logoActivities

Alliance’s programme for 2024

1. The Alliance, a space for experimentation and reflection through the Bibliodiversity Observatory
Continue the analyses, reflections and advocacy via the 4 thematic working groups

  • Book ecology
  • Digital publishing: workshops on artificial intelligence
  • Public book policies: mapping public book policies in the Arab world (launch as part of a book fair in the Arab world at the end of 2024) + Guide to Good Practice for public book purchasing (translation and adaptation of this Guide for other geographical and linguistic areas)
  • Freedom to publish: publication of transversal analyses and a series of interviews and podcasts

Equipping and documenting international independent publishing

  • Guide to Good Practice (see here)
  • Bibliodiversité journal (see here): special issue on precariousness in 2024

2. The Alliance, a space for collaboration and sharing
Sharing practices and expertise between publishers; meeting up and strengthening the flow of exchanges

  • Workshops and exchanges of know-how, within the thematic groups and as part of Babelica
  • Virtual meetings, workshops and training sessions on themes defined with the Alliance’s thematic groups (with a particular focus on artificial intelligence and other themes).
  • On-site training (venue to be confirmed) for publishing houses in French-speaking Africa
  • Professional meetings at the Brussels Book Fair (4-7 April 2024) 

3. The Alliance, a tool for the promotion and the visibility of independent publishing
To encourage the visibility and promotion of independent publishing; to promote the circulation of books and other publications by independent publishing houses

  • Babelica (see here), September 2024 (book fair, meetings and discussions dedicated to international independent publishing)
  • Tehran Book Fair, Uncensored (see here)
  • Presence of members at book fairs and exhibitions in 2024

4. The Alliance, a laboratory of alternative publishing practices
Pursue and strengthen solidarity-based publishing partnerships (transfer of rights, translations, co-publications, etc.)

  • Publishing groups by catalogue affinity (literature, humanities and social sciences and children’s literature): online project fairs (transfer of rights, exchanges on publishing projects) + support for transfer of rights and co-publications (see here)
  • Publishing projects in progress and/or under consideration

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5 main activities

The Alliance’s activities are based on guidelines collectively developed by publishers and are focused on 5 main actions:
1. Facilitation of an international and intercultural independent publishers network
2. Creation of a Bibliodiversity Observatory: studies, analysis, measurement tools, and a resource centre on bibliodiversity
3. Hosting and facilitation of international meetings, thematic and increasing capacity workshops (see below) to enable sharing, including through the Digital Lab of the Alliance
4. Support of international editorial partnerships (fair co-publishings, translations, copyright transfers)
5. Implementation of advocacy activities in support of freedom of publishing, independent publishing and bibliodiversity.

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Meetings, workshops & book fairs

Meeting of the International Committee of independent publishers (ICIP), Paris (France), 7-9 October 2017

The 9 coordinators and vice-coordinators of the Alliance’s 6 language networks, the Board and the Alliance team gather for the ICIP, an essential annual meeting in the governance of the association. On the agenda: public book policies in West Africa, Latin America and in the Arab world; the Europe and the Alliance; strategy and governance; the Alliance of tomorrow...

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International Bibliodiversity Day, 21 September 2017

Readings, book releases and piñatas in the public space, meetings, picnic, posters, and postcards: all ideas are welcome to participate to this day.
In Perou; en Colombia; en Argentina...

* 36 stories unveiling the names of independent publishing houses from all around the world
* 36 catchphrases by publishers on bibliodiversity
* Because behind the books… there are (also) publishing houses, publishers…
* Because on 21 September, they celebrate the International Day of Bibliodiversity!

See the activities of the B Day on the blog el dia B, on Facebook and Twitter.

Here the video of the B Day, made by the Latin American publishers!

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Independent publishers from all over the world in Frankfurt (Germany), 11-15 October 2017

Workshops on solidary publishings partnerships and on freedom of publishing (an initiative of the Alliance), “HotList” (space dedicated to independent publishing in Latin America, an initiative of the Spanish-language network of the Alliance), meetings on publishing in the Francophone space (organised by BIEF), Party Time for Indies (an initiative of ODEI and IPG, in collaboration with the Fair)… Bibliodiversity will be there, with independent publishers from all over the world!

Click on the book to discover the HotList 2017 of the Latin American publishers in Frankfurt!

See below the publishers in Frankfurt and the activities of the Alliance... as well 3 focus proposed at this occasion!

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From Frankfurt to Conakry, via Paris and Togo… overview of the Alliance’s activities for the second semester 2017!

Workshops, exchanges and knowledge sharing

  • In situ training on e-publishing of illustrated and interactive books, in Lomé (Togo), 10-14 July 2017: two Togolese publishing houses member of the Alliance benefited from personalised support in the context of a training facilitated by Gilles Colleu (Vents d’ailleurs publishing house, France). A programme of the Alliance’s Digital Lab, supported by the International Organisation of the Francophonie.
  • Meetings of the European collectives in Paris (France), 19 and 20 July 2017: 4 European collectives (Kurt Wolff Stiftung in Germany, Contrabandos in Spain, ODEI in Italy, IPG in the United Kingdom) and the Alliance met to strengthen their relationships, and find ways of collaborating, exchange tools and experiences…
  • Conakry, UNESCO’s world book capital (Guinea Conakry), 23-29 November 2017: Ganndal publishing facilitate, during Conakry’s Children’s Book Fair, a colloquium on African children’s books, and a focus on African languages publishing… The Alliance will participate to this event by organising a workshop on digital publishing in African languages.

Book Fairs

  • Frankfurt Book Fair (Germany), 11-15 October 2017: workshop on fair publishing partnerships and workshop on freedom of publishing (an initiative of the Alliance), “hot list” (space dedicated to independent publishing, an initiative of the Spanish-language network of the Alliance), meetings on publishing in the Francophone space in the context of the invitation to “Frankfurt in French”, Party Time for Indies (an initiative of ODEI and IPG, in collaboration with the Fair)… Bibliodiversity will be there, with independent publishers from all over the world!
  • Salon de L’Autre Livre in Paris (France), 17-19 November 2017: several publishers member of the Alliance will participate to this edition, an opportunity to share and have a roundtable on independent publishing on the international level (Tunisia, Iran…).

Celebrations

  • International Bibliodiversity Day, 21 September 2017, throughout the world! Readings, book crossing and piñatas in the public space, meetings, picnic, posters, and postcards: all ideas are welcome to participate to this day. Of course, do not forget to support independent bookshops and other relevant networks to reach as many readers as possible! See activities of the previous year here: blog el dia B and the Alliance’s website.

Bibliodiversity Observatory

Governance

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Uncensored Teheran Book Fair, 2-14 May, Europe and North America

16 Iranian publishers from the diaspora organize from May 2nd to May 14th, in the same time than the Teheran Book Fair (May 3rd-13th) the “Uncensored Teheran Book Fair”.
This Book Fair will occur successively in 9 European and North American cities:

  • 2-3 May: London
  • 5-6 May: Stockholm
  • 9-10 May: Paris
  • 11-12 May: Cologne
  • 12-14 May: Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam
  • then in Toronto and Los Angeles

This event represents a way for the Iranian publishers to have “their” book fair, to show and sell some books that are forbidden in Iran.

Find all details (in Farsi) on the website www.uncensoredBook.com and on the social networks through the hashtag #UncensoredBook. And for any other details, do not hesitate to contact the publishing house Naakojaa, who has initiated the Book Fair.

