Activities

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

Download the 2024 action plan

Share this article

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.

Share this article

Meetings, workshops & book fairs

African Youth Literature: What visibility on the international market? - 23 to 27 March 2013, Bologna Youth Book Fair (Italy) – hall 29, stand C/57

Publishing countries : Italy

Preparatory and thematic meeting of the International Assembly of Independent Publishers

In partnership with the Bologna Youth Book Fair, the Alliance convenes eight African publishers in Bologna from the 23^rd to the 27^th of March 2013.

How can we reconcile publishing on two levels simultaneously, addressing both the local readership and a potential international one? During the preparatory meeting held on 23^rd and 24^th March, publishers will share their experiences on the international level and will discuss design and production publishing standards relative to youth books. A literary agent will also participate to support publishers in their reflexions and facilitate a think-tank on publishing and commercial strategies that could be developed to reach greater visibility on international markets. One of the objectives of the workshop is to formulate recommendations and develop an advocacy document to enable the presence of publishers from the South in book fairs. Finally, this meeting will be the occasion of a project fair that could lead to translation proposals, transfers of rights and co publishing projects.

On site from 25^th to 27 March at the Africa collective stand (hall 29, stand C/57), publishers are looking forward to welcome you!

The Alliance warmly acknowledges the support of Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Fondation de France, Centre national du livre and the Institut français of Madagascar, essential to the implementation of this workshop.

Read the program of the workshop on African Youth Literature_Bologna 2013_in English

Read the program of the workshop on African Youth Literature_Bologna 2013_in French

Share this article

Bibliodiversity in action in Guadalajara

Publishing countries : Mexico

From 24 to 28 November 2012, the publishers from the Spanish-language network met in Mexico, in the margins of the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL). During this meeting, the Spanish network coordinator, Juan Carlos SÁEZ, discussed the decisions taken at the ICIP Meeting (International Committee of Independent Publishers) in October 2012. Thereafter, the publishers presented a report on the state of bibliodiversity in their country since 2007 (progresses, obstacles, how does digital publishing shape independent publishing, how publishers collectives operate, what are the Alliance’s priority areas for the years to come). The publishers then worked in small groups on specific themes (co-publishing, digital publishing, public policies...), to develop a network action plan for the next two years and prepare the Assembly 2013 and 2014 of the Alliance.

Publishers also participated to the Otra Mirada Forum, jointly organised by the FIL and the Librerías Cálamo.

Finally, on 28 November 2012, at 13h00, the Alliance facilitated a roundtable in partnership with the FIL on “Changes in the book industry: the challenges of bibliodiversity”.

The report of this workshop is underway.

Share this article

Books donation: rethinking the system

Publishing countries : France

Preparatory and thematic workshop of the International Assembly of Independent Publishers

Although several debates and discussions on book donations were held, very few considered, complementary to the essential point of view of librarians’ professional collectives, the point of view of publishers and booksellers.
This workshop, facilitated in the context of the International Assembly of Independent Publishers, therefore has 3 main objectives:

• To question existing practices and the impact of the “donation chain” on the “book chain”, from the perspective of local librarians, publishers and booksellers;

• To question, promote and “complete”, if applicable, existing benchmark tools (amongst others, the Book Donation Charter developed by the Culture and Development Association, in partnership with several structures and institutions);

• To propose realistic and sustainable alternatives to “classic” book donations, enabling us, hopefully, to enrich and built on current practices, through the input of local professionals.

The Alliance wishes to express its gratitude to the Ile-de-France Region for its support and trust and BULAC (Languages and civilisation University Library) for hosting us.

Read the program of the workshop on books donation_in French

Share this article

International Assembly of Independent Publishers (2013-2014), to promote and strenghten bibliodiversity

The International Assembly of Independent Publishers is starting now, with the beginning of 2013! Gathering publishers from Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe and North America, the Assembly will happen first, in 2013, with a series of preparatory and thematic workshops, and then in 2014 with an Assembly of Allies (general meeting) in Cape Town (South Africa).

A unique intercultural and multilingual event in favor of bibliodiversity, to follow on the Alliance website and facebook page!

For more information, contact the Alliance team.

Read the program of the Assembly

Share this article

Spanish-language publishers meeting at the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) (Mexico), 24-28 November 2012

Publishing countries : Mexico

From 24 to 28 November 2012, the publishers from the Spanish-language network will meet in Mexico, in the margins of the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL). During this meeting, the Spanish network coordinator, Juan Carlos SÁEZ, will discuss the decisions taken at the ICIP Meeting (International Committee of Independent Publishers) in October 2012. Thereafter, the publishers will present a report on the state of bibliodiversity in their country since 2007 (progresses, obstacles, how does digital publishing shape independent publishing, how publishers collectives operate, what are the Alliance’s priority areas for the years to come). The publishers will then work in small groups on specific themes (copublishing, digital publishing, public policies...), to develop a network action plan for the next two years and prepare the Alliance’s 3^rd International Meeting of the Independent Publishers.

Publishers will also participate to the Otra Mirada Forum, jointly organised by the FIL and the Librerías Cálamo.

Finally, on 28 November 2012, at 13h00, the Alliance will facilitate a roundtable in partnership with the FIL on “Changes in the book industry: the challenges of bibliodiversity”. We look forward to seeing you are the Fair (salón José Luis Martínez), to participate in this discussion!

*The meeting of the Spanish-language network marks the launch of preparatory meetings towards the Alliance’s 3^rd International Meeting (which will continue in 2013 in the various countries). The summary of these workshops will be drafted in 2014, during the Assembly of Allies.

Read the meeting agenda_in Spanish

Share this article

Meeting of the International Committee of independent publishers in Paris, October 4-6^th, 2012

Publishing countries : France

The International Committee of Independent publishers will gather in Paris from 4^th to 6^th for the yearly meeting with the Alliance Board members. This year, some Alliance partners are invited on the first day, to think about the next International Assembly of independent publishing which will take place in 2013 and 2014. The meeting will be also the opportunity to make a report of the language networks activities since the last Committee meeting in June 2011, to talk about the Digital Lab, about governance issues…

The Alliance warmly thanks the Centre national du livre for welcoming the meeting on October 4^th and 5^th.

Read the meeting agenda

Share this article

On 21 September 2012, let’s celebrate B Day!

Follow on an hourly basis the activities held on B Day 2012 on the B Day Facebook page, on the eldiab blog and on the Facebook page of the Alliance.

In Colombia: the Association of Colombian Independent Publishers (REIC) facilitate a “liberation” of a approximately 6, 000 books in several areas of Bogotá and other Colombian cities, as well as a sticker and bookmark distribution campaign;
In Madagascar: publisher Marie Michèle RAZAFINSTALAMA (Jeunes malgaches publishers) “frees” some books, as she did in 2011. This year, the operation will target the minibus taxi stations of Antananarivo;
In Italy: the Federation of Italian Independent Publishers, Fidare, has adapted the B Day logo in Italian and promotes B Day on several websites, here, here, here and here;
In Peru: a poster campaign is launched, click here!
In Cameroun: publisher Serge D. KOUAM (Presses universitaires d’Afrique) engages with the media and civil society (see Press Release below) and speaks live on local Cameroonian TV programme “CRTV m’accompagne” and “Panoramique”;
In the French language space: Sanou MBAYE, François NKEME, Wilfried N’SONDE, Véronique TADJO participate in this day’s events and speak about bibliodiversity (see readings below);
In Argentina: meetings and discussions, if you have not received your invitation yet, click here!
In Algeria: publishers from the Arabic language network, in the context of the Algiers International Book Fair, organise a contest entitled “from the best reader”. The winner will be invited to the Tunis Book Fair. An initiative carried out in partnership with Algiers SILA and Algiers National Library (see posters of the Arabic language network of the Alliance);
In Australia also!
At international level, a video of the B Day is circulating, and we encourage you to diffuse it widely!
In Mexico, Mali… B Day is also celebrated… And in your home country?

