English

Few days before the Seine-Saint-Denis children’s Book Fair in Montreuil (30 November-5 December 2016), twelve children’s book publishers and graphic designers from Benin, Brazil, France, Madagascar, Morocco, Portugal, and Togo will gather for a workshop on creation and graphic design in children’s book publishing. Through knowledge sharing, the participants will work on their on-going projects, tackling issues like text/images layout, pictures processing, specificity of bilingual books, tones and colours tones on books cover...

The workshop aims at :

• opening new horizons, discovering new approaches, not being stuck with some frames and norms ;
• questioning knowledge and professional practices of the publishers and of the graphic designers ;
• collectively finding resources and solutions to solve some obstacles ;
• sharing some existing (or to-be-created) tools ;
• reinforcing professional partnerships between African, Brazilian and European publishers.

This workshop follows the workshop organized in November 2015 (Graphic design in children’s book publishing - Africa/Europe perspectives). It is supported by the Centre national du livre, the French Institute of Brazil, and the French Institute of Madagascar. All participants agreed to volunteer their services – we thank them once again.

Representatives from 6 European collectives (Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, Russia and Switzerland) will meet in Paris, at the invitation of the International Committee of independent publishers (ICIP). The main objectives of this meeting are to share knowledge, discuss business issues, plan partnerships, and build the foundations for future exchanges. This is only the first step towards strengthening an independent publishing open to the world, and guaranteeing bibliodiversity.
A part of this meeting will focus on the governance of the Alliance, as well as an assessment of the Bibliodiversity Observatory, some few months after its creation in July 2016.

Bibliodiversity… it is the daily life of independent publishers, what drives them. Why make it a special day, then ? To celebrate Spring Day in the Southern Hemisphere, for books to occupy public spaces, to share, connect, exchange, discuss, and have fun… Because diversity of ideas is essential to the construction of democratic societies, because independent publishers are its actors, together with authors, translators, illustrators, booksellers, librarians…

This year, some planned festivities and activities include :
• In Quebec, Mémoire d’encrier publishers, in partnership with the Maison de la Syrie (‘the House of Syria’), facilitate a Quebec-Syria literary meeting
• In Syria, Atlas Publishing convene booksellers and publishers in the heart of Damas
• In Chile, EDIN collective will distribute a list of independent publishers’ works in the country’s main libraries ; filmed activities will be held throughout the day
• In Colombia, public spaces (parks, public places) will be animated by publishers from the REIC collective…
• In Italy, the independent publishers members of the FIDARE get themself heard through a call
• In Spain, the ministry of Culture is launching a campaign in favor of bibliodiversity
• In Peru, the collective of independent publishers EIP is organizing an Independent Book Fair, from 23 to 25 September, to follow on facebook
• In Argentina, the collective of independent publisers EDINAR is planning bookcrossing, literary meetings...

Follow all the activities on the Alliance website and social media.

And have a look on the official B Day 2016 video !

« Elles marchent côte à côte, serrées l’une contre l’autre, avancent à petits pas vers jedu. La végétation les empêche d’aller plus vite. Elles ne se sont pas munies d’un coutelas, pour trancher les branches rebelles. D’ailleurs, elles ont tout leur temps. Il en est ainsi, lorsqu’on ignore où l’on va : point n’est besoin de se hâter... De quoi s’inquiéter quand on a tout perdu ? »
Dire, avec les mots les plus justes, l’interminable douleur de ceux qui restent après le départ du grand « poisson de fer » des étrangers aux « pieds de poule », tel est le mérite de ce roman de Léonora Miano. Rarement un roman a su nous faire vivre avec autant d’émotion le désespoir et le désarroi des familles frappées en pleine nuit par le feu prédateur des négriers.

Née à Douala (Cameroun) en 1973, Léonora Miano vit en France depuis 1991. L’Intérieur de la Nuit, son premier roman, est paru en 2005. Une dizaine d’autres ont suivi depuis lors, recevant de nombreuses distinctions littéraires. Son écriture s’attache aux expériences subsahariennes et afrodescendantes, les inscrivant dans la conscience du monde. La Saison de l’Ombre a reçu le prix Femina 2013.

Date de publication de la version panafricaine : 2016, 11,5 X 19 cm
Édition première en France : Grasset (2013)

Une coédition solidaire « Le livre équitable ».

« Un système économique et social est en état d’équilibre
dynamique lorsque des voix différentes peuvent être entendues ».

