English

Following on from those carried out for Latin America and French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa, the Alliance’s Arabic-language network finalised the mapping of public policies in the Arab world, which was launched in Tunis in June 2025.

Speakers :
* Hani Altelfah (author of the study on public book policies in the Arab world and publisher, Al Marfaa, Turkey)
* Samar Haddad (Atlas Publishing, Syria)

Moderated by Dina Kabil (El Maraya, Egypt)

In 2019, the Alliance drew up a map of public policies for books in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the mechanisms and policies for supporting books in 12 countries, as well as pointing out the absence or shortcomings of certain government initiatives to promote publishing and bibliodiversity. With a view to extending this mapping to English-speaking African countries, and to encourage dialogue and the exchange of experience and practices between players in the ’African’ book industry, this round table will give the floor to publishers from 3 English-speaking African countries (Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria) and publishers from 2 French-speaking African countries (Cameroon and Togo). Book professionals from other countries who will be attending these discussions will be invited to share their points of view, so we look forward to seeing many of you there !

Speakers :
* Ama Dadson (Akoo Books, Ghana)
* Serge D. Kouam (Presses Universitaires d’Afrique, Cameroon)
* Muthoni Garland (Storymoja Publishers, Kenya)
* Ibiso Graham-Douglas (Paperworth Books, Nigeria)

Moderated by Yasmîn Issaka-Coubageat (Graines de Pensées, Togo)

This round-table discussion offers an overview of independent publishing in a few Asian countries (Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines and Singapore), focusing on each country’s work context. Among other things, the discussion covers the variety of publication languages and their different dynamics, the ongoing censorship faced by independent publishers and the ways to twist it.

Moderated by Ronny Agustinus (Marjin Kiri, Indonesia)

There are hundreds if not thousands of independent publishing houses in the German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria and Switzerland). While operating in such a strong book market can certainly have benefits, a lot of those publishers are struggeling – not only with the competition in the market and the omnipresent difficulties in the world, but also with the changing role of books in our society and the change in the behavior of readers. How do these publishing houses survive, what are their challenges and strategies and what role do publishing collectives like SWIPS (Switzerland) and KURT WOLFF STIFUNG (Germany) play in helping these publishers ?

Speakers :
* Annette Beger (SWIPS - Swiss Independent Publishers / Kommode verlag, Switzerland)
* Daniel Beskos (Kurt Wolff Stiftung / mairisch Verlag, Germany)
* Tanja Raich (Leykam Verlag, Austria)

An increasing number of independent publishers are initiating book events in their own countries (festivals, book fairs, fellowships, etc.) as a way of boosting the local book market and bringing their catalogues to life. This round table looks at the challenges inherent in creating these events, such as fund-raising, drawing up a programme, mobilising local actors and building an audience.

Speakers :
* Ibrahima Aya (Éditions Tombouctou, Mali)
* Camila Perlingeiro (Liga Brasileira de Editoras - LIBRE, Brazil)
* František Malik (BRaK, Slovakia)
* Dejan Trajkoski (Prozart media, North Macedonia)
* Renée-Laure Zou (Les Éditions du sucrier, Martinique)

Moderated by Germán Gacio Baquiola (La Caída Editorial, Ecuador)

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“It is important to understand the key role that the public procurement of books plays–similar to that of roads in a country’s development–and the related impacts of these actions on the ecosystem of books, culture, and education.

In purchasing books and socializing the processes of reading, the state’s actions may have numerous impacts. The selection of books is not only a question of quality and price, nor is it a simple technical process or an isolated action.”

This document is based on the Brevísimo manual de buenas prácticas para las compras públicas de libros (print and digital) that was included in the work of the Comisión de Compras Públicas de la Política Nacional de la Lectura y el Libro 2015-2020 (Chile), prepared by Paulo Slachevsky, coordinator of the commission. We are grateful to Germán Gacio Baquiola for his critical feedback and contributions.

Read the Manual

Whether they are based in South Africa, Mexico, Poland, France or living in exile in the diaspora in the UK, the publishers taking part in this round table are passionate about their work... but they don’t count the hours and are often forced to have an extra job in order to make a decent living. Between mental and physical fatigue, they find strategies to keep their heads above water while continuing to defend their ideas and convictions.

The speakers at this round table are all contributors to the next issue of the Bibliodiversité journal (to be published in October 2024), on the theme of precariousness. This round table gives them a voice and draw up initial proposals and recommendations aimed at the public authorities in particular, to provide greater support for independent publishers.

Speakers :
* Dorota Hartwich (FORMAT, Poland)
* Bridget Impey (Jacana Media, South Africa)
* Karima & Sol (blast, France)
* Azadeh Parsapour (Nogaam, United Kingdom/Iran)
* Nayeli Sánchez G. (La Cartonera, Mexico)

Moderated by Laëtitia Saint-Loubert (translator, teacher-researcher, France)

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This round table considers book ecology from a decolonial perspective. It gives a definition of what “book ecology” and “decolonial perspective” mean, in order to bring closer the urgency of ecological issues and the need to question the concentration of power and colonial matrices endured in the international book industry. With testimonials from book professionals based in Mozambique, Indonesia and in the Indian Ocean, this round table gives an opportunity for collective reflection on ethical, sustainable and solidarity literary ecosystems.

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

This discussion has been organised in partnership with AFD Campus.

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