The newspaper L’Express_Madagascar

Cameroun Press Release

Un accès équitable à l’écrit, Véronique TADJO

Lire au pluriel, Wilfried N’SONDE

Les dividendes de la lecture en Afrique, Sanou MBAYE

1 | 2


The Arabic network to the SILA in Algeria_interview_September 2012


The Arabic network to the SILA in Algeria_September 2012


Posters campaign of the Colombian publishers collective REIC

Share this article

Meeting of the Alliance Portuguese-speaking network in Lisbon, September 27 – October 1, 2012

Publishing countries : Portugal

After Paris in 2007, and Rio de Janeiro in 2009, the publishers from Brasil, Angola and Guinea-Bissau are gathering in Lisbon. The event will be the opportunity to assess the network activities since 2009; to define a roadmap for the next years; to remind the stakes for independent publishing and bibliodiversity in the Portuguese-speaking area; to think about digital publishing and to share some experiences in this field… Beyond the internal meetings, the publishers will take also this opportunity to meet some Portuguese publishers and to consider fair partnerships between different continents (copublishing projects, copyrights transfer, etc.).

The Alliance thanks the French Institute of Portugal (IFP), the Portuguese association of publishers and bookshops (ANEL), and the bookshop Ferin for their warming welcome and their availability.

Read the program of the meeting in French

Read the program of the meeting in Portuguese

Share this article

The B-day is coming! (September 21)

On September 21 will be celebrated the International Day of Bibliodiversity. Since 2010, each year, some actions are organized in Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia, to promote independent publishing and bibliodiversity: bookcrossing, meetings, book picnics, posters.

You are more than welcome to participate to the events this year in Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Algeria, Italia... and in many other countries!

Here the video B Day 2012!

All the actions will be soon be on the Alliance website and on the Alliance facebook page.

You can also follow the B-Day on twitter, in Spanish: @diadelab.

This year, the logo of the Day B also exists in Italian

Share this article

Welcome to the Alliance Lab!

Following the publication of the study on digital publishing in developing countries carried out by Octavio Kulesz, the Alliance is launching its digital Laboratory, in partnership with the Prins Claus Fund and the International organization of La Francophonie.

Integrated to the resources center of the Alliance, the Lab is a participative platform dedicated to discussions on digital issues for the publishers members of the Alliance.
Apart from a blog and a twitter (@digisouth) about digital innovations in developing countries, the Lab is also offering to the members a private digital space for experimentation and training.

Share this article

1 | ... | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | ... | 17

Co-publishings and translations

Non-fiction

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.

Share this article

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

ISBN Chile (LOM ediciones): 978-956-00-1379-8

ISBN Argentina (Editorial Mate): 978-987-9199-29-x

Share this article

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

Share this article

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

Share this article

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:

Oneness vs. the 1% , UK cover:

US, Canada, UK, Italian, Australian, French and Spanish rights sold. All others available.

Share this article

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

Share this article

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.

Share this article

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).

Share this article

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).

Share this article

Mes étoiles noires

Author(s) : Lilian THURAM
Publishing countries : Republic of Guinea, Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Haiti, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, Togo
Language(s) : French
Price : 3 000 FCFA ; 50 000 GNF ; 600 DA ; 60 MAD ; 15.000 MGA ; 450 HTG (équivalent de 4,5 à 5 € ; 7 € en Haïti)

This co-publication is supported by the Fondation Lilian Thuram - Éducation contre le racisme and its partners: CASDEN and MGEN; this co-publishing bears the label “Fair Trade Book”.

Publication: April 2014 - 404 pages - 14,5 X 22 cm - printed on recycled paper -
First publication: éditions Philippe Rey, Paris, 2010.
ISBN Algeria: 978-9931-325-67-3
ISBN Benin: 978-99919-1-707-8
ISBN Burkina Faso: 978-2-913991-65-1
ISBN Cameroon: 978-9956-444-77-4
ISBN Côte d’Ivoire: 978-2-8091-0062-4
ISBN Guinea Conakry: 978-2-35045-046-9
ISBN Haïti: 978-2-89712-232-4
ISBN Madagascar: 978-2-916362-39-7
ISBN Mali: 978-99952-1-063-2
ISBN Marocco: 978-9954-419-76-2
ISBN Senegal: 978-2-914135-20-7
ISBN Togo: 978-2-916101-58-3

Share this article

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Literature

La civilisation, ma mère !...

Author(s) : Driss CHRAÏBI ; préface Abdelkader DJEMAÏ
Publishing countries : Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Togo
Language(s) : French
Price : 2 500 FCFA ; 400 DA

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).

Share this article

Seeking Palestine (À la recherche de la Palestine)

Author(s) : Penny JOHNSON; Raja SHEHADEH (Eds.)
Publishing countries : Australia, India
Language(s) : English
Price : Rs. 395 (Women Unlimited, India)

A co-publication of the Alliance’s English-langage network. Two co-publishers : Spinifex (Australia), Women Unlimited (India).

Abstract:

“Palestine-in-exile,” says Rana Barakat, “is an idea, a love, a goal, a movement, a massacre, a march, a parade, a poem, a thesis, a novel and, yes, a commodity, as well as a people scattered, displaced, dispossessed and determined.”
How do Palestinians live, imagine and reflect on home and exile in this period of a stateless and transitory Palestine, a deeply contested and crisis-ridden national project, and a sharp escalation in Israeli state violence and accompanying Palestinian oppression? How can exile and home be written?
In this volume of new writing fifteen innovative and outstanding Palestinian writers—essayists, poets, novelists, critics, artists and memoirists—respond with their reflections, experiences, memories and polemics. What is it like, in the words of Lila Abu-Lughod, to be “drafted into being Palestinian?” What happens when you take your American children, as Sharif Elmusa does, to the refugee camp where you were raised? And how can you convince, as Suad Amiry attempts to do, a weary airport official to continue searching for a code for a country that isn’t recognised?
Contributors probe the past through unconventional memories, reflecting on 1948 when it all began. But they are also deeply interested in beginnings, imagining, in the words of Mischa Hiller, “a Palestine that reflects who we are now and who we hope to become”. Their contributions—poignant, humorous, intimate, reflective, intensely political—make for an offering that is remarkable for the candour and grace with which it explores the many individual and collective experiences of waiting, living for, and seeking Palestine.

