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

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

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

The Babelica program is online here!

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

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

Over 15 Iranian publishers and many cultures groups are participating in these events around the world (Nuremberg, Vienna, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig, Paris, London, Brussels, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, Gothenburg, Bremen, Malmo, Copenhagen, Lubec, Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles). This year, a collective catalogue containing new titles of 12 publishers present in the Book Fair is accessible both digitally and in print.

More information here.

Following the round table on Artificial Intelligence organised during the 2023 Babelica book fair (see here), online workshop led by Octavio Kulesz is proposed on the challenges of AI for independent publishers (knowledge and understanding of how AI works and some of its tools, analysis of the challenges of AI for independent publishing from an intercultural perspective and with regard to bibliodiversity).

Here link to watch the workshop

This workshop is supported by Campus AFD.

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

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

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

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

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.

Recently Weaver Books (Zimbabwe), Modjaji Books (South Africa), and Spinifex Press (Australia) collaborated on a book project. Because of this collaboration, we thought that a panel where we considered collaboration and co-publishing in more depth would be valuable as part of Babelica.

The process of co-publishing potentially has benefits to all parties and is a way of making an author’s work travel further and to new readers in more countries. The publishers at these presses, Susan Hawthorne and Jessica Powers from Catalyst Press, will share their experiences of co-publishing and look at the benefits and challenges.

Babelica is the International online Book Fair of Independent Publishing, conceived and organised by the network of publishers of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers. All the information about the 2023 edition can be found at babelica.alliance-publishers.org

The word “bibliodiversity” was invented by Chilean publishers in the 2000s. It is the cultural equivalent of biodiversity. For a culture to be in balance, it is important that monoculture does not dominate the book ecosystem; it is important that a multitude of voices exist and are heard - and independent publishers make a major contribution to this bibliodiversity.

Ten years after the publication of 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺: 𝘈 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, how has bibliodiversity evolved in different countries? Three publishers from the Czech Republic, Syria and Australia discuss how and why bibliodiversity is important to them, what are the challenges and threats within their publishing territories. They also present the changes and challenges they have observed and faced over the last 10 years.

Babelica is the International online Book Fair of Independent Publishing, conceived and organised by the network of publishers of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers. All the information about the 2023 edition can be found at babelica.alliance-publishers.org

The question of translation is a real issue in the publishing ecosystem of the Arab world: indeed, the absence of translators of some languages obliges translators to translate into an intermediary language; given the high costs this represents, it is sometimes difficult to be sure a translation conforms to the original text. Sometimes the publishing projects of an author or series of books do not correspond with the visions and interests of translators, which leads to lack of understanding, or even obstacles for the translation of some texts. There are numerous challenges, but possible actions will also be put forward at this round table discussion, in particular the creation of training institutions.

Babelica is the International online Book Fair of Independent Publishing, conceived and organised by the network of publishers of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers. All the information about the 2023 edition can be found at babelica.alliance-publishers.org

The result of the reflections of the members of the Alliance during the International Conference on Independent Publishing in Pamplona-Iruñea (November 2021), the Guide to Good Practices offers book professionals concrete lines of action on book ecology, social publishing, solidarity publishing, feminist and LGBTQI+ publishing... and presents an inventory of alternative practices, sources of inspiration for the book of tomorrow.

Speakers :
* Indira Chandrasekhar, Tulika, India
* Dorota Hartwich, Format, Poland
* Dieulermesson Petit Frère, LEGS Édition, Haiti
* Carlos Vela, Pesopluma and representative of the EIP collective, Peru

Moderated by Mariana Warth, Pallas Editora (Brazil) and coordinator of the Alliance’s Lusophone network

More information on Babelica: https://babelica.alliance-editeurs.org/
And on the International Alliance of Independent Publishers

Words by the Bibliodiversity Ambassadors of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers - Vandana Shiva (author and activist, India) and Djaïli Amadou Amal (author, Cameroon).

Closing of the International Conference of Independent Publishers, Pamplona-Iruñea, 26 November 2021.

Round-table discussion #1 “’Challenges for a diversified and committed book ecosystem in the face of current issues” with John B. Thompson (sociologist, United Kingdom), Julien Lefort-Favreau (professor of Contemporary Literature and Critical Theory, Québec/Canada), Kenza Sefrioui (publisher, En toutes lettres, Morocco), Esther Merino (publisher, éditions les Monédières and chair of the Association des Éditeurs de Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France), moderated by Alfonso Serrano, (publisher, La Oveja Roja, Madrid, Spain).

For several years now, the notions of independence and bibliodiversity permeate almost all discourses on the publishing sector. However, there is a strong network of interdependencies at different levels of society, which are not always easy to identify. Yet, their identification is necessary for the theoretical framework constructed from these notions to go beyond mere sloganeering and lead to a meaningful reflection on the place of the publishing activity of independent publishers within society.

Round-table discussion #2 “Ecology of the book” with Anaïs Massola (bookseller, Le Rideau rouge and co-founder of the Association pour l’écologie du livre, Paris, France), José Bellver, (economist and researcher, Madrid), Susan Hawthorne (publisher, Spinifex Press, Australia) moderated by Corinne Fleury (publisher, Atelier des nomades, Mauritius/France).

