diary of Young Girl]( with his poem, “[Sonnet for Anne Frank](,” which seeks to explore the “awful paradox” created by the reader’s appreciation for Frank’s bright spirit, and simultaneous knowledge of her ultimate fate. In further poetry news, previously unpublished poems by [Ted Hughes](—deeply personal pieces about the suicide of his partner, Assia Wevill, and the death of their daughter—are currently [being auctioned at Sothebys](. TinyCat Improvements Feature Improvement. We are pleased to announce that TinyCat’s [Check in/out page]( is now session-based rather than user-based. This means that you can now have multiple people using the Check in/out page at the same time without overwriting each other’s changes. This is an especially great improvement since we added [Admin User Roles]( to TinyCat. If you have multiple staff or volunteers checking items in/out at the same time, you can each use your own Admin User login and browser on the Check in/out page—or you could use the same login with a different browser—with no crossed wires. Please see our [Talk thread]( for more information. TinyCat Webinars. To learn more about TinyCat, join Kristi for a live demo Wednesdays at 1pm Eastern. Webinars are now on Zoom, so make sure to use our new [link to attend](. You can also check out our playlists of Tiny Tutorials on [LibraryThing's YouTube channel](, where Kristi walks you through various features of TinyCat in 30 seconds or less. If you'd like to schedule a webinar at another time or if you have other questions about TinyCat, you can reach Kristi at tinycat@librarything.com. Please also follow [@TinyCat_Lib]( on Twitter for the latest TinyCat news. Tinycat Library of the Month of the Month. TinyCat’s featured library this month is a timely one: [Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin’s]( Community Library, the [Maurice Ritz Resource Center](. The Center’s Resource and Training Specialist, Anne Brosowsky-Roth, sat down with Kristi this month to answer her questions about the organization and their library. Q. Who are you, and what is your mission—your “raison d’être”?: The Maurice Ritz Resource Center is the Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin Community Library. It was founded in 1972 with seed money donated by a board member. It is Wisconsin’s only library dedicated to human sexuality and sex education. Housed in the Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin’s Milwaukee headquarters, it provides materials and resources for parents, educators, health care providers, social workers, case managers, youth workers, and others working to improve their capacity when addressing sexuality with their own children, students, patients, clients, and participants. The collection includes over 3,000 books, curricula, and audiovisuals. The resource center also houses a non-circulating research collection of historical materials relating to human sexuality dating from the 19th century onward. Find the [full interview on our blog](. On that note, that's all I have for the Thing this month! Happy reading, Abigail PS: If you'd rather receive a plain-text version, [edit your email preferences](. You can also read it [online](. This message was sent to {NAME}. Click to [edit your email preferences or unsubscribe from future emails](.