Editors:
Penny Johnson is an independent researcher who works closely with the Institute of Women’s Studies at Birzeit University, where she edits the Review of Women’s Studies. Recent writing and research on Palestine has focused on weddings and wars, wives of political prisoners, and young Palestinians’ talk about proper and improper marriages. She is an Associate Editor of the Jerusalem Quarterly.
Raja Shehadeh is a Palestinian lawyer and writer who lives in Ramallah. He is the founder of the pioneering non-partisan human rights organisation, Al Haq, an affiliate of the International Commission of Jurists, and the author of several books about international law, human rights and the Middle East. He is also the author of the award-winning Palestinian Walks and A Rift in Time: Travels with My Ottoman Uncle. His new book, Occupation Diaries, is published in August 2012.

Endorsements:
“How can an essentially sad story give such pleasure? The answer is in these narratives: these stories, memoirs, poems are a pleasure and an education; personal, vivid, original, sometimes witty, always accomplished and always honest. They are a testimonial to the human spirit, and to the growing contribution of Palestine to literature.” —Ahdaf Soueif

ISBN: 81-88965-73-1 (Women Unlimited, India), 978-1-74219-823-1 (Spinifex, Australia).

Share this article

Mandela et moi (Mandela’s ego)

Author(s) : Lewis NKOSI ; préface de Véronique TADJO
Publishing countries : Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Morocco, Rwanda, Togo, Tunisia
Language(s) : French
Price : 2 500 FCFA ; 400 DA ; 45 DM ; 8 DT ; 3 300 RWF

The young Zulu Dumisani Gumede grows up in the pastoral setting of the mountains of South Africa. This irresistible seducer has two obsessions: sex and an utter adoration of Nelson Mandela, the mythical ANC leader then the talk of the country and to this young man the essence of courage and virility. Originally published in 2006, “Mandela’s ego” looks back at South Africa under the apartheid regime. A brave and unusual coming-of-age novel, combining delightful anecdotes about the everyday life of the Zulu community with scenes of violence, family, social and political, in a country in torment. Wisdom and humour rub shoulders in this fable, a homage to the great Mandela.

Lewis NKOSI was born in Durban (South Africa) in 1926. A journalist, he taught literature at various universities. The author of many essays on culture and South African literature, plays and novels, he was awarded numerous literary prizes. He died in Johannesburg in September 2010.

Year of publication of the Pan-African version: 2011, 360 pages, 11,5 X 19 cm

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).

Share this article

Trop de soleil tue l’amour

Author(s) : Mongo BETI ; préface d'Odile TOBNER
Publishing countries : Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Morocco, Rwanda, Togo, Tunisia
Language(s) : French
Price : 2 500 FCFA ; 400 DA ; 45 DM ; 8 DT ; 3 300 RWF

Zam, a committed political journalist, has been the victim of a theft: his entire valuable collection of jazz records has been stolen. The following day he discovers a dead body in his cupboard. There follows a succession of events during which Zam – more in tune with the simple pleasures of life – slowly realises that a plot is being hatched against him. So he decides to conduct an investigation which rapidly turns into a nightmare, where shady policemen get mixed up with corrupt politicians, where foreign diplomats lurk while the secret services let loose. “Trop de soleil tue l’amour” – the first volume of an incomplete trilogy – belongs to the tradition of literary farce that, through humour, denounces the tragedy of an Africa caught in the snares of its many contradictions and endless meddling.

Writer, essayist, bookseller, editor, militant citizen, Mongo BETI – born in 1932 in Cameroon – has for half a century been at the heart of the struggle for an Africa free from the tragedies of colonisation and independence confiscated. Author of an important body of work and considered one of Africa’s major writers, Mongo BETI died in October 2001.

Year of publication of the Pan-African version: 2011, 372 pages, 11,5 X 19 cm

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).

Share this article

Jazz et vin de palme

Author(s) : Emmanuel DONGALA
Publishing countries : Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Mali, Morocco, Rwanda, Togo
Language(s) : French
Price : 1 500 FCFA ; 300 DA ; 40 DM ; 2 000 RWF

A man – despite being a staunch opponent of animism – confides to a former party comrade: “I was bewitched by my paternal uncle”. Another, Likibi, is tried for having prevented the rain from falling on his village: accused of being a fetishist, he is executed. A factory watchman praises the communist Revolution without understanding a single word; his zeal will have fatal consequences for him. With bitter irony and a tone of detachment, this collection of eight short stories describes the collapse of new African states and the disillusionment that followed independence. So many portraits of men and women that Emmanuel Dongala succeeds in depicting convincingly and with humanity. The style is faux naïf, the situations sometimes bizarre... and even if the author indulges in flights of fancy – related to his passion for jazz – the overall impression remains pessimistic behind the bittersweet humour of the writing.

Born in 1941, Emmanuel Dongala grew up in Congo-Brazzaville and now lives in the United States. He is the author of many novels, including “Les petits garçons naissent aussi des étoiles” (“Boys Also Come From Stars”) and “Johnny Chien Méchant” (“Mean Dog Johnny”), publishing by Serpent à plumes.

Year of publication of the pan-African version: 2009, 204 pages, 11,5 X 19 cm

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).

Share this article

Kaveena

Author(s) : Boubacar Boris DIOP
Publishing countries : Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Morocco, Rwanda, Togo
Language(s) : French
Price : 2 000 FCFA ; 350 DA ; 40 DM ; 2 500 RWF

A corpse in a bunker: that of the Head of state, N’Zo Nikiema. A mystery: the murder of little Kaveena, only daughter of the late president’s mistress. Colonel Asante Kroma, chief of police, will have to disentangle the dark mysteries of a system he was part of. “Kaveena”, a long monologue, clear-sighted and desperate, speaks relentlessly of Africa bruised at the hands of local and foreign politicians, brutal, greedy, merciless. A brave novel that pulls no punches.

Born in 1946, the Senegalese author Boubacar Boris Diop has achieved renown as a major contemporary African writer. He has written several novels, including “Murambi, Le livre des ossements” published by Stock in 1997 and “Doomi Golo”, written in Wolof (Papyrus, 2003) and published in France by Philippe Rey publishing en 2009.

Year of publication of the pan-African version: 2009, 382 pages, 11,5 X 19 cm

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).

Share this article

Sozaboy

Author(s) : Ken SARO-WIWA
Publishing countries : Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast
Language(s) : French
Price : 3 000 FCFA ; 350 DA

In the eyes of an African teenager who joins the army without really knowing why, Ken Saro-Wiwa takes us into the chaos of a meaningless chaos, that of Nigerian civil war (1967-1970). Written in an extraordinary language – “rotten English” –, Sozaboy is a masterpiece of African literature; its astonishing violence and audacity have been celebrated throughout the world as a fierce plea against the madness of war.

Ken Saro-Wiwa was born in Nigeria in 1941. After studying English, he worked as a teacher in Laos. Besides writing novels and popular soap operas for television, he later created his own publishing house and was the President of the Association of Nigerian Authors for three years. As a journalist, he has been praised for his caustic pen and courageous positions. In 1995, he was sentenced to death and executed by hanging because of his militancy in favor of the Ogoni community to which he belonged.

Year of publication of the pan-African version: 2008,
294 pages,
11,5 X 19 cm

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).

Share this article

De l’autre côté du regard (As Seen From the Other Side)

Author(s) : Ken BUGUL
Publishing countries : Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Senegal
Language(s) : French
Price : 2 000 FCFA ; 350 DA

Ken Bugul’s novel is a dialogue between a daughter and her dead mother, whom she accuses of not having loved her and having preferred her sister ; it describes a relationship and a world from which love and truth seem absent. In a poetic fashion, alternating short sentences with poetry – as though pulsed by the murmur of despair – in a litany of remembrances, the author attempts to tell the ineffable pain of lost things.