Inspiré de la notion de biodiversité, le terme « bibliodiversité » fait référence à un ensemble de publications variées dans le paysage éditorial, représentatives d’un système culturel équilibré où toutes les voix peuvent s’exprimer. Aujourd’hui, l’uniformisation des médias et la concentration des secteurs de l’édition et de la librairie favorisent le développement d’une culture standardisée et soumise, à grand renfort de campagnes marketing, à des exigences de rentabilité plus que d’originalité et de qualité. En quête d’une autre voix, les petits éditeurs indépendants entendent bien maintenir la diversité culturelle.

S’inspirant de son propre parcours, l’auteure, militante féministe australienne et éditrice indépendante engagée, fait ici le lien entre l’évolution de la place de la femme dans notre société et la bibliodiversité, entre l’oppression des femmes et celle
des créations à la marge, dédaignées par les poids lourds de l’édition. À l’heure du numérique et de l’autopublication, elle rappelle les fonctions indispensables de relecture et de mise en forme assurées par l’éditeur, qui garantissent la qualité d’un
ouvrage. Elle s’attache aussi à mettre en avant les talents d’innovation des petites structures indépendantes, développant une nouvelle forme d’ « écologie de l’édition » en marge des grosses structures vers une véritable bibliodiversité du XXI^e siècle.

Une traduction de l’anglais vers le français, couplée à une coédition solidaire entre 4 éditeurs en France (éditions Charles Léopold Mayer), en Suisse (éditions d’en bas), au Mali (Jamana) et au Cameroun (Presses universitaires d’Afrique).

From October, 19th to 23rd, meet the independent publishers at the Frankfurt Book Fair : more than 25 publishing houses from all around the world will be there !

You can find the publishers’ contact on the attached document. Do not wait to make an appointment !

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

Through the support of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie and the partnership established with the Ivorian publishers association (Assedi), the Alliance’s Digital Lab will convene 18 publishers from Sub-Saharan Africa from 23 to 27 May, to a workshop focusing on :
* the production and marketing of digital books (session facilitated by Gilles Colleu, Vents d’ailleurs, France) ;
* management of the Alliance Press web template developed by the Alliance for publishers who do not have websites (session facilitated by Mouhammed Diop, Senegalese developer and designer of Alliance Press).

The workshop follows on the series of meetings/training workshops designed and implemented by the Alliance since 2010, and is aimed at publishers in particular from French-speaking Africa. In order to share knowledge and encourage ownership, all workshops and meetings of the Alliance are complemented by factsheets published on the Digital Lab website, and personalised online tutorials.

The workshop will be held at the occasion of the Abidjan Book Fair (26-28 May, Palais de la Culture), and will provide the opportunity for publishers to share the collective stand of the Afrilivres association. The Afrilivres Prize will be awarded on that occasion, in the presence of the recipient of the 2015 prize : Valesse publishers from Ivory Coast.

After studying political sciences, Laura Aufrère was for 5 years coordinator of the French confederation gathering not-for-profit cultural professional initiatives from a variety of disciplines (music, theater, outdoor and circus, visual arts, etc.), rooted in the solidarity economy movement (UFISC). She is now a PHD student in management, looking specifically into critical approaches in the organisation theory and the digital humanities fields. She studies commons and social and solidarity economy initiatives, focusing specifically on work and labour organisation, cooperation and governance issues, and social protection. She joins the Alliance Board in 2016 and is now its President.

Read the conclusions and proposals formulated by publishers from Francophone Africa following the workshop organised by the Alliance on “Digital tools and African languages”, held in Conakry, in November 2017, thanks the support of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie and the partnership with the house publishing Ganndal.

Nouvelle édition publiée en 2017 par la marca editora (Argentine), en coédition avec EDINAR (Argentine) et le CERLALC.
Ouvrage de référence publié initialement par le CERLALC.

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

Pour en savoir plus.

Voir également ci-dessous l’édition péruvienne du Manual de edición, éditée par La Travesía Editora, maison d’édition péruvienne, membre du collectif EIP au Pérou.

Publishing professionals charter and code of ethics, produced by the Organisation malienne des éditeurs de livre (OMEL), Mali, 2017.

This charter was produced by OMEL (Organisation malienne des éditeurs de livre) in April 2017, which authorized the Alliance to publish it on its website.

