On 21 September, we are celebrating bibliodiversity and also the 20th birthday of the Alliance!
The publishers are offering you a literary world tour in more than 30 countries: 45 readings in 25 languages to listen to and watch here!
A big thank you to all of you for this gift; thanks also to Naima Éditions for making this map.
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.
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.
Author(s) : Khadi HANE
Publishing countries : Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Togo
Language(s) :
French
Price : 50 dirhams marocains ; 750 dinars algériens ; 45 000 francs guinées ; 3 000 FCFA
The latest solidarity co-publishing of the “Terres solidaires” collection is available from the following eight publishing houses: Apic (Algeria), Eburnie (Ivory Coast), Ganndal (Guinea Conakry), Graines de Pensées (Togo), Le Fennec (Morocco), Proximité (Cameroon), Sankofa & Gurli (Burkina Faso) and Tombouctou (Mali)
Retail price of the pan-African version: 50 Moroccan dirhams; 750 Algerian dinars; 45,000 Guinean francs; 3,000 FCFA
First published in France: Éditions Denoël, 2011
Layout for the publishing house collective: Apic (Algeria)
Cover selection and corrections: the publishing house collective
Shared printing in Algeria for Algeria, Guinea, Togo, Burkina Faso and Mali.
Transport of the copies from Algeria to Mali by plane and then dispatch to the different countries by road.
Local prints directly in the countries for Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco and Cameroon.
This solidarity co-publication bears the label Fair Trade Book.
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).
To find out more about the participants, practical information and to follow the Conference online, go to Babelica, the Alliance’s virtual space!
Consult the program below and register now!
To participate in the Conference, click here.
The Conference is organized by the International Alliance of Independent Publishers and the Association of Independent Publishers of Navarre, EDITARGI.
Physical meetings, virtual window, sound archives
The meetings can be followed in streaming (via the virtual space Babelica or the Alliance’s YouTube channel). They will also be recorded and may be the subject of audiovisual editing, depending on the agreement with the participants. The conclusions of the roundtables and workshops will be disseminated afterwards to all participants.
Bibliodiversity ambassadors!
Bibliodiversity ambassadors are public figures who have agreed to amplify the voices of independent publishers, to accompany the reflections and practices of publishers, to defend and support bibliodiversity. The personalities solicited will be revealed in the coming weeks!
Presence of international independent publishers at the Navarra Book Fair (25-28 November, 2021), organized by the Association EDITARGI
A collective stand dedicated to the invited international publishers will present the variety and diversity of independent production internationally. This collective stand will be a meeting place for readers but also a space for sales/ purchases/ trade of copyrights between invited and local professionals.
Calendar 2021 of the Alliance and the Pamplona Meetings
The “Conference”, a snapshot of independent publishing worldwide
Since the creation of the International Alliance of independent publishers (an international network of 750 independent publishers from 55 countries around the world) in 2002, the “International Assemblies/ Conferences” have been held every four to eight years and bring together some 100 independent publishers from around the world: in 2003 in Dakar (Senegal); in 2007 in Paris (France); in 2014 in Cape Town (South Africa) and in 2021 in Pamplona-Iruña (Province of Navarre/ Spain).
They represent a landmark moment for international independent publishers, bringing together actors from all continents – they collectively provide a portrait of global independent publishing (Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Arab world and Oceania). They are a unique space for debate, meetings, and reflection on independent publishing – with no other equivalent worldwide.
Celebrate and REthink in 2021...
Between 2017 and 2018, when the Alliance network was planning and launching the 2019-2021 conference, the goals of this event were obvious: celebrating bibliodiversity and the work of independent publishers, REthinking the solidarity practices that we build through perseverance and determination, but also the relationships with other book professionals, and the relationships with readers.
This is obvious in view of the progress made since the last meeting in 2012-2014, but also in view of the experience of the Alliance, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2021.
2020, a global health crisis, a year of transformation
While the consequences of the health crisis are still difficult to assess in detail from an economic, social, and political vantage point, REthinking remains obvious but also becomes a necessity.
Why are independent publishers important actors in this period of crisis? How do they accompany societal transformations and transitions at work? What are the tools and practices that they put in place to apprehend the realities of tomorrow, to understand them? In what ways do books and the ideas they convey help defend and preserve the diversity of creations, points of view, ideas?