The International Alliance of independent publishers supports this touring book fair, as part of the activities in favour of freedom of publishing. If you are interested by publishing in Farsi, we also recommend you to have a look on Publishing in Persian language, study realised by the Alliance in 2015.

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Assembly of Swiss and Francophone publishers at the Geneva Book and Press Fair (Switzerland), 26 and 27 April 2017

For the 3rd year in a row, the Assembly of Swiss and Francophone publishers will be held during the Geneva Book Fair. Taking the opportunity of having several Swiss and francophone publishers’ representatives, these meetings will be held over two days: the first day will examine the issues of book exportation and circulation in the Francophone space, while the second will focus on the issue of who will take over the publishing profession in Switzerland. New in 2017, practical workshops in small groups will be offered to participants. These three workshops are organised through the support of the Alliance:

  • Editorial partnerships: an alternative to exportation
  • Communication strategies: how to sell and promote Francophone literature?
  • Exportation of books: what are the challenges? Pricing, regulations, tariff barriers and censorship.

Information and accreditation here.

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Public book policies in the Arab world and viewpoints of Chile and France / Tunis Book Fair (Tunisia), 24 March – 2 April 2017

In partnership with the Tunis Book Fair and the Union of Tunisian Publishers, and thanks to the support of the Fondation de France and the French Institutes of Tunis and Beirut, the Alliance will organise a day focusing on public book policies in the Arab world, on Thursday 30 March. Publishers from Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia will present a panorama of public book policies in their respective countries: Chilean and French publishers will speak on what is being implemented in their countries – a dialogue and exchange between professionals and public authorities, between continents, between cultures.

This day was initiated in the context of the Bibliodiversity Observatory and the mapping work of public book policies in Latin America and in the Arab world, on-going at the Observatory.

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The Indies at Livre Paris 2017 (France), 24-27 March 2017

Meetings not to be missed, more than 15 publisher members of the Alliance in 9 countries! More information to be coming here.

* Friday 24 March, 10.00 - 12.00 - BIEF stand (U18)
B2B: copyright transfers in the French-speaking countries / meetings between publishers from sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti, and French publishers – facilitated by the Alliance, in partnership with BIEF

* Monday 27 March, 9.00 - 16.00 - SNE Forum (U14)
“Creation, partnerships and promotion: developing opportunitides for French-speaking publishing” / 3 round tables (children books, literature and human and social sciences) in the presence of Francophone publishers – facilitated by BIEF, in collaboration with the Alliance

* Tuesday 28 March, 9.30 - 13.00 - Centre national du livre
Meeting of publishers from the French-language network of the Alliance / On the agenda: exchanges about the study of digital printing hub in West Africa done by Gilles Colleu (Vents d’ailleurs, France) : presentation of the study on French publishing industry and its social and environmental impacts, conducted by the Bureau for the Appraisal of Social Impacts for Citizen information (BASIC).

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Indie Book Day, 18 March 2017

Next March 18th, it is the “Indie Book Day”!
You are invited to go in an independent bookshop, to buy a book published by an independent publisher, and to post a picture of the book, or you with the book, on the social networks, with the hashtag #indiebookday.

The Indie Book Day was created by German independent publishers; today, independent collectives in Italy (ODEI), in UK (IPG) are organizing the Indie Book Day. Tomorrow, the Indie Book Day could exist in your country!

More information here.
Facebook.

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The Alliance wishes you a new year 2017 in the colors of bibliodiversity!

A teasing for coming activities:

Bibliodiversity Observatory
*Online Resources: mapping on public Book policies in Latin America and in the Arab world…
* Research and innovations: a renovated Digital Lab; study on digital print in French-speaking Africa;
* Advocacy: study on freedom of publishing; professional meeting on public Book policies in the Arab world and in Europe, in partnership with Tunis Book Fair.

Workshops and thematic meetings
* Know-how and experiences exchanges between peers about digital publishing, non-fiction publishing, economic models…
* Sharing information and collaborations between organisations from different sectors about independence, about governance, about social and solidarity economy…
* Spaces dedicated to rights transfer: sells, exchanges, even barter between independent actors
* Collective stands on international book fairs: Frankfurt, but also “alternative” book fairs…

Fair publishing partnerships
*Publication of two books in the collection “Terres solidaires”: Palestine, written by Hubert Haddad, and Ceux qui sortent dans la nuit, written by Mutt-Lon
*Translation into Spanish and German of Bibliodiversity, A Manifesto for Independent Publishing, written by Susan Hawthorne
* Being Feminist Today, collective book
* Co-publishing in Spanish of Manual de edición. Guía para tiempos revueltos, written by Manuel Gil and Martín Gómez, originally published by CERLALC

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Co-publishings and translations

Non-fiction

Terra viva. My Life in a Biodiversity of Movements

Author(s) : Vandana SHIVA
Publishing countries : Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Spain, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Syria, Tunisia

Vandana Shiva has worked with farmers’ and people’s movements across the world against what she calls “seed imperialism”, economic polarisation, and the digital colonisation of our ecological and social diversity. This powerful memoir looks back at the most memorable campaigns and movements that she has been part of, while looking ahead to the challenges posed by the COVID crisis, the privatisation of biotechnology, and the commodification of our biological and natural resources. “The awareness that Vandana’s work and actions provoke is sublime”, says Gilles-Éric Séralini, “it will bring you light”.
© Women Unlimited (India)

First publication by two Alliance’s members, Women Unlimited (India) and Spinifex (Australia).

Translations and co-publishings of Terra viva by members of the Alliance:

  • Boitempo (Brazil), 2024
  • Marjin Kiri (Indonesia), 2024
  • Wildproject and Rue de l’échiquier (France), 2023
  • Continta Me Tienes (Spain), LOM Ediciones (Chile) and Econautas Editorial (Argentina) for a co-publishing in Spain and Latin America, 2024
  • Atlas Publishing (Syria), Med Ali (Tunisia), Sefsafa Publishing (Egypt) and Mamdouh Adwan Publishing (Syria) for a co-publishing in the Arab world - in progress
  • Nogaam Publishing (UK/Iran) and Dena Books (Netherlands/Iran) for a co-publishing into Persian - in progress
  • Vakxikon Publications (Greece) - in progress

Several of these translations have benefited from the support of the Jan Michalski Foundation.

Vandana Shiva is one of the Alliance’s Bibliodiversity Ambassador. Listen here the replay of the round table with Vandana Shiva during Babelica 2023.

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La pensée blanche

Author(s) : Lilian THURAM
Publishing countries : Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, Togo
Price : 5 000 FCFA, 65 000 GNF, 75 DH, 1 500 DA

Thanks to a partnership between the Fondation Lilian Thuram - Éducation contre le racisme and the International Alliance of Independent Publishers, 11 publishing houses in French-speaking Africa are co-publishing La pensée blanche, originally published by Editions Philippe Rey (France).

La pensée blanche is available in the following countries: Algeria (Apic), Benin (Ruisseaux d’Afrique), Burkina Faso (Sankofa & Gurli), Cameroon (Presses universitaires d’Afrique), Côte d’Ivoire (Éburnie), Gabon (Éditions Nstame), Guinea (Ganndal), Mali (Jamana), Morocco (Le Fennec), Senegal (Papyrus d’Afrique), Togo (Graines de Pensées).

Publication date: November 2023
Format: 14,5 X 22 cm; 320 pages

Listen to Lilian Thuram’s interview here at Babelica, the international fair for independent online publishing, on September 20, 2023.

