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

’Independent publishing : meeting, showing solidarity and acting together in Latin America’, round table, Buenos Aires International Book Fair (Argentina), 27 April 2023

Several independent publishers from Latin America will attend the 47th edition of the Buenos Aires International Book Fair, 27 April-15 May 2023, where the guest of honour city this year is Santiago de Chile.

The Editoriales de Chile collective and the Alliance are organising a round table event there on 27 April at midday (local time) : “Independent publishing : meeting, showing solidarity and acting together in Latin America”, with the participation of Maria-Paz Morales (Dudo Ediciones/Editoriales de Chile) and Germán Gacio Baquiola (Corredor Sur Editores / Editores independientes de Ecuador) and Andrés Bracony (Tinta Limón, Argentina), moderated by Paulo Slachevsky (LOM Ediciones / coordinator of the Alliance’s Spanish-language network).

Find out more : The Buenos Aires International Book Fair

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Workshop on promotional tools and creating communities of readers, and a focus on solidarity co-publishing, Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), 9-13 May, 2023

At the Salon International du Livre d’Abidjan/International Book Fair of Abidjan (SILA), the Alliance is organising a workshop targeted at book professionals from some fifteen publishing houses from francophone Africa. The workshop, led by Tchonté Silué, will cover the following themes : creating and managing a community of readers, using social networks, creating audio-visual content (videos, podcasts) and hosting book groups.
There will be a project fair where publishers will be able to present their catalogues with the intention of agreeing transfers of rights and establishing co-publishing projects. This project fair will be accompanied by an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience of solidarity co-publishing.

These events, organised thanks to the support of the Orange Foundation and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, will be attended by the finalists of the Orange Book Award in Africa as well as by some ten publishing houses from francophone Africa who are members of the Alliance. The winner of the Orange Book Award in Africa will be announced during the book fair.

See all the SILA’s activities here.

See the programme of events organised by the Alliance here :

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Happy New Year 2023 !

In 2023, let’s continue building a world with more solidarity, sharing ideas and defending bibliodiversity !

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Illustration by Mariette Robbes

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’Typography, composition, correction’ workshop and meetings on editorial partnerships, 7-11 November 2022, Conakry (Guinea)

As part of the Conakry International Children’s Book Fair (7-10 November 2022), initiated and coordinated by Ganndal in Guinea, some twenty publishing houses from French-speaking Africa are meeting in Conakry for a training programme tailored to the needs of the finalists of the Orange Book Prize in Africa and the members of the Alliance.

These meetings are designed through a partnership with the Orange Foundation and the support of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.

The meetings in Conakry will be structured in several stages :

  • a workshop on « Typography, composition, correction »
  • a workshop on publishing partnerships in the French-speaking world followed by exchanges on publishers’ catalogues
  • working sessions between the publishing houses involved in the « Terres solidaires » collection (deliberations of the Reading Committee and choice of the next titles in the collection in particular)

The participants will also take part in the inauguration of the Fair and will exhibit their country’s children’s books during the Fair.

Read the programme and see the list of participants here !

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Meeting of the International Committee of Independent Publishers (ICIP), 25-27 October 2022, Paris

The International Committee of Independent Publishers (ICIP), composed of the coordinators of the language networks of the Alliance, will meet face-to-face in Paris from 25 to 27 October.

This meeting is essential in the life of the Alliance : it is an opportunity to define the activities of the Alliance for the period to come ; to work on the governance of the association ; to take decisions on strategic issues for the association.

The programme is available here !

Visual : Mariette Robbes

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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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Tehran Book Fair, Uncensored, 11 May - 12 June 2022, Europe and North America

The sixth edition of the Tehran Book Fair, Uncensored takes place from 11 May to 12 June 2022, starting in London and then travelling through several European and American cities !

This book fair is timed parallel to the Iran Book Fair, hence the name : Tehran Book Fair, Uncensored. The aim of the exhibition is to provide an opportunity for authors and publishers who would be censored or banned in Iran to speak out freely and present their work.

Participating publishing houses :

  • Forough Book (Germany)
  • Naakojaa (France)
  • Gardoon (Germany)
  • Nogaam (UK)
  • Satrap (UK)
  • Dena Book (Netherlands)
  • Red Intellect (Netherlands)
  • Aftab Publication (Norway)
  • Roonak Publication (Netherlands)
  • Pendaar Publications (UK)
  • Arzan (Sweden)
  • Ferdosi (Sweden)
  • Iran Academia (Netherlands)
  • Pegah Books (Canada)
  • Ketab Corp (USA)
  • Saraye Bamdad (Canada)
  • Ketab Corp (USA)

For more information : www.uncensoredbook.com / #UBF22

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For a decolonial, ecological, feminist, free, social and solidarity-based independent publishing : preliminary conclusions of the Pamplona-Iruñea Conference and perspectives !

Illustrations and video : Mariette Robbes (https://marietterobbes.fr/)

The International Conference of Independent Publishers held in Pamplona-Iruñea brought together more than 100 book professionals from 40 countries and was attended by more than 300 participants connected to the Babelica platform.
6 round-table discussions and 3 collective workshops in 4 languages of communication ; B2B meetings ; closing speeches by Vandana Shiva and Djaïli Amadou Amal...

The round-table discussions of the Conference are available in replay on the Alliance’s YouTube channel.

The conclusions of the Conference are currently being drafted and will be available on the Alliance’s website in early 2022. They will present the highlights of the Conference, the proposals and recommendations of the independent publishers for REthinking, and the Alliance’s perspectives for the period 2022-2025.

The declaration of the Conference “For an independent, decolonial, ecological, feminist, free, social and solidarity-based publishing” is also being finalised (proofread by the different networks of the Alliance, in several languages). This declaration will be completed by a guide of good practices - the first drafts of this guide were elaborated during the Conference and are the object of a collective work within the Alliance, for publication during the first quarter of 2022.

The photos and press review of the Conference can already be found here !

The Alliance would like to thank once again all the partners of the Conference (see here) and especially the association EDITARGI, co-organiser of this unique meeting !

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Follow the International Conference of Independent Publishers in Pamplona (23-26 November, 2021) on Babelica, the Alliance’s virtual space

International Conference of Independent Publishers, round tables and workshops : the international independent publishing online on Babelica !

All information about the Pamplona Conference is available on Babelica in English, French, Spanish and Basque.

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A literary and multilingual sound card : Happy B-Day and happy 20th birthday to the Alliance !

On 21 September, we are celebrating bibliodiversity and also the 20th birthday of the Alliance !

The publishers are offering you a literary world tour in more than 30 countries : 45 readings in 25 languages to listen to and watch here !

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A big thank you to all of you for this gift ; thanks also to Naima Éditions for making this map.