Ken Bugul – whose name in Wolof means “one who is unwanted” – was born in Senegal in 1947, to a father who was a marabout (type of African shaman) and a mother who had to leave her when she was only 5 years old. She has worked as an international civil servant and now she lives in Benin. Her work, in which she combines her sense of humour with an innate talent for story-telling, is flooded with themes such as the status of women, Islam or North-South relationships. With her lucid, free and uncompromising look, she is one of the major voices in contemporary African literature.
Among her books are: La folie et la mort [Madness and Death], (Présence africaine, 2000), Rue Félix-Faure (Serpent à Plumes, 2004).

Year of publication of the pan-African version: 2008, 282 pages,
11,5 X 19 cm

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).

Share this article

Une aiguille nue

Author(s) : Nuruddin FARAH
Publishing countries : Benin, Cameroon, Canada, Ivory Coast, France, Senegal, Switzerland
Language(s) : French
Price : 20 €

In A Naked Needle, with a finesse that is not lacking in nerve – the explicit reference is to none other than James Joyce’s Ulysses– Nuruddin Farah adds to the love story a stroll through the city, as well as a detailed analysis of the psychology of his characters, each of whom sees the relationships from a different viewpoint. This increases the readers’ feelings of empathy, and they will inevitably be surprised as they identifies with one or other member of this community.
This is where one of the keys to the great success of Farah’s novels lies: the power of the novelist to take us gently and firmly by the hand and make us identify with individuals who remain timeless. “Outside of time, because they are them although they could be us” – writes Abdourahman A.Waberi in the prologue.

Born in Baidoa, in what was then Italian Somalia, Nuruddin Farah grew up in Ogaden, a Somali province in eastern Ethiopia, before going off to study in India in the mid 1970s. Back in his home country, he made a name for himself in 1968 in Mogadishu as a teacher, but above all as the first novelist to use both English and Somali. A double success – unusual, certainly – which was to precipitate his exile, sealed by the military junta of Mohamed Siad Barre, who came to power in 1969.

In an excellent translation into French by Catherine Pierre-Bon and a remarkable cover design, A Naked Needle signals the editorial orientation of the “Terres d’écritures” collection, which is being published jointly by seven French-language publishers. A demanding collection of books that are destined to last, and which strongly reassert the universality of literature.

Year of publication : 2007,
260 pages,
14,5 X 22 cm

Collection Terres d’écritures

The collection “Terres d’écritures” welcomes popular, literary and poetry creations co-published by publishers from the North and the South. Co-publications in this collection are labeled “Le Livre équitable” (Fair Book label).

Share this article

Dauchez l’Africain, maître et comédien

Author(s) : Pierre CHAMBERT
Publishing countries : France, Mali
Language(s) : French
Price : 17 €

Algiers, Tlemcen, Angers, Saint-Etienne, Firminy, Yaounde, Bamako, Philippe Dauchez, in all these cities, played of his art, theatre, as an actor, director or professor.

Once working with Albert Camus as an assistant, he was always impassioned for the integration of theatre in the City in all its forms, classical, popular, traditional... From large French scenes to Malians villages, he has always worked with the same simplicity and the same commitment. This book recalls his history, his passion for life, theatre and people, in a text which makes cross the intimacy and the universal, history and everyday life, erudite theatre and popular art. Pierre Chambert draws up us a poetic portrait of a man who put his very whole life at the service of a useful theatre.

Pierre Chambert, a poet and a writer, is an inspector-advisor for theatre and performing arts at the French Ministry of Culture and Communication. He is currently posted in Guyana, near Amazonia, its legends and its storytellers.

Year of publication: 2006, 256 pages

Share this article

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Children’s Books

Moussa et la poule reine

Author(s) : Julien ALIHONOU (MAKEJOS)
Publishing countries : Benin, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea, Mali
Language(s) : French

A pan-African solidarity co-publication: Éburnie (Côte d’Ivoire), Ganndal (Guinea), Sawa (Mali), Nstame (Gabon), Ruisseaux d’Afrique (Benin)

Share this article

Kouvito dans les rues de Kokoli

Author(s) : Kenneth VIHOTOGBE
Publishing countries : Benin, Ivory Coast, Mali, Democratic Republic of Congo
Language(s) : French

A pan-African solidarity co-publication: Éburnie (Côte d’Ivoire), Elondja (Democratic Republic of Congo), Sawa (Mali), Ruisseaux d’Afrique (Benin)

Share this article

Rudia et les cybercriminels

Author(s) : Claude ADJAKA (Lenfan Claudio)
Publishing countries : Benin, Ivory Coast, Mali
Language(s) : French

A pan-African solidarity co-publication: Éburnie (Côte d’Ivoire), Sawa (Mali), Ruisseaux d’Afrique (Benin)

Share this article

Vignon et les voleurs du quartier

Author(s) : Alexandre KOSSOVO
Publishing countries : Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea, Mali
Language(s) : French

A pan-African solidarity co-publication: Éburnie (Côte d’Ivoire), Ganndal (Guinea), Sawa (Mali), Nstame (Gabon), Ruisseaux d’Afrique (Benin), Sankofa & Gurli (Burkina Faso)

Share this article

Le dodo aux plumes d’or

Author(s) : Corinne FLEURY (texte) ; Sébastien PELON (illustrations)
Publishing countries : Ivory Coast, Mauritius

A pan-African co-publishing gathering Atelier des nomades (Mauritius) and Eburnie (Ivory Coast).

Date of publication: September 2020

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 French Development Agency.

Share this article

Contes de l’Île Maurice

Author(s) : Shenaz PATEL (texte) ; Sébastien PELON (illustrations)
Publishing countries : Ivory Coast, Mauritius

A pan-African co-publishing gathering Atelier des nomades (Mauritius) and Eburnie (Ivory Coast).

Date of publication: September 2020

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 French Development Agency.

Share this article

Les quatre frères

Author(s) : Bienvenue GNIMPO N'KOUÉ (texte) ; Ayoutoufèï GUÉDÉGUÉ (illustrations)
Publishing countries : Benin, Ivory Coast

A pan-African co-publishing gathering Ruisseaux d’Afrique (Benin) and Vallesse (Ivory Coast).

Date of publication: September 2020

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 French Development Agency.

Share this article

Le soir autour du feu

Author(s) : Sylvie NTSAMÉ
Publishing countries : Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo

A pan-African co-publishing gathering Ntsame (Gabon) and Elondja (DRC).

Date of publication: September 2020

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 French Development Agency.

Share this article

La Forêt sacrée

Author(s) : Nicolas CONDÉ (texte) ; Irina CONDÉ (illustrations)
Publishing countries : Benin, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo
Language(s) : French

A pan-African co-publishing gathering Ganndal (Guinea Conakry), Eburnie (Ivory Coast), Ruisseaux d’Afrique (Benin), Graines de Pensées (Togo), Ntsame (Gabon) and Elondja (DRC).
Date of publication: September 2020

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 French Development Agency.