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Unidad versus el 1%. Rompiendo ilusiones, sembrando libertad

Author(s) : Vandana Shiva ; Kartikey Shiva ; Rodolfo Lastra Muela (trad.)
Publishing countries : Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia
Language(s) : Spanish

In Latin America, Unidad versus el 1% is co-published simultaneously by Econautas Editorial (Argentina), LOM ediciones (Chile), Editorial Mate (Argentina), Plural Editores (Bolivia) and Taller de Edición Rocca (Colombia).
For translation © Editorial Popular, S. A., Madrid, 2019.

The original version of this book was published in 2018 as Oneness vs. the 1% by Women Unlimited in India (co-published with Spinifex in Australia and New Internationalist in the UK).

Find here the interview with Vandana Shiva on the occasion of the launch of the Latin American co-publishing on 19 June 2021.

ISBN Argentina (Econautas Editorial): 978-987-46301-9-3
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ISBN Chile (LOM ediciones): 978-956-00-1379-8
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ISBN Argentina (Editorial Mate): 978-987-9199-29-x
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Can Islam still be saved? (آیا اسلام‌ را می‌توان نجات داد؟)

Author(s) : Hamed ABDEL-SAMAD ; Mouhanad KHORCHIDE ; B. BINIAZ (translation)
Publishing countries : Germany, Canada, France
Language(s) : Farsi
Price : 15 €

Hamed Abdel-Samad and Mouhanad Khorchide discuss controversially central issues of the religion of Islam. They address burning issues such as sharia, violence, jihad, freedom of expression, human rights, the role of women and religion in democracy. Can Islam still be saved? is a polemic that allows two different perspectives on the future of Islam in the western states.

Publishers from the Persian network of the Alliance have translated and co-published this book in Farsi: Forough Book (Germany), Naakojaa (France), Khavaran (France), Pooya Verlag (Germany), Pegah Publishing (Canada).

2018 - 332 pages - ISBN : 978-3-96531-007-0

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Bibliodiversidad. Un manifiesto para la edición independiente

Author(s) : Susan HAWTHORNE
Publishing countries : Argentina

En un mundo globalizado, las megacorporaciones editoriales solo se preocupan por los números, por lo semejante, por seguir fórmulas ya probadas en sus últimos éxitos de ventas. Se espera que cada libro pague su propia producción junto con las externalidades del proceso de publicación, tales como la infraestructura y el sueldo de los ceo. Bajo esa óptica, los libros que se demoran más en “despegar”, pero que poseen una larga vida y son capaces de cambiar las normas sociales, tienen menos probabilidades de publicarse.

Los editores independientes apuestan por una forma diferente de hacer las cosas. Buscan un compromiso distinto con la sociedad y se preocupan por reflejar el lugar y el espíritu de sus comunidades. “Bibliodiversidad” es un término creado por editores independientes en los años noventa para darle un nombre a esta forma diferente de pensar la edición. En este manifiesto, Susan Hawthorne nos ofrece una crítica mordaz a la industria editorial global, que contrapone a una propuesta visionaria para la publicación “orgánica”. En un contexto de predominio de las grandes corporaciones, Bibliodiversidad marca las diferencias entre los conceptos de libertad de expresión y de “discurso justo” y pone en perspectiva las promesas y los desafíos de la transición al mundo digital.

ISBN: 978-950-889-322-2 - 15 x 21 cm - 120 páginas

Bibliodiversidad, en francés
Bibliodiversidad, en árabe
Bibliodiversidad, en aléman

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Oneness vs. the 1% - shattering illusions, seeding freedom

Author(s) : Vandana Shiva ; Kartikey Shiva
Publishing countries : Australia, India, United Kingdom
Language(s) : English
Price : 350 INR (4 €); .95

Widespread poverty and malnutrition, an alarming refugee crisis, social unrest, economic polarisation... have become our lived reality as the top 1% of the world’s seven-billion-plus population pushes the planet—and all its people—to the social and ecological brink. In Oneness vs. the 1%, Vandana Shiva takes on the Billionaires Club of Gates, Buffett, Zuckerberg and other modern Mughals, whose blindness to the rights of people, and to the destructive impact of their construct of linear progress, have wrought havoc across the world. Their single-minded pursuit of profit has undemocratically enforced uniformity and monocultures, division and separation, monopolies and external control—over finance, food, energy, information, healthcare, and even relationships.

Basing her analysis on explosive little-known facts, Shiva exposes the 1%’s model of philanthrocapitalism, which is about deploying unaccountable money to bypass democratic structures, derail diversity, and impose totalitarian ideas, based on One Science, One Agriculture and One History. She calls for the “resurgence of real knowledge, real intelligence, real wealth, real work, real well-being”, so that people can reclaim their right to: Live Free. Think Free. Breathe Free. Eat Free.

Vandana Shiva is a world-renowned environmental thinker and activist, a leader in the International Forum on Globalisation, and of the Slow Food Movement. Director of Navdanya and of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, and a tireless crusader for farmers’, peasants’ and women’s rights, she is the author and editor of several influential books, including Making Peace with the Earth; Soil Not Oil; Seed Sovereignty, Food Security: Women in the Vanguard; and Who Really Feeds the World?
Vandana Shiva is the recipient of over 20 international awards, among them the Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic (1998); the Horizon 3000 Award (Austria, 2001); the John Lennon-Yoko Ono Grant for Peace (2008); the Sydney Peace Prize (2010); the Calgary Peace Prize (2011); and the Thomas Merton Award (2011). She was the Fukuoka Grand Prize Laureate in 2012.

Kartikey Shiva is a shatterer of illusions, grower of freedom, and agent of light.

A co-publishing of the English-network of the Alliance: Women Unlimited (India), Spinifex (Australia) and New Internationalist (UK), 2019.
ISBN (Women Unlimited, India): 978-93-85606-18-2
ISBN (Spinifex Press, Australia): 978-19-25581-79-9

Oneness vs. the 1% , Australian cover:
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Oneness vs. the 1% , UK cover:
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US, Canada, UK, Italian, Australian, French and Spanish rights sold. All others available.

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Muhammad. A final reckoning

Author(s) : Hamed Abdel-Samad
Publishing countries : Germany, Canada, France
Language(s) : Farsi
Price : 14 €

This nonfiction title by a German-Egyptian academic examines stereotypes throughout the history of the prophet Muhammad. The main theme of the book is a representation of the life of Mohammed and the emergence of Islam. Osama bin Laden’s actions, as well as the crimes of Islamist terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State, are also attributed to Muhammad’s willingness to spread Islam through violent subjugation and partial physical liquidation of people of other faiths.

Hamed Abdel-Samad, the author, is born near Cairo in 1972. He worked for UNESCO, at the Institute for Islamic Culture at the University of Erfurt, and at the Institute for Jewish History and Culture at the University of Munich. Abdel-Samad is a member of the German Islam Conference and, according to his publisher, is “considered to be one of the most renowned Islam intellectuals in the German-speaking world”.

The book was first published in German (Mohamed. Eine Abrechnung) by the German publishing house Droemer Verlag in October 2015.
Publishers from the Persian network of the Alliance have translated and co-published the book in Farsi in 2018: Forough Publishing and Pouya Publishing (Germany), Khavaran Publishing (France) and Pegah Publishing (Canada).

