The growth of the manga subcategory (series-driven Japanese comic books and graphic novels) over the past years has been staggering. It is currently one of the fastest growing areas of comic books and narrative fiction, according to global information company The NPD Group, far outpacing growth in the total adult-comic/graphic-novel category.

Bring on the celebration!

Each June in the USA and around the world, celebrations of LGBTQ Month include parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and Pride Month events attract millions of participants. As ever, PRH and its distributed clients have a multitude of books to recognize the impact that LGBTQ individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally, including Fiction and Non-Fiction.

One in five Americans listens to audiobooks, with those numbers increasing significantly during the pandemic. Audiobook consumers listen to relax, to be entertained, to escape, and to learn new things. Families listen together on car trips. People listen while working out, doing nothing, taking a quiet walk, cleaning the house.

Summer is just around the corner and people are thinking about and planning road trips. Help them get even more inspired with these classic and contemporary narratives that involve road trips.

In May, Americans pay tribute to generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success. At no time have these Americans needed to see the country acknowledge and celebrate the rich heritages thousands of years old and the people who have shaped United States history. 

Asian-Americans are the nation’s fastest-growing racial group, and for the last year have suffered considerably in an ever-present racist atmosphere. Encourage booksellers to show their support more than ever with a variety of ideas for promotion during this holiday.

“On June 19, 1865, Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and told slaves of their emancipation. That day came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. While the holiday was informally commemorated in later years, Texas became the first state to make it a state holiday in 1980. Last year, numerous states, cities and colleges across the US moved to recognize it as an official holiday.” (CNN)

As more companies designate Juneteenth an official work holiday, and the work of racial reckoning is at the forefront of our national priorities, Juneteenth becomes a more recognized historical celebration. Help booksellers help their customers understand this holiday with fiction and non-fiction that shines a light on the past and present.

Illustration: news.crunchbase.com

With more people vaccinated and public places reopening, Covid-isolated readers are likely to be out and about in the summer of ’21. They’ll be looking for relaxation and fun, and PRH titles will be perfect companions, whether at the beach or relaxing on the back porch.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, providing readers with a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Here are titles on the Penguin Classics lists by African-American writers.

Turn the tassels and toss your caps in the air—graduation season is approaching! Celebrate the achievements of hard-working students everywhere with this collection of PRH and distributed client titles perfectly suited for graduation gifts.

Although many think of St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) as a day of parading and imbibing, St Patrick’s Day is a global celebration of Irish culture. It particularly remembers St Patrick, one of Ireland’s patron saints, who ministered Christianity in Ireland during the fifth century. To commemorate this holiday, bookstores and libraries may choose to focus on the wealth of exceptional writing by Irish writers, or books set in the country. 

Over five decades after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death, American society is still working towards the dream that he envisioned. These ten essential books shed light on these decades after Dr. King’s life, the Civil Rights movement, and show how his legacy has shaped the past half-century. These titles share the experiences of activists, lawyers, and journalists about the ongoing and necessary work towards racial equality. (Courtesy PRH.com)

In late February, Putnam’s THOSE WHO ARE SAVED will join other World War II novels that have deeply satisfied readers’ curiosity and compassion about the war. To celebrate that publication, ask accounts to consider doing promotions around WWII titles, both fiction and non-fiction.