Share this article

Les cheveux de Cora / Ny volon’i Cora

Author(s) : Ana Zarco CÂMARA (texte) ; Taline SCHUBACH (illustrations)
Publishing countries : Madagascar
Language(s) : French , malgache
Price : 16 0000 Ar (4 €)

Children’s illustrated book – bilingual French-Malagasy edition
Translated from Portuguese (Brazil) into French by Joana Cabral, translated into Malagasy by Veloniaina Rabakoly

Éditions Jeunes Malgaches, 2014, 32 pages.
Original edition: Pallas Editora (Brazil)

ISBN: 978-2 916362-42-7

Selling price: 16 0000 Ar (4 €)

This book is the result of several meetings between publishers who are members of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers (“Children’s literature” group of the Alliance), at book fairs (collective stand for young readers) and through workshops on children’s books. These opportunities of sharing mutual knowledge, know-how, and discussions foster unprecedented editorial partnerships. By supporting and promoting these partnerships, the members of the Alliance participate in the circulation of texts and ideas from one continent to another, but also from one language to another. Through these solidarity-based editorial partnerships, translation flows that are still “rare” are being developed, for example here from Brazilian Portuguese to Malagasy.

Share this article

1 | 2

Advocacy actions

Statement Protesting the Cancellation of Adania Shibli’s Award Ceremony by the Frankfurt Book Fair, October 2023

Decades of Israeli occupation and settler colonialism on Palestinian land reached new heights with the recent IDF attacks on Gaza. As per this writing, more than 2,200 Palestinians have died (including 724 children) and more than 1 million Gazans have been ordered to evacuate the north.

In the midst of this grave humanitarian crisis, it is very important to give voice to the opressed through all mediums of expressions, including books and literature. Ironically, the Frankfurt Book Fair —as the biggest annual book fair in the world— has done the opposite. The awarding ceremony for Palestinian author Adania Shibli, whose novel “Minor Details” was to receive 2023 Literaturpreis, was cancelled unilaterally by the Fair, in their decision to “make Jewish and Israeli voices especially visible at the book fair” and to “stand with complete solidarity on the side of Israel”.

This one-sideness is unacceptable, as the Frankfurt Book Fair should be a free and impartial forum to open dialogues and debates without violence. We, publishers from International Alliance of Independent Publishers, condemn the Frankfurt Book Fair’s decision to cancel the award ceremony for Adania Shibli, and demand that Palestinian voices be given the same visibility and respect as other voices at the Fair.

Signatories
This list is not exhaustive (and is updated as and when necessary)

Nouri Abid, Med Ali (Tunisia)
Sandra Abrano, Bandeirola (Brazil)
Tomaz Adour, Vermelho Marinho (Brazil)
Marwan Adwan, Mamdouh Adwan Publishing (Syria-UAE)
Ronny Agustinus, Marjin Kiri (Indonesia)
Cauê Ameni, Autonomia Literária and Jacobin Brazil (Brazil)
Ibrahima Aya, Éditions Tombouctou (Mali)
Clô Barcellos, Libretos (Brazil)
Flávia Bonfim, Movimento Contínuo (Brazil)
Jorge Breogan, Sundermann (Brazil)
Sebastian Budgen, Verso Books (United Kingdom)
Barbara Caretta-Debays, Écosociété (Quebec / Canada)
João Carneiro, Tomo (Brazil)
Chiara Cazzato, Tempesta editore (Italia)
Haroldo Ceravolo, Alameda (Brazil)
Indira Chandrasekhar, Tulika Books (India)
Layla Chaouni, Le Fennec (Morocco)
Reza Chavoshi, Dena books (Netherlands)
Sergio Covelli, EPUBBoo (Italia)
Amanda Crocker, Between the lines (Canada)
Élisabeth Daldoul, elyzad (Tunisia)
Róisín Davis, Haymarket Books (United States)
Héctor Dinsmann, Libros de la Araucaria (Argentina)
Serge Dontchueng Kouam, Presses universitaires d’Afrique (Cameroon)
Éric Dusabimana, Bakame (Rwanda)
Mohamed El-Baaly, Sefsafa Publishing (Egypt)
Fatma El Boudy, Elain Publishing (Egypt)
Yara El-Ghadban, Mémoire d’encrier (Quebec / Canada)
Luiz Fernando Emediato, Geração (Brazil)
Whaner Endo, W4 Editora (Brazil)
Letícia Esteban, Gato Sueco (Spain)
Zygmunt Antoni Filipecki Jr., Mauad (Brazil)
Corinne Fleury, Atelier des nomades (Mauritius / France)
Pedro Fonseca, Âyiné (Brazil)
Fernando Diego Garcia, Libros del Zorro Rojo (Spain)
Germán Gacio Baquiola, Editores independientes de Ecuador (Ecuador)
Pauline Gagnon, Écosociété (Quebec / Canada)
Müge Gursoy Sökmen, Metis Publishers (Turkey)
Daniela Gutfreund, Lugar de ler (Brazil)
Samar Haddad, Atlas Publishing (Syria)
Susan Hawthorne, Spinifex Press (Australia)
Selma Hellal / Sofiane Hadjajd, Editions Barzakh (Algeria)
Colleen Higgs, Modjaji Books (South Africa)
Ivana Jinkings, Boitempo (Brazil)
Hassan Khalil, Al Farabi (Lebanon)
Renate Klein, Spinifex Press (Australia)
Elisa Labanca, Buckfast Edizioni (Italia)
Alessandro Labonia, CSA (Italia)
Daniel Louzada, Da Vinci (Brazil)
Adriana Maciel, Numa (Brazil)
Stella Magliani-Belkacem, La Fabrique (France)
Lizandra Magon, Jandaíra (Brazil)
Alexandre Martins Fontes, WMF Martins Fontes (Brazil)
Maria Beatriz Medina, Banco del livro (Venezuela)
Daniela Mena, GAM (Italia)
Ione Meloni Nassar, Mercuryo Jovem (Brazil)
Raquel Menezes, Oficina Raquel (Brazil)
Ritu Menon, Women Unlimited (India)
Lilah Mercader, Éditions Dent-de-lion (Canada)
Anita Molino, Il leone verde (Italia)
Rosana MontÁlverne, Aletria (Brazil)
Nabil Mroueh, Al Intishar Al Arabi (Lebanon)
Francisca Muñoz Méndez, Editoriales de Chile (Chile)
David Murray, Écosociété (Quebec / Canada)
Renata Nakano, Quindim (Brazil)
Maira Nassif, Relicário (Brazil)
Denise Natale, Papagaio (Brazil)
Carla Oliveira, Orfeu Negro (Portugal)
Maria Osório, Babel (Colombia)
Safaa Ouali, Le Fennec (Morocco)
Marco Paganini, AltreVoci (Italia)
Mary Lou Paris, Terceiro Nome (Brazil)
Simone Paulino, Nós and Nossa (Brazil, France)
Dieulermesson PetitFrère, LEGS Édition (Haiti)
Mirline Pierre, LEGS Édition (Haiti)
Dolores Prades, Instituto Emília (Brazil)
Naiara Raggiotti, Carochinha (Brazil)
Marie Michèle Razafinstlama, Jeunes malgaches (Madagascar)
Anahita Redisiu, Forough Verlag (Germany)
Rodney Saint-Éloi, Mémoire d’encrier (Quebec / Canada)
Kenza Sefrioui, En toutes lettres (Morocco)
Alfonso Serrano, La Oveja Roja (Spain)
Abdulai Sila, Ku Si Mon Editora (Guinea Bissau)
Paulo Slachevsky, LOM ediciones (Chile)
Aliou Sow, Éditions Ganndal (Guinea)
Simón Vásquez, Verso Libros (Spain)
Catia Ventura, Ventura Edizioni (Italia)
Marisol Vera, Editorial Cuarto Propio (Chile)
Miguel Villafuerte, Editorial Blanca (Ecuador)
Cristina Warth, Pallas Editora (Brazil)
Mariana Warth, Pallas Editora (Brazil)
Riccardo Zanello, Tempesta editore (Italia)
Habib Zoghbi, La Maison du livre (Tunisia)
Rosa Maria Zuccherato, Nova Alexandria (Brazil)

Share this article

In solidarity with the Ukrainian people and all other people facing wars, March 2022

In the aftermath of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the invasion of its territory, the International Alliance of Independent Publishers expresses its support and solidarity with the Ukrainian people and cultural professionals and reiterates its commitment to the right of self-determination of each population.

