How coronavirus is affecting the literary world

We recognize that for many people, coronavirus coverage can greatly increase anxiety, and we don’t want to add any extra panic to your plate right now.

So we’ll try to keep any COVID-related links in just this post today and let the rest of the newswire remain relatively light.

Business effects

• Temporary bookstore closures expand nationwide

• How you can support bookstores during the coronavirus pandemic

• Coronavirus sees indie booksellers get inventive

• More help for booksellers as many events shift online

• Coronavirus has ground Chinese publishing to a halt

Reading material

• Pandemics from Homer to Stephen King: What we can learn from literary history

• Readers binge on books about pandemics (really)

• The first lines of 10 classic novels, rewritten for social distancing

• NPR’s virtual story hour on YouTube