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Coéditions et traductions solidaires

Sciences humaines et sociales

Le commerce de la faim

Auteur(s) : John MADELEY
Pays de parution : Bénin, Cameroun, Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Guinée, Mali, Maroc, Suisse, Tunisie
Langue(s) : anglais , français , portugais
Prix : 15 €

Les négociations de l’OMC sur le commerce international sont, depuis quelques années, l’objet de l’attention d’une opinion publique qui entend de plus en plus avoir voix au chapitre dans les débats entre États. L’agriculture est l’un des dossiers brulants de ces rencontres.
Le commerce de la faim démontre comment des instances internationales comme l’OMC ont subordonné un besoin essentiel de l’humanité – se nourrir – aux froides règles du libre-échange. Afin de se procurer des devises, les pays pauvres sont sommés d’orienter leurs productions agricoles vers l’exportation à destination des pays riches. Avec ces devises, les pays du sud se procurent de quoi nourrir leur population. Si le libre-échange a profité à beaucoup d’acteurs économiques, il a laissé sur la touche 800 millions d’etres humains qui souffrent de malnutrition ou de famine.

Date de publication : 2002

Collection Enjeux Planète

12 éditeurs francophones traitent de différents thèmes sur les défis de la mondialisation (ressources naturelles, aide au développement, rapports Nord-Sud, etc.). Une collection internationale pour une autre mondialisation : « Enjeux Planète » existe aussi en anglais et en portugais. De brefs essais, porteurs de diagnostics et de propositions, de perspectives d’action, accessibles à un large public. Portant le label « Le Livre équitable », la collection fait l’objet d’accords commerciaux justes et solidaires.

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Graines suspectes

Auteur(s) : Robert Ali Brac de la PERRIERE ; Franck SEURET
Pays de parution : Bénin, Cameroun, Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Guinée, Mali, Maroc, Suisse, Tunisie
Langue(s) : anglais , français
Prix : 15 €

Quels sont pour les communautés paysannes des pays du Sud, les intérêts du développement de variétés végétales génétiquement modifiées ? Pour les auteurs, la réponse est évidente : il n’y en a pas. La commercialisation des OGM remet même en cause les principes fondamentaux du développement durable de ces communautés.
La culture des OGM n’a pas été conçue pour les contextes agraires des pays du Sud, elle leur est inadaptée. La taille réduite des parcelles, leur proximité, leur diversité, le manque d’accès à l’information des paysans sont autant de facteurs aggravant les risques sanitaires et environnementaux. Présenté comme une “Révolution verte bis“, ce modèle de développement appliqué depuis quarante ans a pourtant montré ses limites pour le développement durable des pays du Sud et leur souveraineté alimentaire.

Disponible en anglais : « Brave New Seeds » aux éditions Zed Books

Date de publication : 2004

Collection Enjeux Planète

12 éditeurs francophones traitent de différents thèmes sur les défis de la mondialisation (ressources naturelles, aide au développement, rapports Nord-Sud, etc.). Une collection internationale pour une autre mondialisation : « Enjeux Planète » existe aussi en anglais et en portugais. De brefs essais, porteurs de diagnostics et de propositions, de perspectives d’action, accessibles à un large public. Portant le label « Le Livre équitable », la collection fait l’objet d’accords commerciaux justes et solidaires.

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Une Europe inédite

Auteur(s) : Bernard LEFORT
Pays de parution : Bulgarie, France
Langue(s) : français , bulgare

L’Europe se construit. Depuis un demi-siècle, pas à pas, un nouvel espace géographique, une nouvelle entité politique se dessinent. parmi les lieux de mémoire dédiés à l’histoire récente de l’Europe, la Fondation Jean Monnet, à Lausanne, possède un certain nombre d’archives permettant de suivre, de mieux comprendre à travers des textes rares comment l’idée d’union européenne s’est retrempée au fil des années, y compris avant et pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Ses documents sont le noyau de l’ensemble que nous proposons. Les textes présentés dans ce volume essaient de donner un autre éclairage sur la “mécanique européenne“. L’angle choisi permet de montrer que la construction de l’Europe moderne ne fut pas forcément “technocratique“, mais que, comme tout projet singulier, elle est le résultat de tâtonnement, d’hésitations, de conflits souvent aujourd’hui oubliés, et aussi d’un élan réel.

Date de publication : 2001

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Littérature

La Nature

Auteur(s) : YUE Dai Yun - Anne SAUVAGNARGUES
Pays de parution : Chine, France
Langue(s) : chinois , français
Prix : 9,45 €

Là où les hommes d’Europe sont en lutte ou en coexistence forcée avec la nature, les Chinois sont, selon la tradition confucéenne, en symbiose, en communion, en dépendance mutuelle. « Nous nous regardons, le ciel et moi, sans nous lasser », chante le célèbre poète Li Po, cité par Mme Yue Dai Yun. Plus encore : à lire les innombrables légendes que rapporte cette dernière, l’homme est, ou devient la nature : combien de jeunes filles, de dieux ou de déesses (anciens humains) ont-il ainsi été transformés en collines, et leurs larmes en torrents ? La montagne, l’eau de la rivière, l’immensité des mers ne sont pas, en Chine, des choses, mais des réalités vivantes qui s’imposent à l’homme et lui enseignent le temps, la mort, l’infranchissable. Dès lors, nous dit Yue Dai Yun, il faut « éviter de se contraindre et surtout de s’opposer à la nature pour s’adapter à soi-même ». La nature est en effet, pour beaucoup de Chinois, la source et non l’objet de la spéculation intellectuelle. Rien de tel, par exemple, que de grimper pour penser : « La succession des montagnes n’a pas de limites pour les Chinois, car elle symbolise l’élévation de leur esprit et l’élargissement de leur pensée ». Ne cherchons pas partout dans ces deux textes l’opposition Orient-Occident. La vénération chinoise pour les reliefs élevés, qui vient d’être évoquée, ne rejoint-elle pas notre propre tradition, celle du Sinaï ou du Thabor, sans oublier la montagne du fameux Sermon ? Nos mystiques seraient-elles à l’opposé, quand les Chinois disent, selon Yue Dai Yun : « Il y a des montagnes au-delà des montagnes ; il y a un autre monde au-delà du nôtre » ? Et la Chine aurait-elle le monopole de l’émerveillement ? La magie des produits de la nature, que les femmes Miao, en automne, rapportent sur les marchés, de ces fruits sauvages d’un rouge éclatant, de ces feuilles de palmiers, Aristote la connut lui aussi, dont Anne Sauvagnargues nous dit que « les idées étaient toujours limpides, pleines de rochers, d’animaux, d’hommes et de ciel étoilé qu’on observe la nuit, allongé sur les terrasses ».
En lisant ces deux textes, très différents, très littéraires, le lecteur est invité à s’intéresser à des visions du monde et de la nature héritées, souvent, d’un lointain passé. Lointain ? Pas tant que cela ! L’histoire du « sauvetage de la lune », auquel participa héroïquement Yue Dai Yun dans son enfance, nous dit assez bien combien les mythes traditionnels imprègnent les hommes et les femmes d’aujourd’hui, et leur donnent, peut-être, la force de se battre pour une nature moins saccagée.