2018 - 250 pages - 13 X 20,5 cm - ISBN: 978-3-943147-63-6

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Manual de edición. Guía para estos tiempos revueltos

Author(s) : Manuel GIL
Publishing countries : Argentina
Language(s) : Spanish

New edition published in 2017 by la marca editora (Argentina), co-published with EDINAR (Argentina) and CERLALC.
Book initially published by CERLALC.

ISBN: 978-950-889-299-7
264 pages / 20 X 25 cm

More information.

See also below the Peruvian publication of the Manual de edición, published by La Travesía Editora, Peruvian publisher, member of the collective EIP in Peru.

“Manual de edición”, La Travesía Editora, Perú

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Bibliodiversité. Manifeste pour une édition indépendante

Author(s) : Susan Hawthorne ; Agnès El Kaïm (trad.)
Publishing countries : Cameroon, France, Mali, Switzerland
Language(s) : French
Price : 9 € ; 10 CHF ; 3000 FCFA

In a globalised world, megacorp publishing is all about numbers, about sameness, about following a formula based on the latest megasuccess. Each book is expected to pay for itself and all the externalities of publishing such as offices and CEO salaries. It means that books which take off slowly but have long lives, the books that change social norms, are less likely to be published.

Independent publishers are seeking another way. A way of engagement with society and methods that reflect something important about the locale or the niche they inhabit. Independent and small publishers are like rare plants that pop up among the larger growth but add something different, perhaps they feed the soil, bring colour or scent into the world.

Bibliodiversity is a term invented by Chilean publishers in the 1990s as a way of envisioning a different kind of publishing. In this manifesto, Susan Hawthorne provides a scathing critique of the global publishing industry set against a visionary proposal for organic publishing. She looks at free speech and fair speech, at the environmental costs of mainstream publishing and at the promises and challenges of the move to digital.

A translation from English into French followed by a co-publishing between 5 publishers in France (éditions Charles Léopold Mayer), Switzerland (éditions d’en bas), Mali (Jamana) and Cameroon (Presses universitaires d’Afrique).

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Bibliodiversity: A Manifesto for Independent Publishing

Author(s) : Susan HAWTHORNE ; Bilal ZAITER (trad.)
Publishing countries : Egypt, Lebanon, Syria
Language(s) : Arabic

In a globalised world, megacorp publishing is all about numbers, about sameness, about following a formula based on the latest megasuccess. Each book is expected to pay for itself and all the externalities of publishing such as offices and CEO salaries. It means that books which take off slowly but have long lives, the books that change social norms, are less likely to be published.

Independent publishers are seeking another way. A way of engagement with society and methods that reflect something important about the locale or the niche they inhabit. Independent and small publishers are like rare plants that pop up among the larger growth but add something different, perhaps they feed the soil, bring colour or scent into the world.

Bibliodiversity is a term invented by Chilean publishers in the 1990s as a way of envisioning a different kind of publishing. In this manifesto, Susan Hawthorne provides a scathing critique of the global publishing industry set against a visionary proposal for organic publishing. She looks at free speech and fair speech, at the environmental costs of mainstream publishing and at the promises and challenges of the move to digital.

A translation from English into Arabic followed by a co-publishing between 5 publishers in Egypt (Elain publishing), in Lebanon (Dar Al Farabi and Al Intischar), in Syria (Atlas publishing) and in Tunisia (Med Ali).

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Literature

Bel abîme

Author(s) : Yamen MANAI
Publishing countries : Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea, Morocco, Mauritius, Senegal, Togo
Language(s) : French
Price : 700 DA, 50 DH, 3 500 FCFA, 50 000 GNF, 350 Rs

Co-publishers: Amalion (Senegal), Apic (Algeria), Atelier des nomades (Mauritius), Ganndal (Guinea), Graines de Pensées (Togo), Le Fennec (Morocco), Proximité (Cameroon), Sankofa & Gurli (Burkina Faso)
Year of publication of the Pan-African version : 2023, 11,5 X 19 cm
© Elyzad, 2021.

A Fair Trade Book co-publishing.

Collection Terres solidaires

Created in 2007, the “Terres solidaires” collection is a collective experience. It proposes literary texts from African authors, published by a collective of publishers in Francophone Africa, Through the principle of solidarity co-publishing, texts circulate, are available and accessible for African readers: the local book ecosystem is protected and strengthened.
The “Terres solidaires” collection is supported by the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

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Les 700 aveugles de Bafia

Author(s) : MUTT-LON
Publishing countries : Republic of Guinea, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Togo
Language(s) : French
Price : 3 500 FCFA

Co-publishers: Eburnie (Ivory Coast), Ganndal (Guinee Conakry), Graines de Pensées (Togo), Proximité (Cameroon)
Year of publication of the Pan-African version: 2022, 11,5 X 19 cm
© Mutt-Lon, 2020.

A Fair Trade Book co-publishing.

Collection Terres solidaires

Created in 2007, the “Terres solidaires” collection is a collective experience. It proposes literary texts from African authors, published by a collective of publishers in Francophone Africa, Through the principle of solidarity co-publishing, texts circulate, are available and accessible for African readers: the local book ecosystem is protected and strengthened.
The “Terres solidaires” collection is supported by the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

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Des fourmis dans la bouche

Author(s) : Khadi HANE
Publishing countries : Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Togo
Language(s) : French
Price : 50 dirhams marocains ; 750 dinars algériens ; 45 000 francs guinées ; 3 000 FCFA

The latest solidarity co-publishing of the “Terres solidaires” collection is available from the following eight publishing houses: Apic (Algeria), Eburnie (Ivory Coast), Ganndal (Guinea Conakry), Graines de Pensées (Togo), Le Fennec (Morocco), Proximité (Cameroon), Sankofa & Gurli (Burkina Faso) and Tombouctou (Mali)

Retail price of the pan-African version: 50 Moroccan dirhams; 750 Algerian dinars; 45,000 Guinean francs; 3,000 FCFA
First published in France: Éditions Denoël, 2011
Layout for the publishing house collective: Apic (Algeria)
Cover selection and corrections: the publishing house collective
Shared printing in Algeria for Algeria, Guinea, Togo, Burkina Faso and Mali.
Transport of the copies from Algeria to Mali by plane and then dispatch to the different countries by road.
Local prints directly in the countries for Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco and Cameroon.

This solidarity co-publication bears the label Fair Trade Book.

Collection Terres solidaires

Created in 2007, the “Terres solidaires” collection is a collective experience. It proposes literary texts from African authors, published by a collective of publishers in Francophone Africa, Through the principle of solidarity co-publishing, texts circulate, are available and accessible for African readers: the local book ecosystem is protected and strengthened.
The “Terres solidaires” collection is supported by the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

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Munyal, les larmes de la patience

Author(s) : Djaïli Amadou AMAL
Publishing countries : Republic of Guinea, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Morocco, Togo
Price : 3 000 FCFA ; 40 000 francs guinéens

This co-publishing bears the label “Fair Trade Book”.

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Collection Terres solidaires

Created in 2007, the “Terres solidaires” collection is a collective experience. It proposes literary texts from African authors, published by a collective of publishers in Francophone Africa, Through the principle of solidarity co-publishing, texts circulate, are available and accessible for African readers: the local book ecosystem is protected and strengthened.
The “Terres solidaires” collection is supported by the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

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Palestine

Author(s) : Hubert HADDAD
Publishing countries : Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Central African Republic, Senegal, Chad, Togo, Tunisia
Language(s) : French
Price : 3 500 F CFA ; 10 DT ; 52 DM ; 550 DA

Co-publishers: Apic (Algeria), elyzad (Tunisia), Graines de Pensées (Togo), Le Fennec (Marocco), Proximité (Cameroon)
Year of publication of the Pan-African version: 2017, 11,5 X 19 cm
First publication in France: Zulma (2007), Cinq Continents price 2008

A Fair Trade Book co-publishing.