We, independent publishers from over 55 countries around the world, members of an international solidarity network, condemn in the strongest terms the violence committed against the Ukrainian people and call together for a return to peace. We also reaffirm our support for all people on all continents, facing wars and conflicts, fighting for their freedom and emancipation.

We strongly oppose stigmatizing and dehumanizing discourses, and we recall here the essential role of culture, in particular of books, as a tool for dialogue, analysis, understanding and discovery of plurality and diversity.

Read the Communiqué in Arabic

Read the Communiqué in English, French and Spanish

Share this article

The Arabic Language Network expresses its strong condemnation of the forced deportation campaign of Palestinians from the “Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood” in East Jerusalem, May 11, 2021

The Arabic Language Network of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers expresses its strong condemnation of the forced deportation campaign of Palestinians from the “Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood” in East Jerusalem, and the systematic violence and persecution led by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu against Jerusalemites in particular and the Palestinians in general in restoring the “apartheid” policies that the world seeks to overcome.

Read here the entire open letter from the Arabic Language Network of the Alliance.

Read the open letter in Arabic

Read the open letter in English

Share this article

The International Alliance of independent publishers calls for the release of Anges Félix N’Dakpri, president of the Association of publishers of Côte d’Ivoire (Assedi), November 9, 2020

The International Alliance of independent publishers – representing 750 publishers in 55 countries around the world – calls for the release of Anges Félix N’Dakpri, president of the Association of publishers of Côte d’Ivoire (Assedi)

President of the Association of publishers of Côte d’Ivoire (Assedi) and General commissioner of the Abidjan International Book Fair (SILA), Anges Félix N’Dakpri was kidnapped on October 25 in Abidjan (see press release from several professional associations issued on October 27, 2020).

For some weeks, Côte d’Ivoire has been prey to strong political tensions in the context of the presidential elections.
Several local sources and international medias report arrests and pressure on opposition figures as well as journalists covering the events.

The kidnapping of Anges Félix N’Dakpri by armed men from his home in Abidjan on Sunday, October 25 occurs against a backdrop of violence, threats and restrictions on freedom of expression. According to his relatives, he would be now held at the MACA (Abidjan House of Arrest and Correction).

The International Alliance of independent publishers calls for an end to the arbitrary detention of Anges Félix N’Dakpri and invites professionals from the book industry, medias and human rights associations to relay this call.

Signatories

Members of the International Commitee of Independent Publishers

Élisabeth DALDOUL, elyzad, Tunisia, coordinator of the French-speaking network
ASSEM Mawuto Paulin, AGO Média, Togo, vice-coordinator of the French-speaking network
Jean-Claude NABA, Sankofa & Gurli, Burkina Faso, vice-coordinator of the French-speaking network
Samar HADDAD, Atlas for Publishing & Distribution, Syria, coordinator of the Arabic-speaking network
Colleen HIGGS, Modjaji Books, South Africa, coordinator of the English-speaking network
Ronny AGUSTINUS, Marjin Kiri Publisher, Indonesia, vice-coordinator of the English-speaking network
Paulo SLACHEVSKY, Lom Ediciones, Chile, coordinator of the Spanish-speaking network
Carla OLIVEIRA, Orfeu Negro, Portugal, coordinator of the Portuguese-speaking network
Mariana WARTH, Pallas Editora, Brazil, coordinator of the Portuguese-speaking network

Publishers members of the French-speaking network of the Alliance

Sulaiman ADEBOWALE, Amalion, Senegal
Marie-Agathe AMOIKON FAUQUEMBERGUE, Éburnie, Côte d’Ivoire
Ibrahima AYA, éditions Tombouctou, Mali
Dominique BAZIN, éditions Dodo vole, Madagascar
Bichr BENNANI, Tarik éditions, Morocco
Karim BEN SMAIL, Fédération tunisienne des éditeurs, Tunisia
Pierre BERTRAND, Couleur Livres, Belgium
Nadine BESNARD, Cauris Livres, Mali
Layla CHAOUNI, éditions Le Fennec, Morocco
Karim CHIKH, éditions Apic, Algeria
Gilles COLLEU, Vents d’ailleurs, France
Élodie COMTOIS, Écosociété, Québec, Canada
Camille DELTOMBE, Les éditions de l’Atelier, France
Serge D. KOUAM, Presses universitaires d’Afrique, Cameroon
Mical DREHI LOROUGNON, Édilis, Côte d’Ivoire
Aline DURIEZ-JABLONKA, éditions Charles Léopold Mayer, France
Tchotcho Christiane ÉKUÉ, Graines de Pensées, Togo
Nadia ESSALMI, Yomad, Morocco
Corinne FLEURY, L’Atelier des Nomades, Mauritius et France
Sékou FOFANA, éditions Donniya, Mali
Charlotte GOURE, Les éditions de l’Atelier, France
Sofiane HADJADJ, barzakh éditions, Algeria
Selma HELLAL, barzakh éditions, Algeria
Jutta HEPKE, Vents d’ailleurs, France
Marie Paule HUET, éditions Ganndal, Guinea
Yasmîn ISSAKA-COUBAGEAT, Graines de Pensées, Togo
Karine JOSEPH, Éditions du Sirocco, Morocco
Hamidou KONATÉ, Éditions Jamana, Mali
Thérèse KOUDOU, Édilis, Côte d’Ivoire
Julien LUCCHINI, Les éditions de l’Atelier, France
Seydou Nourou NDIAYE, éditions Papyrus Afrique, Senegal
François NKEME, Éditions Proximité, Cameroon
Sylvie NTSAME, éditions Ntsame, Gabon
Safaa OUALI, éditions Le Fennec, Morocco
Dieulermesson PETIT-FRÈRE, LEGS éditions, Haiti
Mirline PIERRE, LEGS éditions, Haiti
Isabelle PIVERT, éditions du Sextant, France
Marie Michèle RAZAFINTSALAMA, Jeunes Malgaches, Madagascar
Jean RICHARD, éditions d’en bas, Switzerland
Rodney SAINT-ÉLOI, Mémoire d’encrier, Quebec, Canada
Kenza SEFRIOUI, En toutes lettres, Morocco
Aliou SOW, éditions Ganndal, Guinea
Roger TAVERNIER, éditions Zellige, France
Samia ZENNADI, éditions Apic, Algeria

Representatives of the Board and the permanent team of the International Alliance of independent publishers

Laura AUFRÈRE
Camille CLOAREC
David ELOY
Laurence HUGUES
Georges LORY
Mariam PELLICER
Luc PINHAS
Thierry QUINQUETON
Mariette ROBBES

Calls for the release of Anges Félix N’Dakpri, president of the Association of publishers of Côte d’Ivoire (Assedi), November 9, 2020

Share this article

Call for the release of Iranian Authors, October 2020

In just this past month, three prominent Iranian writers, translators, and members of the Association of Iranian Writers, Bektash Abtin, Kayvan Bazhan, and Reza Khandan Mahabadi, and journalist and sociology researcher, Khosrow Sadeghi Boroujeni, have been sentenced to prison on charges of “propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and gathering and collusion with the intent of acting against national security.”