Date de publication : 1999

Collection Proches lointains

La rencontre de deux auteurs, l’un français, l’autre chinois, qui, chacun à sa manière, développe des sujets comme le rêve, le goût, la nature, la nuit, la mort, la beauté, etc. 13 titres sont déjà édités dans chacune des deux langues.

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La Mort

Auteur(s) : TANG Yi Jie - Xavier LE PICHON
Pays de parution : Chine, France
Langue(s) : chinois , français
Prix : 9,91 €

Deux universitaires de haute volée - un géophysicien français et un philosophe chinois - parlant de la mort, voilà qui peut effrayer un lecteur peu rompu au langage académique. Qu’il aborde ce livre rassuré. Ce dont nous parlent ici le professeur Tang Yijie, président de l’Académie de Culture Chinoise et Xavier Le Pichon, professeur au Collège de France, c’est de leur père, de leur mère, de leurs frères et sœurs, de leurs convictions et de leur foi. C’est, avant tout, de la vie.
Tang Yijie et Xavier Le Pichon ont eu plusieurs fois l’occasion de se rencontrer et de dialoguer sur les sujets essentiels de l’existence. Ainsi ces deux textes ne résultent-ils pas d’une simple juxtaposition. Ils se répondent mutuellement, avec un souci quasi pédagogique de s’adresser à la culture de l’autre, de mettre en évidence - et en question - les traits les plus représentatifs de sa propre civilisation.

Même s’il juge que la place de la culture chrétienne dans la culture européenne est “sans doute excessive“, Xavier Le Pichon choisit de traiter du mystère de la mort dans la perspective qui est la sienne : catholique. Lucide, il nous montre combien la mort - jadis incorporée à la vie, et rappel que “la destinée de l’homme est le bonheur éternel“ - est devenue en Europe au cours des siècles, et avec les progrès de la médecine, un événement de plus en plus lié à la douleur de la vie. Un passage, certes, vers la lumière, mais bien chèrement acquis ! Impressionnants, par exemple, ces quelques mots écrits par son père évoquant sa mort proche : “La mort est l’acte le plus important de la vie ; elle est comme le sceau qui clït la lettre écrite avec tant de larmes, de sang et de souffrance. Elle doit comme couronner la vie.“

Date de publication : 1999

Collection Proches lointains

La rencontre de deux auteurs, l’un français, l’autre chinois, qui, chacun à sa manière, développe des sujets comme le rêve, le goût, la nature, la nuit, la mort, la beauté, etc. 13 titres sont déjà édités dans chacune des deux langues.

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Le Rêve

Auteur(s) : JIN Si Yan - Maurice BELLET
Pays de parution : Chine, France
Langue(s) : chinois , français

Quand on sait qu’existait jadis dans l’Empire du Milieu un “Grand Augure“, sorte de secrétaire d’État oniromancien placé à la tête d’un “service de la divination“, et quand on lit ce qu’écrit ici Jin Siyan sur le rôle du songe dans sa propre vie, on comprend que pour les Chinois le rêve est une affaire prise au sérieux. Est-ce en contrepoint que Maurice Bellet déplore la difficulté de l’homme occidental - “ce rêveur qui ne se connaît pas lui-même“ - à faire de même ? Pas seulement. Philosophe, psychanalyste, prêtre et parfois romancier, Maurice Bellet connaît et aime le rêve pour l’avoir accompagné et travaillé chez les autres et chez lui-même, et pour en avoir longtemps étudié la valeur créatrice. Et même si, dans sa contribution à ce livre, il ne parle que très rarement de lui-même, ses analyses et ses paraboles le révèlent en profondeur, car elles sont bien plus chargées d’expérience que de spéculation abstraite.
A la spéculation détachée de la vie, Jin Siyan ne tient pas davantage. Ancienne enseignante à l’Université de Pékin, Maître de conférences à l’ENA et professeur de civilisation chinoise et de littérature comparée à l’Université d’Artois, elle tient ici, avant tout, à raconter. Elle raconte les rêves du quotidien de son enfance rurale et heureuse, ceux des légendes et des mythes de la Chine ancienne, elle raconte les revenants, et ce que fut le rêve dans des époques aussi troublées que celle de la Révolution culturelle.
Pour des raisons très différentes, les deux auteurs évoquent ici le rêve comme un médiateur. Pour l’homme occidental décrit par Maurice Bellet, bâti sur des scissions - âme/corps, sujet/objet - le rêve est une manière d’interface “à la jointure de l’esprit et du corps“.
Pour les Chinois, plutôt étrangers à ce type d’oppositions, le rêve est néanmoins, là aussi, un passeur. “Il procède sans entraves, nous dit Jin Siyan, oscillant entre les mondes du yin et du yang“.

Date de publication : 1999

Collection Proches lointains

La rencontre de deux auteurs, l’un français, l’autre chinois, qui, chacun à sa manière, développe des sujets comme le rêve, le goût, la nature, la nuit, la mort, la beauté, etc. 13 titres sont déjà édités dans chacune des deux langues.

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La Science

Auteur(s) : YANG Huanming ; Pierre LÉNA
Pays de parution : Chine, France
Langue(s) : chinois , français

Symbole du progrès, du travail de la raison qui tente d’expliquer inlassablement le réel et le destin de l’univers, la science est aussi un extraordinaire lieu de dialogue entre les cultures par sa vocation à tendre vers l’universel.

Astrophysicien, Pierre LÉNA propose d’abord une “promenade de science“ évoquant des questions que chacuns se pose. La science, traque de l’invisible à travers les apparences du visible, n’est elle qu’une affaire de spécialistes ? Patient exercice de la preuve ou belle construction mathématique, voire relation subtile entre la vérité et le changement ?

Spécialiste du gène humain, YANG Huanming donne quant à lui la perception chinoise de la science, liée à la cosmologie, à la sagesse et à la vision de l’univers et des forces qui l’animent. Il s’interroge à son tour sur la dimension éthique à partir du génome humain.

Collection Proches lointains

La rencontre de deux auteurs, l’un français, l’autre chinois, qui, chacun à sa manière, développe des sujets comme le rêve, le goût, la nature, la nuit, la mort, la beauté, etc. 13 titres sont déjà édités dans chacune des deux langues.