Collection Terres solidaires

Created in 2007, the “Terres solidaires” collection is a collective experience. It proposes literary texts from African authors, published by a collective of publishers in Francophone Africa, Through the principle of solidarity co-publishing, texts circulate, are available and accessible for African readers: the local book ecosystem is protected and strengthened.
The “Terres solidaires” collection is supported by the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

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Ceux qui sortent dans la nuit

Author(s) : MUTT-LON
Publishing countries : Republic of Guinea, Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Chad, Togo
Language(s) : French
Price : 3 500 FCFA ; 700 DA

Co-publishers: Amalion (Senegal), Apic (Algeria), Eburnie (Ivory Coast), Ganndal (Guinee Conakry), Graines de Pensées (Togo), Proximité (Cameroon), Sankofa & Gurli (Burkina Faso)
Year of publication of the Pan-African version: 2017, 11,5 X 19 cm
First publication in France: Grasset (2013), Ahmadou Kourouma price 2014.

A Fair Trade Book co-publishing.

Collection Terres solidaires

Created in 2007, the “Terres solidaires” collection is a collective experience. It proposes literary texts from African authors, published by a collective of publishers in Francophone Africa, Through the principle of solidarity co-publishing, texts circulate, are available and accessible for African readers: the local book ecosystem is protected and strengthened.
The “Terres solidaires” collection is supported by the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

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La Saison de l’Ombre

Author(s) : Léonora MIANO
Publishing countries : Republic of Guinea, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo
Language(s) : French
Price : 2 500 FCFA ; 600 DA ; 45 DM ; 35 000 GNF ; 3 500 RWF

Year of publication of the Pan-African version: 2016, 11,5 X 19 cm
First publication in France: Grasset (2013)

Co-publishers: Apic (Algeria), Eburnie (Ivory Coast), Ikirezi (Rwanda), Jimsaan (Senegal), Ganndal (Guinea), Graines de Pensées (Togo), Le Fennec (Marocco), Proximité (Cameroon)

A Fair Trade Book co-publishing.

Collection Terres solidaires

Created in 2007, the “Terres solidaires” collection is a collective experience. It proposes literary texts from African authors, published by a collective of publishers in Francophone Africa, Through the principle of solidarity co-publishing, texts circulate, are available and accessible for African readers: the local book ecosystem is protected and strengthened.
The “Terres solidaires” collection is supported by the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

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The Quiet Violence Of Dreams

Author(s) : K. Sello DUIKER ; traducteur : Jean-Yves KRUGER-KATELAN
Publishing countries : France, Switzerland
Language(s) : French
Price : 23 € ; 36 CHF

Publication: 2014, 496 pages, 15 X 22 cm
ISBN France: 978-2-3641-303-95
ISBN Switzerland: 978-2-8290-470-4

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Walaandé, l’art de partager un mari

Author(s) : Djaïli Amadou AMAL
Publishing countries : Lebanon, Tunisia
Language(s) : Arabic

“Walaandé, the art of sharing husband”, is a novel about the hardships women from polygamous marriages face every day. The themes discussed in the book include polygamy, woman education, discrimination and violence against women, early marriage, and repudiation.

This novel is a sound testimony of women’s lives that are deeply affected by years of emotional muzzling. A novel that completely sweeps all hopes of happy tomorrows and sinks them into a day-to-day life with its constraints, its conflicts, its pressures as well as its drama, whereby the wealthy polygamous family with its variety of female characters, exhibits external signs of wealth, but in fact faces a lot of problems.

The setting is in one of the richest muslim households in Maroua. The head of the family, a wealthy businessman, is the father of many children, has a number of domestic servants and renews his harem at will and according to his adventures.

Four wives, a dozen of children and a myriad of servants are the daily actors in a household that has the necessary comfort for a luxurious life. Alas! Walaandé is instead a portrayal of their boring existence.

Behind the golden walls and beautiful fences of this luxurious palace where perfumes, colours and flowers forecast a taste of the well-being of rich people, there is finally nothing but boredom, loneliness, despair, conspiracies and jealousy. But also, this male dictatorship, this pride of the “supreme repudiator”, this husband, once very gentle when he needed to conquer his target’s heart, had described to her a beautiful life in which he instead chained her. The same love lines to Aissatou, Djaili, Nafissa, Sakina, the same become a set of disappointments for all of them.

This novel, like any other work of art, is inspired from real life whereby lives and delights, charms and tears, worries and frustrations paralyse women energies and distort their beauties, once very irresistible. The reverse of polygamy as described in this realistic novel echoes the long muzzled sigh of many females who dreamt in their early ages of a wealthy lover with perfumed and luxurious cars, but finally find themselves trapped in the external appearance of this comfort.

Djaïli Amadou AMAL is North Cameroon’s first female author. She is a young Peulhe woman, with an Egyptian mother. These mixed origins have probably enabled her to write more freely, just to write, and, what is more, on a subject up to now taboo in her society, polygamous marriage, which is known to be closely related to the premature marriage of young girls.
Djaïli Amadou AMAL undoubtedly forms part of the elite of the new movement of regional Cameroonian authors. Her novel has already been reprinted in less than six months. She attracted great attention on a tour of Cameroon and Chad visiting the Alliance Française network to discuss the theme of polygamy.

Year of publication: 2013, 144 pages, 16,5 X 21,5 cm, ISBN: 978-614-404-419-3
First publication: 2010, éditions Ifrikiya, Cameroon

The translation and co-publishing of “Walaandé, l’art de partager un mari” have been supported by the Prince Claus Fund.

Back cover of Walaandé, l'art de partager un mari

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Loin de mon père

Author(s) : Véronique TADJO ; préface d'Emmanuel DONGALA
Publishing countries : Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Rwanda, Togo
Language(s) : French
Price : 2 500 FCFA ; 45 DM ; 3 300 RWF

Collection Terres solidaires

Created in 2007, the “Terres solidaires” collection is a collective experience. It proposes literary texts from African authors, published by a collective of publishers in Francophone Africa, Through the principle of solidarity co-publishing, texts circulate, are available and accessible for African readers: the local book ecosystem is protected and strengthened.
The “Terres solidaires” collection is supported by the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

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Children’s Books

Kofi et le petit garçon de feu

Author(s) : Nei LOPES (texte) ; Hélène MOREAU (illustrations)
Publishing countries : Benin
Language(s) : French

Translated from Portuguese (Brazil) into French by Flavio Corrêa de Mello

Ruisseaux d’Afrique (Benin), 2012; 37 pages
Original edition: Pallas Editora (Brazil)

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Download the “African readings” catalogue

Author(s) : Catalogue collectif
Publishing countries : Republic of Guinea, South Africa, Benin, Brazil, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Rwanda, Tunisia
Language(s) : English , Arabic , French , malgache , Portuguese , amazighe , bambara , kinyarwanda , kiswahili

Rooted in African daily life, in the streets of Bamako and Conakry, in the fishing port of Cotonou, on Tunisian soil, or redolent of Afro-Brazilian heritage, the 281 tales, documentaries, albums and novels that make up the catalogue are just waiting to be discovered. Books by nine independent publishing houses from Africa (South Africa, Benin, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, the Republic of Guinea, Rwanda, Tunisia) and from Brazil are now available in France, Belgium and Switzerland!
If you would like to diversify your stock, read in Bambara, in Arabic, in English, in Portuguese, in Kinyarwanda, in Malagasy, in French, if you are simply looking for some escapism… the solution is here… just turn the pages !