“Tomorrow’s” independent publishing?
This Conference is thus a moment of documentation on the state of the world, an international mapping of the movements of transition and/or interruption.
Its objective is to question and inform discussions on the role of books – of ideas – as a social and emancipatory trajectory.
It is a space for reflection, sharing of experiences and practical know-hows concerning the issues of today and tomorrow: ecology, social economy, inclusive publishing, cultural platforming...
Finally, the Conference is a space of solidarity, trust, human relationships, and dialogues between cultures.
Process and phases of the Conference
The Conference of the Alliance is built of our own accord over a long period of time, against the often-frantic rhythm that has become the norm. It follows a common thread that has been running for 20 years within the Alliance: the issues defended by the Alliance since its creation are always prominent (solidarity, equity of relations, rebalancing of flows, circulation of ideas, local creations and productions, fair speech, ecological concerns...). These are the foundations on which the independent publishing movement is based and are addressed considering contemporary issues and debates.
They are built collectively, based on the work carried out since the 2021-2014 conference and the 80 ensuing recommendations, from feedback from professionals in the field of books, from monitoring independent publishing throughout the world, from regular dialogue with other cultural actors, but also from observation of practices, trends, and alternatives that emerge here and there.
The Conference is built on two levels (public and “internal”), which feed each other and are complementary.
• A public level with an aim to meet, discuss, learn – which is embodied by meetings open to all (book professionals, readers, cultural actors, academics, civil society movements, etc.). It is about taking advantage of the space that the Alliance is to REthink practices, question the relationship of independent publishers to the current world, explore themes, allow each other utopias, look together to the future.
• An internal level (focused on the Alliance network) to formulate recommendations and tools, to elaborate objectives for the upcoming period, to define and refine the governance of the network.
The conference is structured around working groups and thematic workshops set up since the 2012-2014 Conference of the Alliance (1/on public book policies; 2/on the freedom of publishing; 3/ on digital publishing; 4/on publishing in local and national languages; 5/on solidarity-based editorial partnerships; 6/on the impacts of book donation practices).
Concretely, for the Alliance network, the aim is to achieve the following results for the period 2022-2025:
• Recommendations (based on the 80 recommendations from the previous Conference but also in the context of the current crisis)
• Objectives and action plan for the period 2022-2025
• Adjustments and validation/ endorsement of the governance of the association
In 2021, we would like to share with you the highlights and cultural inspirations of the independent publishers who make up the strength of our network: international playlists and selections of music, books and films recommended by the members of the Alliance.
To be discovered every week on our social media (Facebook; Twitter; Youtube and Instagram) and throughout the year on the Alliance website...
Follow us to broaden your musical, literary and cinematographic horizons!
On Youtube, listen to the Alliance’s international playlist for 2021 and see all the recommendations of Alliance members below.
Discover publishers’ backgrounds, get to know their work and their publications, and listen to the voice of independent publishers… by reading the exclusive publishers portraits in this section!
In partnership with the online magazine ActuaLitté, interviews with publishers member of the Alliance are regularly added here. Explore the interviews:
* Élodie Comtois (Écosociété publishers in Québec),
* Samar Haddad (Atlas Publishing in Syria),
* Marie Michèle Razafintsalama (Jeunes malgaches in Madagascar),
* Constanza Brunet (Marea Editorial in Argentina),
* Antoinette Koleva (KX Critique & Humanism in Bulgaria),
* Karine Joseph (Sirocco in Morocco),
* Colleen Higgs (Modjaji Books in South Africa),
* François Nkémé (Proximité in Cameroon),
* Aliou Sow (Ganndal, Guinea Conakry),
* Ritu Menon (Women Unlimited in India).
* Ivana Jinkings (Boitempo in Brazil),
* Sophie Bazin and Johary Ravaloson (Dodo vole in Madagascar),
* Dorota Hartwich (Format in Poland),
* Amanda Crocker (Between the Lines, Canada),
* Dieulermesson Petit Frère (LEGS Édition, Haiti),
* Corinne Fleury (Atelier des nomades, Mauritius),
* Abdulai Sila (Ku Si Mon, Guinea Bissau),
* Susan Hawthorne (Spinifex Press, Australia),
* Dan Bomboko (Elondja, Democratic Republic of Congo).
