Cécile Mahon seeks crowdfunding for her novel

Former air force officer Cécile Mahon has started a crowdfunding campaign on Ulule to fund a collector's edition of her second novel, La Forêt n'oublie pas, which is part of her Captain Watson trilogy. The story continues the adventures of the Nautilus, a submarine crewed by magical beings and led by a claustrophobic sorceress.

Setting and plot of the novel

The novel follows the Nautilus as it travels from the ruins of the Library of Alexandria to Singapore. Its mission involves rescuing a crew member's sister and uncovering a system that captures magical beings and turns their powers into weapons. Themes of loyalty, exploitation, and the lingering effects of violence are explored, particularly through the interactions between French soldiers and fey creatures.

Research and inspiration for Singapore

Before writing the novel, Mahon conducted reconnaissance in Singapore to study its history and current social and political issues, especially the treatment of immigrant workers. This research shaped the novel’s depiction of Singapore, where prosperity hides places of captivity and suffering.

Background of the author

Mahon has a degree in Japanese literature and the geopolitics of Asia. She previously served in the Air Force and now runs Allure Éditions, a publishing house she founded in 2021. The crowdfunding campaign aims to create a collector's edition in France, using local illustrators and avoiding major on-demand printing platforms like Amazon KDP.

Other literary projects on Ulule

Ulule is also hosting a variety of other literary projects, including the revival of Jeux & Stratégie as a printed magazine and the launch of Vents contraires Éditions by editors Iris Delhoum and Elsa Pradier. Other projects include the feminist historical romance Three against you and the novel The Revenge of the Mimosa, which explores family drama and resilience.

Publishing industry developments

In the publishing world, Daniel Křetínský, owner of Editis, has received approval from the European Commission to buy Fnac Darty, potentially giving him control of a major French publishing group and a top book retailer. The European Commission is also considering how to use funds collected by collective management organizations to support rights holders and the public.

Global publishing trends and challenges

In the United States, publishing revenue increased by 8.9% in August 2026, driven by trade books and paper, while ebook sales dropped. Meanwhile, the Authors Guild in the U.S. has raised concerns about AI's potential threat to copyright in Australia. In Canada, the Poetry in Transit program, which has featured poetry on public transport since 1996, may face funding cuts.

Notable deaths and controversies

Several notable figures in the literary world have recently passed away, including Cem Akaş, a Turkish publisher, and Antoine Spire, a French journalist and former president of the French PEN Club. In Georgia, a government initiative to standardize school textbooks has faced criticism from the International Publishers Association. In Florida, a federal court ruled that school board members could be held accountable for books removed from libraries.