The Alliance distributes all the books contained in the catalogue.

Download the catalogue here.


The “African readings” catalogue was created with the support of the Ile-de-France Region
.

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Contos do mar sem fim

Author(s) : Cinco autores de Angola, quatro de Guiné-Bissau e sete escritores do Brasil
Publishing countries : Angola, Brazil, Guinea-Bissau
Language(s) : Portuguese
Price : R$ 32,00

This collection, which takes its title from an iconic verse by Fernando Pessoa, is a veritable invitation to a journey through sixteen tales by
authors from Brazil, Guinea-Bissau and Angola.

Year of publication: 2010; 224 pages; 14 X 21 cm; ISBN: 978-85-347-0294-2

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Youth catalogue - « À la découverte de la littérature jeunesse africaine » and its supplement « Les Afriques en fête »

To access the youth catalogues, click here and here.

These catalogues are available from the Alliance. Contact us telephonically or by email for all enquiries and orders.

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Maman

Author(s) : Béatrice LALINON GBADO ; Mamadou Wolid NIANG, Ousseynou SAKHO, Abdoulaye SECK, Ibrahima DIA, Chérif DIOP
Publishing countries : Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Congo Brazzaville
Language(s) : French
Price : 15 euros ; 5 000 FCFA

This poetical text, writing by Béatrice LALINON GBADO, is a real homage for Woman, a wonderfull poem illustrated by several senegalese artists working with the technic of “under-glass”.

Year of publication : 2006,
48 pages,
24 X 24 cm

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1001 activités autour du livre

Author(s) : Philippe BRASSEUR
Publishing countries : Republic of Guinea, Benin, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Togo

1001 activités autour du livre is not about learning to read but about giving children from 2 to 11 years old and beyond a passion for books and reading. How can you achieve this? By playing, drawing, inventing, talking, miming... all thanks to books. This playful and original work of practice and experience makes you want to devour all the others! An authentic tool for child education professionals and attentive parents.

Initially published by Éditions Casterman in 2013.
Date of publication (Pan-African version): September 2020
A specific adaptation for this pan-African co-publishing has been made by Philippe Brasseur; the co-publishers have also updated and adapted to their contexts and environments some of the references of the book.

A book co-published by 11 publishing houses in sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean: AGO Média (Togo), Atelier des Nomades (Mauritius), Editions Bakame (Rwanda), Editions Elondja (DRC), Ganndal (Guinea), La Farandole des livres bookstore (Niger), Gashingo (Niger), Jeunes Malgaches (Madagascar), Editions Ntsamé (Gabon), Ruisseaux d’Afrique (Benin) and Vallesse (Ivory Coast).

This co-publishing bears the label “Fair Trade Book”.

This solidarity co-publishing is the result of a workshop on children’s literature organised by the Alliance in Abidjan in May 2019, as part of the International Conference of Independent Publishers 2019-2021. It received the support of the Centre national du livre.

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Advocacy actions

Haiti, let’s mobilise for the long haul, February 2010

The International Alliance of Independent Publishers calls on all international solidarity organisations to mobilise in Haiti. The Alliance will do do its outmost to support Haitian book professionals in the long-term, particularly librarians, publishers and booksellers, by joining forces with existing and future stakeholders in Haiti.

The importance of culture should be considered in the reconstruction process. In the Haïtian context, where symbolism has a special place, reinventing Haïti also involves supporting the arts and culture, particularly books and authors that promote the people’s complex and fascinating identity. A people cut off from its culture is a dead people.

Rodney Saint-Éloi, author and publisher member of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers

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Solidarity with Iranian publishers, August 2009

Publishing countries : Iran

In view of the worrying situation in Iran and the attacks on freedom of expression, the publishers of the Alliance wish to express their solidarity with their Iranian colleagues. They demand the right to publish freely and call for increased cultural and editorial exchanges with Iran.

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Towards a Europe protecting bibliodiversity?, April 2009

As the official campaign for the next European elections is being launched, the Alliance has decided to get involved in a positive fashion by formulating three proposals that would be very simple to implement.

These proposals have furthermore been published on the website http://challengeforeurope.blogactiv.eu, with dozens of others, on the initiative of the Charles Léopold Mayer Foundation in the framework of its “What kind of Europe do we want?” program. Let us hope this impressive corpus of proposals will be a profitable inspiration to the EU’s future elected representatives!

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Freedom of publishing under threat in Canada?, April 2008

An incredible censorship attempt is endangering the very existence of the publisher Écosociété (Quebec – Canada); more than 60 publishers from 30 countries have declared their undivided support for the Quebec publisher and are calling on the pinstigators of the “Noir Canada” affair to respect the rights of freedom of expression and publication.

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The book sector in Morocco: a preoccupying situation, February 2008

As the Casablanca International Book Fair (February 9 to 17, 2008) opens its foors in Morocco, the Alliance of Independent Publishers wishes to express its deepest concerns with regard to the situation of independent book retail and, more generally, of the entire local book industry.

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Call to French-language authors, publishers and institutions, March 2007

Publishing countries : Ivory Coast

African literature in French is today better represented and better known in Europe than in Africa, where its distribution remains hampered by many obstacles. However, there are solutions, which require the mobilisation of various stakeholders in the book industry. One solution is co-publishing, based on a joint trade agreement. The publication of “L’Ombre d’Imana” by Véronique TADJO, a groundbreaking example of pan-African co-publishing, proves that it is possible, through joint action, to create the conditions necessary for a (re)appropriation by Africa of its literature. To make this possible, the Alliance is appealing to everyone, authors, publishers and institutions alike, to join forces and promote the bibliodiversity at the heart of the francophone spirit. This appeal is endorsed by many authors and book industry professionals.

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Call to the readers, March 2006

The role played by books in spreading ideas, analyses, imaginary scapes and proposals, in educating and informing citizens, is essential to understand the challenges of our times, to know oneself and others. Read what follows (in French)

See the list of signatories

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Bibliodiversity Day & Indie Book Day

Indie Book Day, March

Indie Book Day was created in 2013, by German independent publishers; since last year, it has been celebrated in other countries, thanks to independent publishers collectives and the Alliance.

How it works: On the third Sunday of March, readers are invited to visit an independent bookshop, buy a book published by an independent publisher, and post a picture of the book on social media with the hashtag #indiebookday. Booksellers and publishers can then organize a common campaign ahead of the event, to inform their communities (posters in the bookshops, information on social media and websites, etc.).

Find here Indie Book Day logos and more information on the official Indie Book Day website.

1. Logo_English

2. Logo_French

3. Logo_Portuguese

4. Logo_Italian

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Bibliodiversity Day (B Day), 21 September

Bibliodiversity Day was created in 2010 by Latin American publisher members of the Alliance.

Since then, it has happened every year in numerous countries, especially in Latin America. On September 21, the first day of spring for the southern hemisphere, publishers, booksellers, book professionals and readers are invited to celebrate independent publishing and bibliodiversity.

How it works: All ideas and activities are welcome, coming from publishing houses, collectives of independent publishers, book professionals, and readers: bookcrossing, literary picnics, professional meetings, public readings, radio broadcasts, newspaper articles…

See here the literary and multilingual sound card for B-Day 2021 (and the Alliance’s 20th anniversary).

