The Alliance

Bibliodiversity is cultural diversity applied to the world of books. Echoing biodiversity, it refers to the critical diversity of products (books, scripts, eBooks, apps, and oral literature) made available to readers. Bibliodiversity is a complex, self-sustaining system of storytelling, writing, publishing, and other kinds of production of oral and written literature. The writers and producers are comparable to the inhabitants of an ecosystem. Bibliodiversity contributes to a thriving life of culture and a healthy eco-social system. While large publishers do contribute to publishing diversity through the quantitative importance of their production, it is not enough to guarantee bibliodiversity, which is not only measured by the number of titles available.
Independent publishers, even if they consider their publishing houses’ economic balance, are above all concerned with the content of published products. Independent publishers’ books bring a different outlook and voice, as opposed to the more standardised publications offered by major groups. Independent publishers’ books and other products and their preferred diffusion channels (independent booksellers, among others) are therefore essential to preserve and strengthen plurality and the diffusion of ideas. The word bibliodiversity was invented by Chilean publishers, during the creation of the “Editores independientes de Chile” collective in the late 1990s. The International Alliance of independent publishers significantly contributed to the diffusion and promotion of this notion in several languages, including through the Dakar Declaration (2003), Guadalajara Declaration (2005), Paris Declaration (2007), Cape Town Declaration (2014) and the Pamplona-Iruñea Declaration (2021). Since 2010, International Bibliodiversity Day is celebrated on 21 September.

See the article “Bibliodiversity” on Wikipedia.
The article also exists in French, Spanish and Portuguese.

The bibliodiversity, in pictures!

Container full of books inundating the market, books produced in another cultural setting given away free to readers or public libraries, the setup of local branches by publishing groups from abroad aiming to achieve monopoly conditions… Drawing on some examples of practices with damaging consequences to the publishing market in developing countries, Étienne Galliand (founder of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers) presents an overview of the predation to which emerging markets are subjected directly or indirectly. An edifying panorama.

As a complement to this article, you can consult the Guidelines for Fair Publishing Partnerships (in French).

The label “Fair Trade Book” is attributed by the International Alliance of independent publishers to works published in the context of international publishing agreements that respect each other’s particularities: fair co- publishing. These fair copublishings enable the sharing of costs linked to intellectual and physical production of books and therefore ensure an economy of scale; an exchange of professional know-how and a common experience, while respecting the publishers’ cultural contexts and identities; and a distribution of works on a broader scale by adjusting prices for each geographic zone.

The notion of fair speech expands the idea of ‘free speech’ to incorporate the concept of justice. Indeed, in a context of media concentration, dominant powers (whether political, economic, religious, ideological, etc.) are the most represented and heard (because they are powerful or loud). Fair speech fosters speech equity for other voices that are often marginalised and/or censored to be heard. Fair speech therefore promotes an equitable access to expression (for example for women, historically marginalised groups, etc.), enabling an authentic diversity of voices. This concept was created by Betty McLellan in Unspeakable (Spinifex Press, 2010, Australia) and promoted by Susan Hawthorne in Bibliodiversity: A Manifesto for Independent Publishing (Spinifex Press, 2014, Australia).

The Dakar Declaration (December 2003) is the foundational text of the Alliance and birth certificate of the association. The Guadalajara Declaration (October 2005) is the outcome of a meeting held in Mexico between independent publishers from the Latin world.
The International Declaration of independent publishers for the protection and promotion of bibliodiversity (July 2007) was drafted and signed by the 70 publishers participating to the International Assembly of independent publishers held in Paris in 2007.
These three texts, as well as the 2014 International Declaration of independent publishers, are milestones in the history of the Alliance – they are a reminder, and bear witness to the present bearing testimony to the commitment of independent publishers, and serve as their policy guidelines.

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

• Élisabeth DALDOUL, elyzad, Tunisia, coordinator of the French-speaking network
• ASSEM Mawuto Paulin, AGO Média, Togo, vice-coordinator of the French-speaking network
• Jean-Claude NABA, Sankofa & Gurli, Burkina Faso, vice-coordinator of the French-speaking network
• Samar HADDAD, Atlas for Publishing & Distribution, Syria, coordinator of the Arabic-speaking network
• Colleen HIGGS, Modjaji Books, South Africa, coordinator of the English-speaking network
• Ronny AGUSTINUS, Marjin Kiri Publisher, Indonesia, vice-coordinator of the English-speaking network
• Paulo SLACHEVSKY, Lom Ediciones, Chile, coordinator of the Spanish-speaking network
• Carla OLIVEIRA, Orfeu Negro, Portugal, coordinator of the Portuguese-speaking network
• Mariana WARTH, Pallas Editora, Brazil, coordinator of the Portuguese-speaking network