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
Publishers members of the French-speaking network of the Alliance
Representatives of the Board and the permanent team of the International Alliance of independent publishers
Analysis of data collected in 10 countries from independent publishers and public actors, by Andrés E. Fernández Vergara (University of Chile)
This article, written in Spanish, offers a regional analysis of public policies for the development of books and reading in Spanish-speaking Latin America, from the point of view of 53 actors in the book world from 10 different countries. It takes into account the similarities and differences that exist from one country to another in the region: on the one hand, there are complex networks of institutions and book promotion mechanisms; on the other hand, there is no national policy or strategic objective. The actors interviewed highlight the difficulties they encounter in their sector today: market concentration, piracy, lack of support for indigenous languages, etc. These are all dangers that threaten bibliodiversity in the region.
Contents:
This analysis is to be found in a special issue of the Bibliodiversity Journal on “Public book policies” available in paper and digital versions (in French).
See also the analysis on “Public book policies in sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar” by Luc Pinhas, published in September 2019.
To complement these analyses, see the mapping of public policies and in-country support mechanisms here: publicbookpolicies.alliance-editeurs.org
Data collection in the 11 countries of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar as well as in Latin America, cross-sectional data analyses and online mapping were supported by the Fondation de France and the SDC Switzerland.
Cross-sectional analysis of data collected in 12 countries, by Luc Pinhas, University of Paris 13 Villetaneuse (France)
In a comprehensive cross-sectional study that enriches our knowledge of public book policies in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa, Luc Pinhas discusses the similarities and differences that exist between 12 countries in the region. While some very interesting developments for local book production and the local book chain should be acknowledged – cf. the preference given to local actors by the Ivorian law of 2015 – the legislative and regulatory frameworks would certainly benefit from being strengthened to support and strengthen the local book economy.
Contents:
This analysis is to be found in a special issue of the Bibliodiversity Journal on “Public book policies” available in paper and digital versions (in French).
See also the analysis on “Public book policies in Latin America”, published in September 2019.
To complement these analyses, see the mapping of public policies and in-country support mechanisms here: publicbookpolicies.alliance-editeurs.org
Data collection in the 11 countries of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar as well as in Latin America, cross-sectional data analyses and online mapping were supported by the Fondation de France and the SDC Switzerland.
“Now that we have entered the 21st 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.
Download the report produced by APNET (African Publishers Network) in April 2020.
An unprecedented mapping of policies supporting reading and books in 22 countries, which can be consulted and downloaded online: publicbookpolicies.alliance-editeurs.org
Arising from the observation of the lack of data on public book policies in regions where the member publishers of the Alliance operate, particularly in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, the public book policy mapping project is the result of several years of collaboration between book and publishing professionals, academics and experts on public book policies. It relies first and foremost on the investment and involvement of the Alliance’s member publishers, who are its primary actors. It is one of the flagship projects of the Bibliodiversity Observatory.
The mapping proposes several items: one entry per country (country fact sheets listing existing mechanisms for public support for books at the national level); a regional entry (comparative data through cross-cutting analyses). It is interactive and evolving: the fact sheets presenting the institutions and national public book policies can be amended and modified as the systems evolve. This mapping is thus intended to be extended to new countries in both regions, or even to integrate a new region in the long term (the Arab world in particular). For now, the mapping exists only in Spanish and French for lack of financial means to carry out a translation into English. The Alliance hopes to find the necessary funds to translate the mapping into English soon.
The objectives of the mapping are to:
• make available data on the public book policies of the respective countries;
• offer an overview of public book policies, freely accessible, consultable and reusable by professionals and public authorities;
• promote dialogue and exchanges between public authorities and publishers;
• develop advocacy tools for independent publishers;
• contribute to the establishment and consolidation of public book policies in developing countries (among others, for a greater circulation of books and ideas, for the appropriation of digital tools by book professionals, for balanced exchanges between North and South);
• affirm the role of civil society (book professionals and particularly independent publishers) in the development and implementation of public book policies.
The Alliance warmly thanks the partners of this project: the Fondation de France and the Swiss SDC.
See the complementary issue of the Bibliodiversity journal “Public book policies”.
Press release
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Alliance team at: equipe@alliance-editeurs.org
International Alliance
of Independent Publishers
38 rue Saint-Sabin
75011 Paris - France
