Kobo in Conversation

May 6, 2026

Hosts Michael Tamblyn and Nathan Maharaj dove deep on the controversy around the book Shy Girl, which was cancelled by its publisher who alleged it was largely AI-generated.

Links on Shy Girl:

• The video from January 2026 that seems to have led to Shy Girl's cancellation: i'm pretty sure this book is ai slop - YouTube

Feb 11, 2026

Hosts Michael Tamblyn and Nathan Maharaj caught up on the latest private equity-fueled mergers & acquisitions, what we're not talking about when we're talking about the money made from books, plus a whole lot more.

This episode covers:

• Rosetta Books acquired by Open Road Media
• Why private equity is (still) interested...

Oct 15, 2025

Hosts Michael Tamblyn and Nathan Maharaj caught up on a landmark legal decision about books and AI, the perils of bookstore merch, plus a whole lot more.

This episode covers:

• Anthropic AI v. Authors
  • and Authors v. Apple
• How Powell's Books' new mugs got them into hot water
• Barnes & Noble buying Books Inc.
• C-suite...

Apr 2, 2025

In our latest installment in this series, hosts Michael Tamblyn and Nathan Maharaj caught up on a book whose author they're not going to get to interview.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Meta's problem with an ex-employee's tell-all memoir
• The cognitive perils of being a billionaire
• The publishing perils of...

Oct 16, 2024

In our second installment in this new series, hosts Michael Tamblyn and Nathan Maharaj sat down to go over some of the latest goings-on since summer in the business of books.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Is AI a no-go for NaNoWriMo?
• Audible announces AI narration—as a side hustle for human narrators
• B&N needs more...