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La Nuit

Auteur(s) : TANG Ke Yang - Martine LAFFON
Pays de parution : Chine, France
Langue(s) : chinois , français
Prix : 9,45 €

La géographie des fuseaux horaires nous enseigne que lorsque Paris s’endort, Shanghai se réveille. Mais demandez à un écrivain chinois et à un écrivain français de vous dire la nuit, ce n’est pas de sommeil qu’ils vous parleront, ou si peu. Tang Ke Yang, jeune spécialiste de littérature comparée et Martine Laffon, philosophe, ont trop de fascination pour la nuit multiforme pour en laisser la richesse aux ronfleurs. Et le voyage qu’ils nous proposent chacun, au bout de la nuit de leur âme - et de leur civilisation - est une invitation à voir, dans le noir, ce que nous ne voyons pas, à regarder dans la nuit de l’autre pour mieux le comprendre, pour mieux se comprendre soi-même.
Car, nous disent-ils, la nuit éclaire. Passée la peur de l’enfant perdu dans le noir, une mystérieuse alchimie se produit par quoi la nuit, comme par surprise, nous révèle quelque chose de l’infini. Tang Ke Yang et Martine Laffon en ont fait tous deux l’expérience personnelle, l’un qui découvrit dans la nuit cet « espace de nonchalance dans notre vie cravachée par la raison », l’autre pour qui le temps nocturne donne à « connaître ce que l’oeil et les autres sens ne peuvent plus distinguer, car ils ont oublié ce qu’ils savaient si bien dans la lumière du jour ». Nuits blanches, nuits canailles bien françaises, nuits jadis interdites en Chine, où nul ne pouvait déambuler sans permis spécial, nuits d’ivresse et nuits de clairvoyance, nuits de Pascal et de Descartes qui y formèrent le meilleur de leur pensée, nuits intérieures et nuits pièges, nuits des luminaires, des lanternes rouges et des lumignons chinois, nuits célébrées de la tradition chrétienne, nuit des écrivains et des poètes. De ce florilège d’évocations proposées par nos deux auteurs, on peut tirer un démenti catégorique au doute exprimé au détour d’une page par Martine Laffon : « Et si la nuit n’était que la nuit ? »

Date de publication : 1999

Collection Proches lointains

La rencontre de deux auteurs, l’un français, l’autre chinois, qui, chacun à sa manière, développe des sujets comme le rêve, le goût, la nature, la nuit, la mort, la beauté, etc. 13 titres sont déjà édités dans chacune des deux langues.

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Jeunesse

Kofi et le petit garçon de feu

Auteur(s) : Nei LOPES (texte) ; Hélène MOREAU (illustrations)
Pays de parution : Bénin
Langue(s) : français

Kofi était enfant dans un village du Ghana, au temps où ce pays s’appelait la Gold Coast et était une colonie anglaise. Il avait entendu dire qu’il existait des gens qui avaient des cheveux clairs et des peaux blanches, peaux qui rougissaient quand ils étaient en colère et qui, alors, pouvaient brûler celui qui les touchait. Imaginez alors son inquiétude quand il se trouva face à un jeune Anglais, venu en visite avec son père, chef d’une délégation officielle. Le petit Blanc, lui, pensait que le noir de la peau s’effaçait au toucher… Tous ces présupposés écartés, leur sourire et leur poignée de main sont des plus sincères. Cette histoire, porteuse de leçon sur l’importance de la rencontre pour dépasser les préjugés, est servie par un texte qui reflète bien le point de Kofi avec toute sa naïveté. Les illustrations aux belles couleurs chaudes modèlent formes et lumières.
Les dernières pages du livre sont consacrées à un intéressant dossier documentaire sur le Ghana.
Présentation du livre : © Nathalie Beau (Takam Tikou)

Traduit du portugais (Brésil) vers le français par Flavio Corrêa de Mello

Ruisseaux d’Afrique (Bénin), 2012 ; 37 pages
Édition originale : Pallas Editora (Brésil)

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Les nouveautés du fonds « Lectures d’Afrique(s) » à découvrir d’urgence !

Le fonds Lectures d’Afrique(s) rassemble aujourd’hui la production de six maisons d’édition indépendantes d’Afrique (Afrique du Sud, Bénin, Madagascar, Mali, Rwanda, Togo) et du Brésil.

Découvrez les nouveautés des éditions Bakamé (Rwanda), Donniya (Mali), Jeunes Malgaches (Madagascar), Graines de Pensées (Togo), Pallas (Brésil) et Ruisseaux d’Afrique (Bénin). Si vous souhaitez diversifier votre fonds, lire en malgache, en portugais, en kinyarwanda, en français, si vous désirez tout simplement découvrir des auteurs et illustrateurs africains et brésiliens... la solution est ici... téléchargez le catalogue !

Télécharger le catalogue ici :

Téléchargez les nouveautés du fonds Lectures d’Afrique(s) !

Retrouvez l’intégralité du catalogue ici.

Contactez l’Alliance internationale des éditeurs indépendants pour passer commande ou pour tout renseignement supplémentaire.

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Lectures d’Afrique(s), téléchargez le catalogue !

Auteur(s) : Catalogue collectif
Pays de parution : République de Guinée, Afrique du Sud, Bénin, Brésil, Madagascar, Mali, Maroc, Rwanda, Tunisie
Langue(s) : anglais , arabe , français , malgache , portugais , amazighe , bambara , kinyarwanda , kiswahili

Ancrés dans le quotidien africain, dans les rues de Bamako et de Conakry, au port de pêche de Cotonou, sur les terres tunisiennes, ou imprégnés de l’héritage afro-brésilien, découvrez dès maintenant les 281 contes, documentaires, albums et romans qui composent ce catalogue. La production de neuf maisons d’édition indépendantes d’Afrique (Afrique du Sud, Bénin, Madagascar, Mali, Maroc, République de Guinée, Rwanda, Tunisie) et du Brésil est ainsi disponible en France, en Belgique et en Suisse ! Si vous souhaitez diversifier votre fonds, lire en bambara, en arabe, en anglais, en portugais, en kinyarwanda, en malgache, en français, si vous désirez tout simplement découvrir... la solution est ici... tournez les pages !

L’Alliance diffuse et distribue l’ensemble des ouvrages présentés dans le catalogue.

Téléchargez ici le catalogue.

Le catalogue Lectures d’Afrique(s) a été réalisé avec le soutien de la Région Ile-de-France.

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Contos do mar sem fim

Auteur(s) : Cinco autores de Angola, quatro de Guiné-Bissau e sete escritores do Brasil
Pays de parution : Angola, Brésil, Guinée-Bissao
Langue(s) : portugais
Prix : R$ 32,00

Ce recueil, qui emprunte son titre à un vers emblématique de Fernando
Pessoa, est une véritable invitation au voyage, à travers seize récits
d’auteurs du Brésil, de Guinée-Bissau et D’Angola.

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

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Catalogue jeunesse - « À la découverte de la littérature jeunesse africaine » et son supplément « Les Afriques en fête »

Pour accéder aux catalogues jeunesse, cliquez ici et ici.