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Download B Day logos and visit the blog here.

Watch all B Day videos here->https://eldiab.org/videos-oficiales/.

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HotLists & thematic selections

HotList Arab world

While the Arab world shares a language, the Arabic language, which has cemented its culture over centuries, it is far from being the only one. From the Maghreb to the Mashreq, from the Horn of Africa to Cham, this immense space covers a diversity of realities. Linguistic diversity is therefore inherent to it.

More than 30 independent publishing houses from 7 countries (Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Syria and Tunisia) and 9 languages offer you an immersion in the literature, humanities and children’s literature of the Arab world!

Through this HotList, available in Arabic and English, the independent publishers of the Arab world invite you to discover the 1001 facets of literary and intellectual creativity of their country.

Discover the HotList Arab world here!

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Children’s Books Hotlist

The Children’s Book HotList highlights children’s books from independent publishers in Africa, Latin America and Europe. It is launched during the 2021 Bologna Children’s Book Fair, on June 14.

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Comprising books from 16 countries, 36 publishing houses and 14 categories, this HotList represents the richness and diversity of independent publishing for youth and children’s literature.

You can find a book by searching its country, publisher or literary genre. If you are interested in a book, please do get in touch with its publisher.

We wish you a great discovery!

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Latin America and Arab World HotList, 2020!

This year, on the occasion of the Frankfurt Book Fair (14-18 October), two HotLists will be presented... virtually!

The Latin American HotList - 4th edition: a selection of titles from more than 35 independent Latin American publishing houses from 8 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay) and from all genres: literature, humanities, youth/ children’s literature, comics... Find the Latin American HotList 2020 online here! Previous HotLists are also online, here.

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The Arab World HotList - a very first: while the Arab world shares a language, the Arabic language, which has cemented its culture over centuries, it is far from being the only one. From the Maghreb to the Mashreq, from the Horn of Africa to Cham, this immense space covers a diversity of realities. Linguistic diversity is therefore inherent to it. More than 30 independent publishing houses from 7 countries (Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Syria and Tunisia) offer you an immersion in the literature, humanities and children’s literature of the Arab world! Through this HotList, the independent publishers of the Arab world invite you to discover the 1001 facets of literary and intellectual creativity of their country, online here!

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The HotLists, while offering an opportunity to discover the creativity of independent publishers, are also tools facilitating the exchange of rights: books and authors are presented in the original language of the book and in English, the contacts of publishing houses are easily accessible and up to date – these lists are thus to be consulted and used throughout the year!

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HotList 2019 (Frankfurt Book Fair, 16-20 October, 2019)!

Discover here the HotList 2019!

Thanks to a partnership with Kurt Wolff Stiftung (the German collective of independent publishers, member of the Alliance) and the Frankfurt Book Fair, independent Latin American publishers in Frankfurt will be exhibiting at the “Reading Island for Independent Publishers” stand (Hall 4.1), twenty books of various genres: novels, short stories, art books, essays, children’s literature... from Argentina, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Mexico!

Context:
- 2009: The members of EDINAR (a group of Argentinian independent publishers) present a selection of the best books from their list at the Buenos Aires Book Fair. This selection is then promoted in independent bookstores across Buenos Aires.
- 2010: Argentina is the guest of honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair. To make sure Argentinian independent publishing is well represented, the Argentinian independent publishers, in partnership with the Frankfurt Book Fair, present a HotList at the stand of independent German publishers, showcasing the diversity and quality of their books.
- 2017: The HotList 2017 opens to independent publishers from Latin America! Thanks to the collaboration with the collective Kurt Wolff Stiftung, a selection of about 40 titles from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Uruguay is exhibited in Frankfurt on the “Reading Island” (Hall 4.1 / D36).
- 2018: Following the success of the 2017 edition, the HotList 2018 is back and opens to Brazilian publishers. In addition, a thematic and international selection is launched: this year, the theme of “women’s struggle” is selected in the “WomenList”, showcasing more than 30 titles edited by independent publishing houses from all continents.
- 2019: The International Alliance of independent publishers and the Kurt Wolff Stiftung collective offer a new edition of the HotList. Some twenty books (novels, essays, children’s books, comics, art books) will be exposed at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2019. A colourful and powerful HotList this year!

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WomenList: A thematic and international selection - Frankfurt Book Fair 2018

More than 30 novels, short stories, essays and comics on feminism, women’s struggles, their emancipation across the world – these titles are from independent publishers’ lists from all continents.

There is a resurgence of the Women’s Movement following #MeToo and other events and a greater awareness of structural violence against women. Now is the time to know about books being published all around the world by independent publishers, in different languages and across a wide range of issues from the political to the imaginative.

To read through all the books of the WomenList is a reminder of just how much violence women have suffered – from rape, torture, and mass violence against women to indifference and neglect in the case of child abuse, to survival in war, sexual slavery and marriage forced by custom. But there is also resistance and optimism whether it be Pussy Riot or women rebelling against patriarchy as well as the inspiration of women in the vanguard of environmental projects or gathering together the works of women poets.

There are voices from so many places around the world – from Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, England, France, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea, Morocco, Mexico, Senegal, South Africa, Switzerland, Syria, Turkey... Languages include Arabic, English, Indonesian, Farsi, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Turkish. Women write poetry, short stories, political tracts, novels, biography, graphic novels and again more. These are words that matter: women’s voices are loud. It is time to listen!

The WomenList is an initiative of the International Alliance of independent publishers, through a partnership with the Kurt Wolff Stiftung (collective of German Independent Publishers) and the Frankfurt Book Fair. The WomenList is presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair on the “Reading Island for Independent Publishers” stand (Hall 4.1 / D36) and is also available online, on the Alliance’ website. The catalog of the WomenList was made by Julie Agor (Oréka graphisme).

The WomenList was born in the wake of the HotList (selection of books published by independent Latin American publishing houses and presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2017 and 2018 – Hall 4.1 / D36).

Read here the article published by Publishing Perspectives, October, 5, 2018

In 2019, a new international selection will be showcased in Frankfurt, on another theme... succeeding the WomenList 2018!

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HotList 2018: The Independent Publishing from Latin America in Frankfurt!

The International Alliance of independent publishers celebrates the remarkable vitality of independent publishing in Latin America at the Frankfurt International Book Fair through a selection of books from Latin America: the HotList 2018!

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Through a partnership with Kurt Wolff Stiftung (a collective of independent German publishers) and the Frankfurt Book Fair, independent Latin American publishers in Frankfurt will be exhibiting, at the “Reading Island for Independent Publishers” stand (Hall 4.1 / D36), more than thirty books of various genres: novels, short stories, art books, essays, children’s literature, and poetry... from Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela!

The HotList is also available online, an opportunity to discover the wealth and creativity of independent publishers all year round.

Discover also the WomenList: a thematic and international selection created in 2018, celebrating women’s struggle!

