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.
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
Presentation
The world of books and writing is not necessarily diverse. Like all places of power, whether real or symbolic, it does not escape the forms of exclusion and predation that can be observed elsewhere in society.
By deliberately favouring a plurality of approaches to the question of inclusion, this issue of the journal attempts to explore a multidimensional phenomenon. Thus, whether through feminism, indigenousness, the LGBTQ+ movement or by considering those excluded from the written word, the authors question the inclusive capacity of this sector.
Beyond the observations, they propose practical examples (collected in France, Quebec, Belgium, Spain, India...) to promote inclusion : the establishment of a gender editor within an editorial office, the creation of a native publishing house, the management of bookshops, publishing houses or feminist or gay journals, the reflection of librarians on the conditions of reception of minorities, etc.
Little by little, thanks to these many initiatives, often without wanting to polemicise or to whitewash issues, professionals are fighting discrimination daily and promoting the expression of real diversity.
“Bibliodiversité” is co-published by Double ponctuation and the International Alliance of Independent Publishers.
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
We believe that the charges against him under Section 57 of the ICT are an attempt to intimidate him by using a draconian law to stifle his right to free speech. He has been held without due legal process, and we have received disturbing reports of brutal treatment meted out to him in detention.
The right of peaceful protest, and the defence of that right, are fundamental to democracy and to upholding the rule of law. The IAIP extends its support to, and expresses solidarity with, Shahidul Alam, and reiterates its commitment to the freedom of expression in Bangladesh as well as in the rest of the world.
An unprecedented study to be published in July 2020, initiated and coordinated by the Alliance !
A sociological survey conducted by Anne-Marie Voisard, Quebec researcher (MA on strategic lawsuits against public participation and legal repression of freedom of speech from the University of Montréal) and written by Philippe Chibani-Jacquot ; a historical introduction by Jean-Yves Mollier, French historian.
Since the creation of the Alliance, publishers – custodians of freedom of speech alongside journalists, authors, bloggers, booksellers, artists… – have been the whistleblowers on instances of censorship occurring in some countries. Over the past few years, we have noticed some new forms of attack on freedom of speech. In several contexts, pressures and limitations exercised on public speech are increasing. After the wave of freedom expected during the revolutions in the Arab world, the series of attacks in Africa, Europe, and in the Arab world, destabilised freedom of speech : a loss of sense, of bearings that brings us to question spaces of freedom, the reach of words and the power of the medium.
The freedom of publishing is a “category” of freedom of speech that can take different forms through various supports. The freedom of publishing pertains to the liberty to choose an author, to select or commission manuscripts, publish them, disseminate and distribute them, and put them on the market – all these activities are at the heart of publishers’ work. The threats to the freedom of publishing are precisely what the Alliance seeks to examine in this study.
In different geopolitical contexts, threatened by different forms of censorship, the Alliance’s independent publishers are committed to circulate texts and ideas, to amplify voices, even if sometimes they are in minority, to participate in building critical thinking and emancipation. It is their responsibility, both professional and civic.
Read here the presentation of the study, of the authors, the methodology...
Publishers from the Alliance condemn the banning of the book El desarme, la vía vasca d’Iñaki Egaña (copublished by Txalaparta, Gara journal, and Mediabask media), during its promotion on Basque radio-television.
The Alliance aims to produce an unprecedented study about freedom of publishing, listening to independent publishers about the following questions :
• What are the different infringements of freedom of publishing that independent publishers confront in their countries ?
• How do they face these threats in their daily professional life ?
• How do the publishers resist, preserve, and defend their freedom of publishing ? How do they circumvent censorship ?
• Are publishers more vulnerable today than they used to be ? Have there been some significant changes in recent years ?
• From the point of view of the publishers, is there a limit to freedom of publishing (and freedom of expression) ?
The study will be written in French. If you are interested in conducting this study, please send your proposal to the Alliance team before 13 March 2017.}
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.