Ces ouvrages sont disponibles à l’Alliance, contactez-nous par téléphone ou par email pour tout renseignement ou toute commande.

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Maman

Auteur(s) : Béatrice LALINON GBADO ; Mamadou Wolid NIANG, Ousseynou SAKHO, Abdoulaye SECK, Ibrahima DIA, Chérif DIOP
Pays de parution : Bénin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Sénégal, Congo Brazzaville
Langue(s) : français
Prix : 15 euros ; 5 000 FCFA

Ce texte poétique, écrit par Béatrice LALINON GBADO, est un véritable hommage à la femme, un long poème magnifiquement illustré par plusieurs artistes sénégalais travaillant la technique du « sous-verre ».

Date de publication : 2006,
48 pages,
24 X 24 cm

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1001 activités autour du livre

Auteur(s) : Philippe BRASSEUR
Pays de parution : République de Guinée, Bénin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Madagascar, Maurice, Niger, République démocratique du Congo, Rwanda, Togo

1001 activités autour du livre n’a pas pour objectif d’apprendre à lire mais celui de donner la passion du livre et de la lecture aux enfants de 2 à 11 ans et au-delà.
Comment ? En jouant, en dessinant, en inventant, en parlant, en mimant… tout cela grâce aux livres. Cet ouvrage de terrain et d’expérience, ludique et original, donne envie de dévorer tous les autres !
Un véritable outil pour les professionnels de l’éducation enfantine et pour les parents attentifs.

Initialement publié par les éditions Casterman en 2013.
Publication en Afrique subsaharienne et dans l’Océan Indien : septembre 2020.
Une adaptation spécifique pour cette coédition panafricaine a été réalisée par Philippe Brasseur ; les coéditrices et coéditeurs ont par ailleurs actualisé et adapté à leurs contextes et environnements certaines des références de l’ouvrage.

Un livre coédité par 11 maisons d’édition en Afrique subsaharienne et dans l’Océan Indien : AGO Média (Togo), Atelier des Nomades (Île Maurice), éditions Bakame (Rwanda), éditions Elondja (RDC), Ganndal (Guinée), la librairie La Farandole des livres (Niger), Gashingo (Niger), Jeunes Malgaches (Madagascar), Éditions Ntsamé (Gabon), Ruisseaux d’Afrique (Bénin) et Vallesse (Côte d’Ivoire).

Cette coédition solidaire porte le label Le livre équitable.  

Ce projet a pu se concrétiser lors d’un atelier sur la littérature jeunesse organisé par l’Alliance à Abidjan, en mai 2019, dans le cadre des Assises internationales de l’édition indépendante 2019-2021 ; il a été initié, coordonné et suivi par Corinne Fleury (Atelier des nomades). Cette cession de droits, adaptation et coédition panafricaine a reçu le soutien du Centre national du livre.

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Advocacy actions

Solidarity with Shahidul Alam (Bangladesh), August 8, 2018

STATEMENT
August 8, 2018

The International Alliance of Independent Publishers (IAIP), a network of 553 publishers worldwide, expresses its shock and dismay at the late-night abduction and detention of acclaimed photographer and human rights activist, Shahidul Alam, in Dhaka. Shahidul Alam has been a partner-colleague of the IAIP, in which context we have interacted with him on many occasions.

We believe that the charges against him under Section 57 of the ICT are an attempt to intimidate him by using a draconian law to stifle his right to free speech. He has been held without due legal process, and we have received disturbing reports of brutal treatment meted out to him in detention.

The right of peaceful protest, and the defence of that right, are fundamental to democracy and to upholding the rule of law. The IAIP extends its support to, and expresses solidarity with, Shahidul Alam, and reiterates its commitment to the freedom of expression in Bangladesh as well as in the rest of the world.

See here the film make by New Internationalist (UK) in support with Shahidul Alam.

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Censorship against independent publishing house Txalaparta (Basque Country), 1 March 2018

Publishers from the Alliance condemn the banning of the book El desarme, la vía vasca d’Iñaki Egaña (copublished by Txalaparta, Gara journal, and Mediabask media), during its promotion on Basque radio-television.

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Frankfurt in French : Call for more coherence towards a strengthened bibliodiversity

As the Frankfurt Book Fair (11-15 October 2017) opens in a few weeks’ time, with a special focus on France and French languages, the International Alliance of independent publishers takes the opportunity to revisit some key issues for independent publishers and bibliodiversity, as expressed by 400 publishers from 50 countries, in the International Declaration of independent publishers of 2014.

France wished, in the context of Frankfurt’s invitation, to provide a space for publishers from the South and we are grateful for this opportunity. We hope this openness will contribute towards meaningful networking, discussion, and exchanges among Francophone publishers. These mutual trust and interest, at the heart of the Alliance, have indeed proven themselves over the past 15 years, leading to unprecedented co-publishing and translation projects between continents.

However, other aspects of “Frankfurt in French” are counterintuitive to this dynamic. Book donation initiatives from France to Africa are indeed planned in Frankfurt this year. More specifically, the 30 000 books to be displayed in the French Pavilion will be distributed to foreign countries after Frankfurt – and this while some twenty African publishers are invited to participate in the Fair, in an “African/Haiti” stand. As mentioned in several reports and in the Frankfurt programme (see here), book donations, while underpinned by good intentions, can disrupt the local book economy.

We therefore call on the accountability of each involved — public authorities, associations, and professionals, for these donations to be made in close collaboration with participating African publishers, but also in consultation with local African booksellers. These are the basic conditions for balanced and respectful exchanges in the actors’ respective environments.

It is critical to rethink book donation. Encouraging and supporting sustainable and fair editorial partnerships must be a priority.

We hope that the readiness to showcase Francophonie’s diversity and plurality in Frankfurt will be paralleled with constructive actions by public authorities, both in the North and South. It is indeed essential for political will to accompany a change of perspective and relations among Francophone countries.

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Solidarity with the Mexicans, 22 September 2017

On 21 September, all around the world, we have celebrated the International Day of Bibliodiversity. Meantime, in Mexico, the terrible earthquake occurred 2 days before, on 19 September, turning streets into dust, causing victims, hundreds and hundreds of roofless people…

The International Alliance of independent publishers expresses –in these days of celebration of cultural diversity, ideas and texts flows– its solidarity with the Mexicans.

The Association of Mexican independent publishers (AEMI), member of the Alliance, proposes to collect Latin-American books to offer especially to children and young Mexicans –so that their imaginations do not focus on this disaster, and that stories and words coming from abroad can help them in these painful moments.

This is also bibliodiversity : be careful about the surrounding world, keep awake and conscious, in solidarity.

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Call for freedom of speech and publishing in Turkey, 22 August 2016

The International Alliance of independent publishers demands that Turkish authorities immediately release publishers, authors and journalists currently detained. It is necessary to guarantee freedom of speech and publishing in Turkey. The Alliance joins the Turkish Publishers Association’s condemnation of the summary closure of publishing houses and media as a clear human rights violation, and urges the Turkish authorities to rescind those summary closures.