A quick look at the national budgets of most states shows that publishing is classified as an industrial activity. This is logical for a business that uses a significant amount of labour and raw materials, which once transformed into marketable products, are transported, and traded around the world. At a time of inevitable reflection on the ecological sustainability of human activity on the planet, nothing should prevent us from calmly analysing the responsibilities arising from the choices made by independent publishers. And in a context of increasing digital visibility, it is also appropriate to question what lies behind the apparent intangibility of this ‘cloud’.

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

Streaming of the round table #5 “Freedom of publishing / fair speech” with Azadeh Parsapour (publisher, Nogaam, Iran/UK), Mohamed El Baaly (publisher, Sefsara Publishing, Egypt), Tomaz Adour (publisher, Vermelho Marinho, Brazil), Müge Gursoy Sokmen (publisher, Metis Publisher, Turkey), moderated by Antoinette Koleva (KX Critique and Humanism, Bulgaria).

Streaming of the round table #6 “Writing and publishing in minority languages” with Marie Michèle Razafintsalama (publisher, Jeunes Malgaches, Madagascar), Dante González (publisher, Pakarina Ediciones, Peru), Maria José Galvez (General Director of Books and Reading Promotion, Spanish Ministry of Culture), moderated by Garazi Arrula (publisher, Txalaparta, Navarra).

International Conference of Independent Publishers , Baluarte, Pamplona-Iruñea, November 25, 2021

Round-table discussion #3 “What to say and where to say it?” with Gisèle Sapiro (sociologist, France), Ronny Agustinus (publisher, Marjin Kiri, Indonesia), Ibrahima Aya (publisher, Éditions Tombouctou, Mali), moderated by Paulo Slachevsky (publisher, Lom Ediciones, Chile).

The logics of concentration in the publishing world and the domination of the commercial aspect of the book to the detriment of its cultural aspect are mixed with other conservative impulses that have an impact on the sector, such as cultural colonialism, patriarchy, the marginalisation of minorities and peripheral languages... Reflecting on these relations of power and domination, reinforcing the liberating and transforming character of books and words is the invitation of this second morning of the International Conference of Independent Publishers.

Round-table discussion #4 “Women in the publishing world” with Samar Haddad (publisher, Atlas Publishing, Syria), Barbora Baronová (publisher, wo-men, Czech Republic), Julia Ortiz (publisher, Criatura Editora, Uruguay), Djaïli Amadou Amal (author, Cameroon), and moderated by Ana Gallego Cuiñas (Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Granada, Spain).

While the publishing profession seems to be predominantly occupied by women in many countries –and although the situation is not identical in all cultural contexts and book markets– women remain under-represented in positions of responsibility within publishing houses, just as women authors are less recognised than men by literary prizes. Is this situation –this imbalance– which has been pointed out in Europe in particular, generalizable at the international level? What does being a woman in the publishing world mean in concrete terms? International independent publishing offers a diverse and varied panorama of the place and role accorded to women professionals in the sector. Whether they practice their profession in Syria, the Czech Republic, Cameroon or Canada, whether they are authors, publishers or feminist publishers, this round table will amplify the voices of women book professionals who contribute to shaping the international publishing landscape.

International Conference of Independent Publishers, Pamplona-Iruñea, November 24, 2021

Order this issue (in French) in digital format here.
Retail price (digital version - PDF): 7.99 euros
ISBN: 978-2-490855-78-0
Publication: April 2025

Read the contents on the left.
All other information on this issue and the Bibliodiversité review can be found here.
Bibliodiversité is co-published by Double ponctuation and the International Alliance of Independent Publishers.

Overview
Deep, slow and complex reading is disappearing in favour of more immediate reading. Images are popping up everywhere, as shown by the popularity of manga and comic books. Eclectic reading is being replaced by dedication to a specific genre. Time spent reading books is being reduced (or mixed) in favour of screen time. Audiobooks are making a remarkable breakthrough - but is it reading?

Yet we are reading more than ever, at least online. Children’s literature is doing well. Close-knit communities flourish with reading recommendations. Instagram influencers are selling hundreds of copies, and the manga sections of bookshops are packed with teenagers.

Should we conclude from this that the (r)evolution of reading is above all characterised by a generational divide? That image and sound represent the future of reading? And how can we encourage people to read widely? These are just some of the questions addressed in this publication.

“Una buena política de adquisición de libros por parte del Estado tiene múltiples y significativos impactos en el desarrollo cultural, social, económico y político de un país […] Por todo ello es tan importante mejorar, incrementar, trasparentar, desconcentrar y fortalecer la presencia de autoras/es y editoriales locales en los procesos de compras públicas de libros. También analizar, revisar y diversificar constantemente las áreas en que se centran los gastos, como los libros de textos que concentran generalmente gran parte del gasto público en libros.”

Este documento reproduce, con algunas modificaciones, el Brevísimo Manual de buenas prácticas para las compras públicas de libros (en papel y en formato digital) que fue incorporado al trabajo de la Comisión de Compras Públicas - Política Nacional de la Lectura y el Libro 2015-2020 (Chile), realizado por Paulo Slachevsky (LOM Ediciones, Chile) como coordinador de la Comisión. Este manual ha sido revisado por Germán Gacio Baquiola (Editores independientes de Ecuador).

Leer el manual