These accusations, which have led to long prison sentences and the charges levied are false. Their objectives are to further oppress writers and the people of Iran.
At a time when the world is under crisis by the pandemic, Iran, and especially within its prisons has a very unstable environment, with the increasing spread of Coronavirus among inmates.

We as authors and scholars would like to ask you to let the voices of our fellow authors in prison be heard by the people of the world and to demand their immediate release.

Daryoush Ashouri, Author, Translator and the Co-founder of the Association of Iranian Writers
Ervand Abrahamian, Author and Professor Emeritus, City University of New York
Azar Nafisi, Author
Faraj Sarkohi, Writer, Journalist, Literature Critic; A Member of German Pen; The Recipient of Kurt-Tucholsky-prize; World Association of Newspapers’ Golden Pen of Freedom Award and World Press Freedom
Hero by International Press Institute
Akram Pedramnia, Author, Translator; A Member of Pen Canada; the Recipient of James Joyce Foundation Scholar
Moniro Ravanipour, Author
Mohsen Yalfani, Author and Translator
Nasim Khaksar, Author and Critic
Reza Allamehzadeh, Moviemaker and Writer
Morad Farhadpour, Author, Translator and Critical Theorist
Akbar Masoumbaigi, Author, Translator and a Member of the Association of Iranian Writers
Babak Ahmadi, Author, Translator and Philosophy Researcher
Peyman Vahabzadeh, Author and Professor, University of Victoria
Sohrab Behdad, Denison University, USA
Farshin Kazeminia, Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris 6)
Amir Kianpour, PhD Candidate, University of Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis
Mehran Mostafavi, Sacly University (Paris), Professor
Iman Ganji, PhD in Art Philosophy and Philosophy Researcher, Free University of Berlin
Mehrdad Darvishpour, Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor, Sociologist, Mälardalen University
Farhad Nomani, Professor Emeritus of Economics, The American University of Paris
Soheil Asefi, Journalist and PhD student in History, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York (CUNY)
Saeed Hariri, Moderator, Toronto Book Club
Azadeh Parsapour, Translator, Editor and Publisher
Arash Kia, Faculty of Institute for Healthcare Delivery Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York

Share this article

VAT Changes for Books in Brazil, August 2020

Read here the IPA (International Publishers Association) support, and here the manifesto published by the Brazilian actors, to defend the book in Brazil.

Manifesto: Em defesa do livro_in Portuguese

Share this article

What to say, and where to say it? Open Letter from Independent Publishers to authors and intellectuals committed to a fairer world, July 2020

“Now that we have entered the 21^st century, it is difficult to dissociate the end from the means: what to say, and where to say it? Thus, we find that many authors seeking to promote debate, creativity and critical thinking, justice and equality are published by large conglomerates with multiple editorial labels. Isn’t the transformative power of these works reduced to nothing when they plunge into the workings of the entertainment industry? It is a fact that transnational corporations, whatever their field of action, are the very expression of the system that dominates us. By choosing them as publishers, do we not somehow leave the world of transformative ideas in the hands of those who lay the foundations of the model we criticise? Doesn’t that strengthen the control of big capital over the word and our daily lives? Moreover, how can we not question the cross-industry investment of the business groups that own publishing houses? And, are these investments neutral?”

In this open letter, independent publishers invite all the actors of the book industry to reflect with them on their practices and the impacts that result from them. In particular, they call on authors, academics and intellectuals to work on projects whose vocation is to transform the order of things and not to consolidate the status quo, to publish their works in independent publishing houses in their own countries, and to give preference to independent publishing houses when it comes to transferring foreign and translation rights.

As the world suffers the health, social and economic consequences of the pandemic, book ecosystems and independent publishing houses are further weakened and, for some, are trying to survive. If solidarity between creators and book professionals is one of the foundations of bibliodiversity, this solidarity is vital in the current context.

Read the letter here.
This letter is also available in Spanish, French, Arabic and Portuguese.

Read the open letter in Arabic

Read the open letter in Portuguese

Read the open letter: What to say, and where to say it?

Share this article

International independent publishers facing the pandemic (May 2020)

To be an independent publisher is to question the world, to help make sense of it, today and tomorrow

At a time when every country in the world is affected by the pandemic, we, as independent publishers around the world, are experiencing diverse health, social and economic situations. We are facing different realities, in different timeframes: immediate risks for some sections of the population (India, Madagascar, Indonesia...); a pandemic that strikes in contexts of already established political crisis (Haiti, Egypt, Syria...); the near absence or delayed implementation of public book policies (Cameroon, Gabon...); the resilience of independent publishing houses in the face of big corporations (Australia...).... While our contexts are diverse, our concerns remain collective: fragility of independent structures, uncertainty about the future, concern about possible abuses (surveillance society, pressure on employees, online teaching and learning, etc.).

We are in perpetual questioning, trying to understand our world: what to do, how, with whom, at what pace?
We need time to understand, to comprehend – which we had planned to do by 2021, as well as our “Rethink and Celebrate” Conference. REthink: to remain a conscious and creative actor, to act, in terms of ecology, social and solidarity economy, new approaches to readers, cooperative practices between professionals, freedom of publishing, fair speech...

Read more below...

See also:
Public book policies website

Digital Lab

Read the text in Arabic:

Read the full text in Arabic

International independent publishers facing the pandemic (May 2020): read the full text

Share this article

Luis Sepúlveda, a generous, compassionate writer committed to building a more just and humane world, 16 April 2020

The International Alliance of Independent Publishers and publishers from the Spanish-language network pay tribute to the memory of the Chilean writer Luis Sepúlveda, who died on 16 April 2020 in Oviedo (Spain) as a result of the Coronavirus, after several weeks in hospital.

The Ibero-American Book Fair in Gijón, organised and directed by Luis Sepúlveda for more than a decade, was the setting for the creation of the first network of Spanish-language independent publishers, and the first meeting of Latin American independent publishers was held in 2000.

As a result, the International Alliance of Independent Publishers and the Association of Independent Publishers of Chile, now Editores de Chile, were formed.

Today we pay tribute to a man of generosity, solidarity and commitment to building a more just and humane world.

Tribute Luis Sepúlveda_April 16, 2020

Share this article

Declaration of Santiago de Chile on independent publishing serving communities and diversity, 3 October 2019

Driven by the growth of independent publishing in Latin American countries.
Revived by the increase in the number of fairs and meetings where creative and local editorial production are showcased.
Encouraged by the ways in which some public reading and book policies are supporting local intellectual production and bibliodiversity.