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Call for freedom of speech and publishing in Bangladesh, November 2015

Extract from the Communiqué by the Alliance for a call for freedom of speech and publishing in Bangladesh, 10 November 2015 :

For several months, authors, bloggers, publishers and booksellers have been the victims of violent and deadly attacks in Bangladesh.

The International Alliance of independent publishers, representing 400 independent publishers from 45 countries in the world, condemns these murderous attacks and assault on freedom of speech and publishing. The Alliance also reaffirms the essential role needing to be played by public authorities, in Bangladesh and throughout the world to enable the emancipation of its citizens, and to guarantee a public space conducive to dialogue and peace. Plurality and diversity of ideas constitute the foundation of democracy. It is urgent that the Bangladeshi government protects and supports actors in the book industry, thus safeguarding the foundations necessary for their work and freedom of speech.

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Communiqué from the Alliance on the Tunis meetings, 27 May 2011

Pays de parution : Tunisie

15 publishers from 8 countries (Algeria, Argentina, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, France, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria) met in Tunis, from 12 to 15 May 2011, to discuss e-publishing. The meeting was organised by the International Alliance of Independent Publishers, with the support of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.

The publishers who met in Tunis wished it to be known that these meetings took place in a peaceful and secure environment. The warm welcome we were given, despite the curfew then in place, enabled us to organise meetings of a high standard, from both a professional and a human perspective.

We wished to show our solidarity with our Tunisian partners in this way, by inviting associations, NGOs, organisations and institutions, tourists and the simply curious to rediscover Tunisia – a Tunisia where freedom is in the air.

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Communiqué from the Tunisian Publishers’ Union, 21 January 2011

Pays de parution : Tunisie

Extract from the Tunisian Publishers’ Union’s communiqué, published on 21 January 2011

« The Tunisian Publishers’ Union, whose members met on Friday, 21 January, congratulates the Tunisian people, is proud of its glorious revolution and pays tribute to its martyrs, while declaring its unwavering support for the popular resistance ».

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Communiqué in support of Txalaparta Publishing following attacks on « El manual del torturador español » and on freedom of expression, December 2010

Paris, December 2010

It is with great concern that the International Alliance of Independent Publishers has noted the recent censorship of a book in Spain, and the threats made against the independent publishing house Txalaparta, member of the Alliance’s Spanish-speaking network.

The book in question, « El manual del torturador español » (The Spanish Torturer’s Manual) – by Xabier MAKAZAGA denounces the torture carried out by the Spanish police. The book was withdrawn from a public library (in the Basauri town council), following a request by a political party and certain Madrid newspapers to remove it from all libraries where it was made available to readers. However the practices described in this book support the accusations already made in reports by Amnesy International and by the UN Recorder on Human Rights. The campaign against this book has already been publicly denounced by public librarians. Furthermore the Basque Country Human Rights Observer (Behatokia) sent a letter of protest to Frank de la Rue, Special Recorder on Human Rights and Freedom of Expression with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, whose headquarters are in Geneva.

The International Alliance of independent publishers, whose objectives include defending freedom of expression and denouncing all forms of censorship, also has a duty to respond publicly when attacks or infringements are directed – for ideological reasons – against independent publishers, whose very job it is to encourage the dissemination of ideas and to contribute to forging the identity of people and their culture.

One has only to examine Txalaparta’s publishing catalogue to appreciate the vast range of literary works and essays which constitute an undeniable contribution to bibliodiversity, while reflecting a clear editorial policy.

This is why we independent publishers are appealing to the Spanish authorities to respect the work of independent publishers and to encourage respect for fundamental rights and democracy.

We also appeal to independent publishers, booksellers, librarians and readers to follow the development of this matter closely and to express their support to Txalaparta Publishing in order to defend and respect the right to information that is true and diverse.


The Spanish-language network of the International Alliance of independent publishers

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Preferential postage rates for books : urgent for Latin America, August 2010

Massively used by small publishing firms to distribute their products to bookstores, libraries, and readers, the postal service is the most popular means of circulating books throughout the world. However, the absence, suppression or questioning of special postage for books is an impediment to bibliodiversity in many countries.
In Latin America, with a huge territory to cover and limited circulation, a large share of publishers ensures the delivery of their products themselves. For these publishers, preferential postage rates for shipping books are all the more vital.

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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

Pamplona-Iruñea Declaration ’for independent, decolonial, ecological, feminist, free, social and solidarity-based publishing’

Gathered in the city of Pamplona-Iruñea from 23 to 26 November 2021 at the fourth International Conference of Independent Publishers, organised in partnership with EDITARGI (Association of Independent Publishers of Navarre), we, the publishers of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers (IAIP), reaffirm our commitment to :

  • the cultural, social and political character of books and reading ;
  • the democratisation of books in our societies ;
  • reading as an emancipatory practice that strengthens the critical thinking of citizens and stakeholders within their society.

Read the full Declaration here :

This Declaration is in line with the discussions and work of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers, in particular the Declarations of 2003, 2007 and 2014 and the 80 recommendations in favour of bibliodiversity. It will be complemented by a Guide to Good Practice (collective work in progress, for publication in the first half of 2022).

The round-table discussions of the Conference are available in replay on the Alliance’s YouTube channel.

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For a decolonial, ecological, feminist, free, social and solidarity-based independent publishing : preliminary conclusions of the Pamplona-Iruñea Conference and perspectives !

Illustrations and video : Mariette Robbes (https://marietterobbes.fr/)

The International Conference of Independent Publishers held in Pamplona-Iruñea brought together more than 100 book professionals from 40 countries and was attended by more than 300 participants connected to the Babelica platform.
6 round-table discussions and 3 collective workshops in 4 languages of communication ; B2B meetings ; closing speeches by Vandana Shiva and Djaïli Amadou Amal...

The round-table discussions of the Conference are available in replay on the Alliance’s YouTube channel.

The conclusions of the Conference are currently being drafted and will be available on the Alliance’s website in early 2022. They will present the highlights of the Conference, the proposals and recommendations of the independent publishers for REthinking, and the Alliance’s perspectives for the period 2022-2025.

The declaration of the Conference “For an independent, decolonial, ecological, feminist, free, social and solidarity-based publishing” is also being finalised (proofread by the different networks of the Alliance, in several languages). This declaration will be completed by a guide of good practices - the first drafts of this guide were elaborated during the Conference and are the object of a collective work within the Alliance, for publication during the first quarter of 2022.

The photos and press review of the Conference can already be found here !

The Alliance would like to thank once again all the partners of the Conference (see here) and especially the association EDITARGI, co-organiser of this unique meeting !