Re|Shaping Cultural Policies 2018 (UNESCO 2005 Convention Global Report)
Creativity at the Heart of Development
Excerpt from the foreword :
“This new UNESCO Global Report ‘Re|Shaping Cultural Policies’ is an invaluable tool for the implementation of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. This Convention, now ratified by 146 Parties, including the European Union, is leading UNESCO’s efforts to strengthen capacities for the creation, production, and dissemination of cultural goods, services, and activities. States are supported in their sovereign right to implement public policies for the development of strong and dynamic cultural and creative industry sectors. UNESCO is committed to developing more effective and sustainable public policies in these areas.
Our roadmap is clear and requires the cooperation of governments and non-governmental actors in four key areas : strengthening governance for culture, improving the conditions for the mobility of artists, integrating culture in sustainable development strategies, and promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms. These four goals are closely linked to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

Audrey Azoulay
Director-General of UNESCO

Read the report here.

Octavio Kulesz, member of the Digital Lab of the Alliance is the author of Chapter 3 of the report : « Cultural Policies in the Age of Platforms ».

Feasibility study on the establishment of digital printing structures for independent publishers, by Gilles Colleu (November 2017)

Among the 80 recommendations of the International Assembly of independent publishers (2012-2014), independent publishers called on public authorities and international organisations to “contribute and support the establishment of in-country digital printers and printing facilities, on demand (including in sub-Saharan African) to promote access to books”.

The Alliance thus launched a feasibility study in 2016, on the establishment of digital printing facilities in sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. Above all, the aim was to find out whether digital printing is a relevant alternative, and on what conditions. To do so, the study surveys the needs of local professionals, and discusses the potentials and benefits as well as limitations inherent to digital printing, based on realities and practices of Francophone publishers from sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. Finally, it discusses the feasibility scenarios for the establishment of a digital printing hub.

By focusing on the technical aspect of digital printing as well as on the development potential in a Francophone African context, this study goes beyond a feasibility study and proposes reflection points on the economic and strategic models of independent publishing.

This study was supported by the International Organisation of Francophonie. A full version of the study is available to members of the Alliance.
For questions or comments, please contact the team of the Alliance.

Gilles COLLEU, author of the study
Former lecturer at the University Institute of Technology « Book Trade » in Aix-en-Provence, former Director of production and digital publishing for Actes Sud, Gilles Colleu established and manages, with Jutta Hepke, Vents d’ailleurs (La Roque d’Anthéron, France), member of the International Alliance of independent publishers. He co manages the digital printing hub Yenooa and incubator Rue des éditeurs and actively participates in the Digital Lab of the Alliance (tutorials, training).

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

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

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

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

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

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

In a joint statement published on 15 June 2017, the Association internationale des libraires francophones (AILF) and the Alliance shared their concerns and highlighted the impacts of book donations on a country’s book chain.

The Bibliodiversity Observatory collects studies, analysis, and tools produced by the Alliance, in collaboration with its partners. It is built around issues identified as priorities by independent publishers as a follow-up to the International Conferences of Independent Publishers for the 2015-2021 and 2022-2025 period.
Aimed at professionals and public authorities, the Observatory’s mission includes strengthening bibliodiversity in the various regions of the world.

As an independent, evolving and collaborative space, the Observatory’s role includes :

• a “research and analysis” pillar : resource centre focusing on major issues related to independent publishing ;
• an “advocacy” pillar, including awareness and influence strategies.

The International Alliance of independent publishers acknowledges and thanks publishers and their partners (international organisations, Ministries of Culture, unions, etc.…) for their contributions and commitment to the Bibliodiversity Observatory.

Part 2 : Raphaël Thierry : “Book donations, but at what price, and in exchange for what ? An overview on book donation practice in francophone Africa (in French)”

Pre-print version to appear in African Research & Documentation. Journal of SCOLMA (the UK Libraries and Archives Group on Africa), no.127 (2015) [Release 2017]

Read the article on EditAfrica website !

Part 1 : Hans M. Zell : “Book Donation Programmes in English-speaking Africa”

Pre-print version to appear in African Research & Documentation. Journal of SCOLMA (the UK Libraries and Archives Group on Africa), no.127 (2015) [Release 2017]

Extract from the editorial note of the print issue :
« Welcome to this bumper issue of ARD. Scolma is grateful to Hans Zell and Raphaël Thierry for choosing to publish their full length study of Book Donation Programmes in Africa in our pages.
It is as they say “time for a reappraisal” and it is our hope that the ensuing debate will take place in the pages of ARD as well as online. I would therefore invite responses and feedback to this important and provocative study. Feedback from receiving libraries in Africa is particularly welcome. »
Terry Barringer, Editor, African Research & Documentation

Read the article on EditAfrica website !