Context…

  • 2009: The members of EDINAR (collective of Argentinian independent publishers) present a selection of the best books from their list at the Buenos Aires Book Fair. This selection is then promoted in independent bookstores across Buenos Aires.
  • 2010: Argentina is the guest of honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair. However, Argentinian independent publishing is poorly represented. The Argentinian independent publishers, in partnership with the Frankfurt Book Fair, decided to present a HotList on the stand of independent German publishers: a showcase of the diversity and quality of their offering.
  • 2017: The HotList 2017 opens to independent publishers from Latin America! Thanks to the collaboration with the collective Kurt Wolff Stiftung (independent German publishers), a selection of about 40 titles from publishers from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Uruguay is exhibited in Frankfurt on the “Reading Island” (Hall 4.1).
  • 2018: Following the success of the 2017 edition, the HotList is repeated and opens to Brazilian publishers. In addition, a thematic and international selection is launched: this year, the theme of “women’s struggle” is selected in the WomenList 2018, showcasing more than 30 titles edited by independent publishing houses from all continents.

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HotList 2017 from the Latin American independent publishers!

WHY A HOTLIST?

In 2009, together with the members of EDINAR (Argentinean Alliance of independent publishers), we decided to launch a promotion strategy, following the “Young independent Germans”: a HotList.

Against the tendentious ranking of the most sold out books published in the newspapers, every member of the collective had to choose one book among her/his new books -the one that she or he saw as the most outstanding, for whatever reason. With all EDINAR publishers, we thus formed a list, promoted at the same time by a group of booksellers from Buenos Aires who arranged a special table dedicated to this list in their bookshops during one month.

In 2010, Argentina was Guest country of Frankfurt Book Fair and the Argentinean National Book Chamber had a spacious booth with a strong presence of local publishing, which did not include many independent publishers. However, the Hotlist had an outstanding exhibition space in this Fair: thanks to a German colleague, curious publisher, philoanarchist, employed by the Fair, we got a well-situated booth and the possibility to exhibit our HotList.

Because a lot of Latin-American publishers cannot travel every year to Frankfurt, we have reminded this adventure and decided to implement it again this year, extended to Spanish-speaking publishers from Latin America, in order to give a better visibility to the vibrant Latin-American independent publishing, in the biggest commercial Book Fair of the World.

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This HotList presents a selection of about 40 books published in Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile… exhibited in the “Reading Island for Independent Publishers” (Pavilion 4.1) of the Frankfurt Book Fair, thanks to the cooperation of the Kurt Wolff Stiftung, group of German independent publishers.

We hope you will appreciate!

Guido Indij
Argentinean publisher, coordinator of the Spanish-speaking network of the International Alliance of independent publishers

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International Conference of Independent Publishers

80 recommendations & tools in support of bibliodiversity

These 80 recommendations are built on the principles upheld in the 2014 International Declaration of independent publishers, an important document promoting bibliodiversity, signed on September 20th 2014, by more than 400 independent publishers from 45 countries.

They raise the necessary prerequisites, divided by themes, for the development, maintenance and strengthening of bibliodiversity in concerned countries. Some recommendations are accompanied by tools and projects (existing or to be developed in the context of the 2015-2016 Alliance programme of activities), enabling a practical implementation of independent publishers’ proposals.

Contents of the 80 recommendations & tools in support of bibliodiversity:

* Public policies safeguarding bibliodiversity
* Proposals and actions supporting digital bibliodiversity
* The Amazon system, a threat to bibliodiversity?
* Essential measures for publishing in local and national languages
* Methods for rethinking book donations
* Proposals and actions to develop solidarity publishing partnerships
* Activities to strengthen diversity in youth publishing

For all book actors to take ownership of these recommendations and tools, we invite you to contact us with your comments, suggestions, ideas, and proposals that could enhance and strengthen this document.

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Babelica

Babelica 2024 - REPLAY

Replays of Babelica 2024 are online on the Babelica platform and on the Alliance’s YouTube channel!

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The Babelica book fair opens on 19 September 2024!

From 19 September, the books of the 2024 Babelica fair will be unveiled: over 90 publishing houses represented in 53 countries around the world.

A wealth of fiction, non-fiction and children’s books to discover here (and filters to help you refine your searches, by language, literary genre or country).

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Babelica 2024, 20-21 September: the program is available!

The 2024 edition of Babelica will take place on 20 and 21 September, 21 September being International Bibliodiversity Day.

The Babelica program is online here!

The Babelica book fair is available online throughout the year. Here you can find the books presented during the 2023 edition of Babelica. The books of the 2024 edition of Babelica will be unveiled on 19 September.

To watch the discussions and debates at Babelica 2023, click here.

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Babelica 2023 available on replay!

The International online Book Fair of Independent Publishing was held from 20 to 22 September. The Babelica programme (readings in Arabic, Creole, Mapuche, etc.; round tables on artificial intelligence, decolonial ecology, inclusive publishing, cartoneras in Latin America, translation in the Arab world, solidarity co-publishing, etc.; meetings with Lilian Thuram and Vandana Shiva, etc.) can be (re)viewed and (re)listened to in replay on the Alliance’s YouTube channel.

The Babelica Book Fair (bringing together over 90 publishers from around the world) is available online throughout the year, until the next edition of Babelica in 2024!

The International Alliance of Independent Publishers would once again like to thank Babelica’s partners (Campus AFD and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie); Maxime Guedj (PCFH Studio) and Thibault Daumain, who designed and developed the Babelica platform; all the speakers; the team of interpreters and everyone else who contributed to the success of this second edition!

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Babelica, 20-22 September 2023, online: discover the Babelica program!

Babelica, the international online book fair of independent publishing, will take place from 20 to 22 September - 21 September is the Bibliodiversity Day!

Babelica is a unique and original project to promote bibliodiversity, conceived and hosted by the International Alliance of Independent Publishers.

Discover the Babelica program here!

Babelica is a book fair dedicated to books published by independent publishing houses. It is designed to raise awareness of the variety of voices in international publishing and ensure they are heard, so as to promote diversity and creativity. At Babelica, a selection of titles from the many books published by independent publishers are being presented.
The Babelica book fair is available online throughout the year, from 20 September 2023 until the next edition in 2024.

Babelica is also a space for debate, exchange and discussion between book professionals, academics, readers, those who are simply curious, and more. The program of round tables, talks and readings offered in 2023 has been developed by publishers who are members and/or close of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers (see program).
To listen again to the round tables from Babelica in 2022, click here.

Babelica is an opportunity for exchanges of rights: join us on 21 September for the event dedicated to literature and human sciences, opportunities for publishers to present the titles from their catalogues to the book professionals present.
Away from this event, if you are interested in buying or selling rights, you can contact publishing houses directly via the Babelica platform.

Finally, Babelica is a place for exchanging know-how and practices, a place for experimentation: therefore, from October 2023 workshops will take place to complement Babelica’s talks and round tables, to delve deeper and develop themes such as digital, discoverability, artificial intelligence and book ecology in small working groups.

For this second edition, the Babelica platform, which will be revealed in September, has been entirely redesigned and updated to reduce its environmental footprint.

Babelica is supported by the Agence française de développement (AFD Campus) and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

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Babelica, from 21 to 22 September 2022!

From 21 to 22 September 2022, in support of International Bibliodiversity Day, join the 1st edition of Babelica online – the international book fair for independent publishers!

The Babelica Fair, via its online platform, will be showcasing the diversity of international independent publishing over three days. More than 65 publishing houses from 37 countries present a selection of 200 titles (literature, children’s books, humanities, comics, etc.) in Indonesian, Arabic, Portuguese, Basque, Spanish, Kinyarwanda, German, Creole, French, Italian, English, Malagasy, etc., to be discovered at Babelica and purchased online.

Babelica also offers a host of meetings, webinars and round tables, to be followed live and in several languages: see here the programme of the 5 round tables scheduled between 21 and 22 September.

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