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International Conference of Independent Publishers, Pamplona-Iruñea, 23-26 November, 2021

To find out more about the participants, practical information and to follow the Conference online, go to Babelica, the Alliance’s virtual space !

Consult the program below and register now !

To participate in the Conference, click here.

The Conference is organized by the International Alliance of Independent Publishers and the Association of Independent Publishers of Navarre, EDITARGI.

Physical meetings, virtual window, sound archives
The meetings can be followed in streaming (via the virtual space Babelica or the Alliance’s YouTube channel). They will also be recorded and may be the subject of audiovisual editing, depending on the agreement with the participants. The conclusions of the roundtables and workshops will be disseminated afterwards to all participants.

Bibliodiversity ambassadors !
Bibliodiversity ambassadors are public figures who have agreed to amplify the voices of independent publishers, to accompany the reflections and practices of publishers, to defend and support bibliodiversity. The personalities solicited will be revealed in the coming weeks !

Presence of international independent publishers at the Navarra Book Fair (25-28 November, 2021), organized by the Association EDITARGI
A collective stand dedicated to the invited international publishers will present the variety and diversity of independent production internationally. This collective stand will be a meeting place for readers but also a space for sales/ purchases/ trade of copyrights between invited and local professionals.

Calendar 2021 of the Alliance and the Pamplona Meetings

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International Conference of Independent publishers 2019-2021

The “Conference”, a snapshot of independent publishing worldwide
Since the creation of the International Alliance of independent publishers (an international network of 750 independent publishers from 55 countries around the world) in 2002, the “International Assemblies/ Conferences” have been held every four to eight years and bring together some 100 independent publishers from around the world : in 2003 in Dakar (Senegal) ; in 2007 in Paris (France) ; in 2014 in Cape Town (South Africa) and in 2021 in Pamplona-Iruña (Province of Navarre/ Spain).

They represent a landmark moment for international independent publishers, bringing together actors from all continents – they collectively provide a portrait of global independent publishing (Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Arab world and Oceania). They are a unique space for debate, meetings, and reflection on independent publishing – with no other equivalent worldwide.

Celebrate and REthink in 2021...
Between 2017 and 2018, when the Alliance network was planning and launching the 2019-2021 conference, the goals of this event were obvious : celebrating bibliodiversity and the work of independent publishers, REthinking the solidarity practices that we build through perseverance and determination, but also the relationships with other book professionals, and the relationships with readers.

This is obvious in view of the progress made since the last meeting in 2012-2014, but also in view of the experience of the Alliance, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2021.

2020, a global health crisis, a year of transformation
While the consequences of the health crisis are still difficult to assess in detail from an economic, social, and political vantage point, REthinking remains obvious but also becomes a necessity.
Why are independent publishers important actors in this period of crisis ? How do they accompany societal transformations and transitions at work ? What are the tools and practices that they put in place to apprehend the realities of tomorrow, to understand them ? In what ways do books and the ideas they convey help defend and preserve the diversity of creations, points of view, ideas ?

“Tomorrow’s” independent publishing ?
This Conference is thus a moment of documentation on the state of the world, an international mapping of the movements of transition and/or interruption.
Its objective is to question and inform discussions on the role of books – of ideas – as a social and emancipatory trajectory.
It is a space for reflection, sharing of experiences and practical know-hows concerning the issues of today and tomorrow : ecology, social economy, inclusive publishing, cultural platforming...
Finally, the Conference is a space of solidarity, trust, human relationships, and dialogues between cultures.

Process and phases of the Conference
The Conference of the Alliance is built of our own accord over a long period of time, against the often-frantic rhythm that has become the norm. It follows a common thread that has been running for 20 years within the Alliance : the issues defended by the Alliance since its creation are always prominent (solidarity, equity of relations, rebalancing of flows, circulation of ideas, local creations and productions, fair speech, ecological concerns...). These are the foundations on which the independent publishing movement is based and are addressed considering contemporary issues and debates.

They are built collectively, based on the work carried out since the 2021-2014 conference and the 80 ensuing recommendations, from feedback from professionals in the field of books, from monitoring independent publishing throughout the world, from regular dialogue with other cultural actors, but also from observation of practices, trends, and alternatives that emerge here and there.

The Conference is built on two levels (public and “internal”), which feed each other and are complementary.
A public level with an aim to meet, discuss, learn – which is embodied by meetings open to all (book professionals, readers, cultural actors, academics, civil society movements, etc.). It is about taking advantage of the space that the Alliance is to REthink practices, question the relationship of independent publishers to the current world, explore themes, allow each other utopias, look together to the future.
An internal level (focused on the Alliance network) to formulate recommendations and tools, to elaborate objectives for the upcoming period, to define and refine the governance of the network.

The conference is structured around working groups and thematic workshops set up since the 2012-2014 Conference of the Alliance (1/on public book policies ; 2/on the freedom of publishing ; 3/ on digital publishing ; 4/on publishing in local and national languages ; 5/on solidarity-based editorial partnerships ; 6/on the impacts of book donation practices).

Concretely, for the Alliance network, the aim is to achieve the following results for the period 2022-2025 :
• Recommendations (based on the 80 recommendations from the previous Conference but also in the context of the current crisis)
• Objectives and action plan for the period 2022-2025
• Adjustments and validation/ endorsement of the governance of the association

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Videos of the 2019 preparatory workshops for International Conference of Independent Publishers

The first videos of the Conference here : Abidjan (May 2019) ; Santiago de Chile (October 2019)

The Conference is a process carried out over 3 years. It has commenced in 2019, with several workshops and meetings : Madrid (April 2019), Geneva (May 2019), Abidjan (May 2019), Santiago de Chile (October 2019).

The Conference will continue well into 2020… to end in 2021 in Pamplona, Basque Country.

In 2021, the Alliance will celebrate its 20 years of existence !

  • 20 years is an appropriate age to remind ourselves of our core beliefs, commitments, responsibilities. The Alliance was built on trust, solidarity, humanity, and a profound belief in the social, emancipatory and liberating role of the book. Convinced also that the principles it defends are intertwined with its practice : thus, the principles of reciprocity and equity feature largely in the exchanges that characterise the governance of the association : namely that of respect, listening and curiosity… ;
  • 20 years is the opportunity to celebrate this shared journey while pursuing this journey, to RETHINK together ;
  • 20 years is also an opportunity to report on our activities, projects, and advocacy carried out by the Alliance ; to celebrate our incredible achievements ; but also to learn from our mistakes and mishaps ;
  • 20 years is an age whereby we want to go further and further, to remain a conscious and creative actor in terms of ecology, social economy and solidarity, of new ways of reaching readers, of collaborative practices amongst professionals in the field, of freedom of publishing, of fair speech
  • 20 years is the age when we dream, hope, believe, where we want to dance and laugh ;
  • 20 years is an important anniversary, it is an anniversary that we do not want to forget and that we shall celebrate !