Convened in Santiago de Chile on the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd of October 2019, during the Spring of the Book (Primavera del Libro) and the International Conference of Independent Publishers (2019-2021), the Spanish-language network of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers (IAIP) declares:

Its privileged link with reading, a liberating practice that raises consciousness, stimulates critical thinking, nourishes the mind; and with the book, a fundamental support of creation, knowledge and thought, pillar of culture and cultural diversity.
Its concern about the increasing merger of the book chain, which translates into the marginalisation of local production in bookstores, particularly that of independent publishers; dominates the media, obscuring blocking creation and critical editorial production; and excludes small and medium-sized publishers from public procurements of books.
Its willingness to promote practices, in the world of publishing, that enable a rich and diverse book ecosystem, that stimulates local intellectual production, translation, and balanced exchanges of books amongst Spanish-speaking countries; strengthens independent bookstores and their presence in cities and communities; grows public, academic and school libraries with diverse and inclusive book collections; reflects bibliodiversity, the cultural diversity in the world of books.
Its support for public reading and book policies as key drivers of the democratisation of the book in our societies; as systemic strategies strengthening the potential impact of any decision or action; and as mechanisms preventing market concentration, for the benefit of national book industries and local production.

And commits towards:

Strengthening the collective action of independent publishers in favour of bibliodiversity and the participatory development of sound public reading and book policies.
Amplifying the voice of independent publishing and increasing exchanges with readers, actors of the world of books and culture and public institutions, through studies, manifestos, documents, regional, national, and international meetings, and through a clear commitment towards the communities concerned.
Promoting the sharing and diversity of reading, education and training in our communities, from a critical perspective, mindful of being part of a world rich in bibliodiversity, which we must protect today more than ever.
Constantly interrogating our own production processes and dynamics inherent in the publishing world, in order to improve its impacts on our social and natural environment.
Identifying and analysing the strategies and good practices in our respective countries, to better implement them where they are lacking.

The aim is to strengthen book ecosystems locally by involving all relevant actors, and to promote a book culture in our societies, a necessary condition to escape manipulation and to build democratic societies for critical and committed citizens.

We call on all independent publishers who share these statements to sign this declaration:

Silvia Aguilera, Lom ediciones, Editores de Chile, Chile.
German Baquiola, Editorial La Caída and collective of independent publishers of Equator, Equator.
Nicolas Biebel, Econautas Editorial, Argentina.
Constanza Brunet, Marea editorial, Argentina.
Mikel Buldain, Txalaparta, Basque Country.
Mariela Calcagno, Hacerse de Palabras, Mexico.
Fabiola Calvo Ocampo, Acracia Proyecto de Investigación Editorial, Colombia.
Patricia Cocq Muñoz, Cocorocoq Editoras, Editores de Chile, Chile.
Daniela Cortés del Castillo, Loba Ediciones, Editores de Chile, Chile.
Mónica Cumar, Ediciones Columba, Editores de Chile, Chile.
Héctor Dinsmann, Libros de la Araucaria, Argentina.
Rodrigo Fuentes-Díaz, Edición Digital s.a., Editores de Chile, Chile.
José Gabriel Feres, Virtual Ediciones, Editores de Chile, Chile.
Gustavo Mauricio García, Ícono editorial and president of the Colombian Network of Independent Publishers.
Catalina González, Luna libros and the collective La Diligencia, Colombia.
Teresa Gottlieb, Editorial Maitri, Editores de Chile, Chile.
Victor Hugo de la Fuente, Editorial Aún Creemos en los Sueños, Editores de Chile, Chile.
Guido Indij, la marca editora, Argentina.
Eduardo Lira, Escrito con Tiza, Editores de Chile, Chile.
María Eugenia Lorenzini, Editorial Forja, Editores de Chile, Chile.
Marcelo Mendoza, Mandrágora, Editores de Chile, Chile.
Lucía Moscoso Rivera, Mecánica Giratoria, Ecuador.
Pablo Moya, Ediciones el Milagro and Mexican Alliance of Independent Publishers Alliance, Mexico.
Francisca Muñoz, general manager at Editores de Chile, Chile.
Daniela Navarro, Ediciones Ekaré Sur, Editores de Chile, Chile.
Mabel Andrea Rivera Pavez, Ediciones Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Editores de Chile, Chile.
Eduardo Ruiz-Tagle Eyzaguirre, Editorial Rapanui Press, Editores de Chile, Chile.
Luis Daniel Rocca, Taller de edición Rocca and Colombian Network of Independent Publishers.
Juan Carlos Sáez, JC Sáez editor, Editores de Chile, Chile.
Leonel Sagahón and Jerónimo Repoll, Editorial Tintable, Mexico.
Alfonso Serrano, La Oveja Roja, Spain.
Javier Sepúlveda, e-books Patagonia and president of Association Editores de Chile.
Paulo Slachevsky, Lom ediciones, Editores de Chile, Coordinator RedH AIEI, Chile.
Mónica Tejos, Simplemente editores, Editores de Chile, Chile.
María José Thomas, Ocho Libros editores, Editores de Chile, Chile.
Max Valdés Avilés, Vicio Impune Editorial, Editores de Chile, Chile.
Carlos Vela, Editorial Pesopluma and collective of independent publishers of Peru, Peru.
Marisol Vera, Editorial Cuarto Proprio, Editores de Chile, Chile.

To sign the “Declaration of Santiago de Chile on independent publishing serving communities and diversity”, please contact the Alliance’ team.

Download the declaration of Santiago de Chile on independent publishing serving communities and diversity, 3 October 2019

Share this article

1 | 2 | 3

Financial and Activity Report

Report 2012

Read the financial and policy report 2012_in French

Share this article

Report 2011

Read the financial and policy report 2011_in French

Share this article

Report 2010

Read the financial and policy report 2010_in English

Share this article

Report 2009

Read the financial and policy report 2009 (in French)

Share this article

Report 2008

Read the financial and policy report 2008 (in French)

Share this article

Report 2007

Read the financial and policy report 2007 (in French)

Share this article

1 | 2

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.

Share this article

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 20^th anniversary).

Download B Day logos and visit the blog here.

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indpub/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bibliodiversidad/

40 stories unveiling the names of independent publishing houses from all around the world

Logo_English

Logo_Arabic

Logo_Portuguese

Logo_Italian

Share this article

HotLists & thematic selections

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.

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!

Share this article

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!

Share this article

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 - 4^th 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.

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!

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!

Share this article

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!

Share this article

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!

WomenList 2018: The catalog!

Share this article

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!

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.

Share this article

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.

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

Share this article

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 20^th 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.

Read “Rethinking book donations”

Read ’Activities to strengthen a plural youth publishing’

Read ’Proposals and activities to develop solidarity publishing partnerships’

Read ’Essential measures for publishing in local and national languages’

Read ’The Amazon system, a threat to bibliodiversity?’

1 | 2

Share this article

1 | 2

Presentation & objectives

Activities

Governance

Language networks

Genres of publication

The Observatory

Digital Lab

Publishing ’in the Souths’

Solidarity co-publishing and publishing partnerships

Book ecology

Public Book Policies

Freedom to publish

Bibliodiversity

Bibliodiversité review

Activities

Alliance’s programme for 2024

5 main activities