Follow the Conference on the Alliance website and social networks !

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International Declaration of Independent Publishers 2014

During the closing meeting of the International Assembly of Independent Publishers (Cape Town, South Africa, September 18-21, 2014), 400 independent publishers from 45 countries signed the International Declaration of Independent Publishers 2014.
Collectively drafted in three languages, on September 20, 2014, the Declaration 2014 is available in several languages (French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Farsi, Italian, etc.).

Do not hesitate to share the Declaration and promote and strengthen bibliodiversity with us !

Read here the 80 recommendations & tools (on digital publishing, public book policies, youth literature, national and local languages publishing, solidarity publishing partnerships and “Fair Trade Books”, book donations).

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Why an international Assembly 2012-2014 ?

"In this age of deep transformation, we wish to convene a meeting to reflect on our practices, listen to new ideas and include new generations of publishers who share our concerns. Considering two new factors – emergence of new digital actors and global financial crisis – we wish to question our role and reaffirm the issue of bibliodiversity.

In this spirit, we have decided to hold the International Assembly of Independent Publishers, which will be a series of preparatory and thematic workshops in 2013, closing with an Assembly of allies (general meeting) in 2014. The whole process will lead to :
* propositions and recommendations towards bibliodiversity aimed at public authorities ;
* cooperative and innovative publishing between independent publishers, based on equity principles ;
* new forms of partnerships with other professionals from the book industry meeting in the context of bibliodiversity.

Gathering more than 100 independent publishers from the five continents, the International Assembly of independent publishers is a unique event, professional and intercultural. Professionals, public authorities, institutions and civil society representatives are invited to join us to strengthen and keep bibliodiversity alive".

Paris, on 26 October 2012

by the International Committee of Independent Publishers :
Nouri Abid (Med Ali publishers, Tunisia),
Serge Dontchueng Kouam (Presses universitaires d’Afrique, Cameroon), Susan Hawthorne (Spinifex Press, Australia),
Hamid Medhipour (Forough Verlag, Germany),
Araken Ribeiro Gomes (Contra Capa, Brazil),
Juan Carlos Sáez (JC Sáez Editor, Chile)

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International Assembly 2012-2014, a guide

First step - 2013 preparatory workshops : from practices to propositions promoting bibliodiversity

Throughout 2013, independent publishers will meet in Latin America, Africa and Europe, in the context of preparatory and thematic workshops. The 2014 Assembly of Allies in Cape Town (South Africa) will close this process. These workshops have a trifold objective : develop and mutualise cooperative and innovative work practices between independent publishers ; sustainably strengthen professional capacities and human relations amongst the book industry’s actors ; formulate concrete propositions towards bibliodiversity.

The workshops will be held over three to five days, and are structured on a common template :
* Practical training (with the intervention of professionals and/ or specialists, depending on the themes) and knowledge and experience sharing based on concrete projects and little known initiatives ;
* Formulation of propositions and recommendations towards bibliodiversity.

For workshops to meet expectations, publishers will design their own daily programme, based on the local context in which they operate and on their concerns. As beneficiaries and actors, the transmission of practical knowledge and practices is at the heart of these days.

To enrich these workshops and promote cooperation, some professionals from the book industry, associative structures, and private and public institutions are invited to share original projects and unique experiences that could be repeated in the publishing sector.

The conclusions of each workshop are centralised by the International Committee of Independent Publishers – and redistributed to participants – to collectively build the 2014 Assembly of Allies’ agenda.

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Workshops 2012-2014 to promote bibliodiversity

Bibliodiversity in action in Guadalajara
In the context of the Guadalajara International Book Fair (Mexico)
24 to 28 November 2012

Book donation : A system to review
In the margins on the Paris Book Fair (France)
20 and 21 March 2013

African Youth Literature : What visibility on the international market ?
In the margins of the Bologna Book Fair (Italy)
23 and 24 March 2013

Local and national languages : What opportunities for publishing in Africa ?
Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)
11 to 13 June 2013

Fair Trade book : A real issue for tomorrow / Co-publishing, rights transfers and other solidarity publishing partnerships
Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)
14 to 17 June 2013

Diffusion of human and social sciences works : What innovative strategies to get what you want ?
In the margins of the Frankfurt Book Fair (Germany)
13 to 15 October 2013

Digital publishing : What issues for bibliodiversity in the Arab-speaking world ?
In the margins of the Abu Dhabi International Book fair
30 April to 3 May 2014

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The 2014 Assembly of allies in Cape Town : 62 independent publishers united for bibliodiversity

After the 2013 preparatory workshops, an Assembly of Allies will be held from 18 to 22 September 2014, in Cape Town, under the patronage of UNESCO.

In order to achieve this, and in line with practical case studies and sharing of practical knowledge during the workshops, it is essential for publishers to discuss the evolution of bibliodiversity in their countries and publishing houses since 2007 : How does bibliodiversity materialise itself on a daily basis for a Malian publisher, an Indian publisher, an Argentinian publisher ? How does independent publishing empowers itself in the various countries ? How does the publishing field in Madagascar, Peru or Afghanistan professionalise itself ?

The Assembly of Allies, a unique intercultural and multilingual space in the field of publishing, is in itself a reflection of international independent publishing. For four days, publishers will discuss their background, for some their struggle, share their experiences and the risks they face. Communication digital tools offer the possibility for publishers to be in regular and quasi instant contact – but they cannot replace human exchanges, essential to trust and solidary relations characteristic of a network such as the Alliance’s.

The Assembly of Allies is moreover a decisive moment for the Alliance’s governance : directions for the coming years, and the ensuing programme of activities, will be decided upon there, collectively.

In the spirit of long term capacity building of its members, the Alliance therefore continues to work towards an international solidarity professional network – to promote the circulation and access to works and ideas.

As a unique meeting, the Assembly of Allies primarily serves publishers’ desire to federate around common wishes : to promote and strengthen bibliodiversity together.

We thank our valued partners : Jacana Media (South Africa), Modjaji Books (South Africa), Open Book Festival (South Africa), French Institute in South Africa, Alliance française du Cap (South Africa), National Library of South Africa, Goethe Institut (South Africa), Fondation Charles Léopold Mayer (Switzerland), Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, région Ile-de-France (France), Centre national du livre (France), Fondation de France (France), Direction du développement et de la Coopération (Switzerland), French Institute in Lebanon, French Institute in Tunisia, Cooperación Regional Francesa para los Países Andinos (Bolivia), Canarias Cultura “Canarias crea” (Spain), Copyright Agency Cultural Fund (Australia), Centro Estero per l’Internazionalizzazione (Italy), Centre Universitaire de Recherches sur l’Action Publique et le Politique (CURAPP) / Université de Picardie Jules Verne (France)… and the publishers themselves !

Contact : assises@alliance-editeurs.org

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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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