Publishers members of the French-speaking network of the Alliance

• Sulaiman ADEBOWALE, Amalion, Senegal
• Marie-Agathe AMOIKON FAUQUEMBERGUE, Éburnie, Côte d’Ivoire
• Ibrahima AYA, éditions Tombouctou, Mali
• Dominique BAZIN, éditions Dodo vole, Madagascar
• Bichr BENNANI, Tarik éditions, Morocco
• Karim BEN SMAIL, Fédération tunisienne des éditeurs, Tunisia
• Pierre BERTRAND, Couleur Livres, Belgium
• Nadine BESNARD, Cauris Livres, Mali
• Layla CHAOUNI, éditions Le Fennec, Morocco
• Karim CHIKH, éditions Apic, Algeria
• Gilles COLLEU, Vents d’ailleurs, France
• Élodie COMTOIS, Écosociété, Québec, Canada
• Camille DELTOMBE, Les éditions de l’Atelier, France
• Serge D. KOUAM, Presses universitaires d’Afrique, Cameroon
• Mical DREHI LOROUGNON, Édilis, Côte d’Ivoire
• Aline DURIEZ-JABLONKA, éditions Charles Léopold Mayer, France
• Tchotcho Christiane ÉKUÉ, Graines de Pensées, Togo
• Nadia ESSALMI, Yomad, Morocco
• Corinne FLEURY, L’Atelier des Nomades, Mauritius et France
• Sékou FOFANA, éditions Donniya, Mali
• Charlotte GOURE, Les éditions de l’Atelier, France
• Sofiane HADJADJ, barzakh éditions, Algeria
• Selma HELLAL, barzakh éditions, Algeria
• Jutta HEPKE, Vents d’ailleurs, France
• Marie Paule HUET, éditions Ganndal, Guinea
• Yasmîn ISSAKA-COUBAGEAT, Graines de Pensées, Togo
• Karine JOSEPH, Éditions du Sirocco, Morocco
• Hamidou KONATÉ, Éditions Jamana, Mali
• Thérèse KOUDOU, Édilis, Côte d’Ivoire
• Julien LUCCHINI, Les éditions de l’Atelier, France
• Seydou Nourou NDIAYE, éditions Papyrus Afrique, Senegal
• François NKEME, Éditions Proximité, Cameroon
• Sylvie NTSAME, éditions Ntsame, Gabon
• Safaa OUALI, éditions Le Fennec, Morocco
• Dieulermesson PETIT-FRÈRE, LEGS éditions, Haiti
• Mirline PIERRE, LEGS éditions, Haiti
• Isabelle PIVERT, éditions du Sextant, France
• Marie Michèle RAZAFINTSALAMA, Jeunes Malgaches, Madagascar
• Jean RICHARD, éditions d’en bas, Switzerland
• Rodney SAINT-ÉLOI, Mémoire d’encrier, Quebec, Canada
• Kenza SEFRIOUI, En toutes lettres, Morocco
• Aliou SOW, éditions Ganndal, Guinea
• Roger TAVERNIER, éditions Zellige, France
• Samia ZENNADI, éditions Apic, Algeria

Representatives of the Board and the permanent team of the International Alliance of independent publishers

• Laura AUFRÈRE
• Camille CLOAREC
• David ELOY
• Laurence HUGUES
• Georges LORY
• Mariam PELLICER
• Luc PINHAS
• Thierry QUINQUETON
• Mariette ROBBES

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

This year, on the occasion of the Frankfurt Book Fair (14-18 October), two HotLists will be presented... virtually!

The Latin American HotList - 4^th edition: a selection of titles from more than 35 independent Latin American publishing houses from 8 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay) and from all genres: literature, humanities, youth/ children’s literature, comics... Find the Latin American HotList 2020 online here! Previous HotLists are also online, here.

The Arab World HotList - a very first: while the Arab world shares a language, the Arabic language, which has cemented its culture over centuries, it is far from being the only one. From the Maghreb to the Mashreq, from the Horn of Africa to Cham, this immense space covers a diversity of realities. Linguistic diversity is therefore inherent to it. More than 30 independent publishing houses from 7 countries (Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Syria and Tunisia) offer you an immersion in the literature, humanities and children’s literature of the Arab world! Through this HotList, the independent publishers of the Arab world invite you to discover the 1001 facets of literary and intellectual creativity of their country, online here!

The HotLists, while offering an opportunity to discover the creativity of independent publishers, are also tools facilitating the exchange of rights: books and authors are presented in the original language of the book and in English, the contacts of publishing houses are easily accessible and up to date – these lists are thus to be consulted and used throughout the year!

Read here the IPA (International Publishers Association) support, and here the manifesto published by the Brazilian actors, to defend the book in Brazil.

During this unusual year, independent publishers around the world are celebrating the 10^th anniversary of the International Day of Bibliodiversity (B Day) on September 21, which is also Spring Day in the Southern Hemisphere.

© video: Daniel Aguilera and his team (Chili)
© music: Chill Acoustic, licencia de atribución de Creative Commons, proveída por Oak Studios.

A day to honour independent publishing and bibliodiversity, not to be missed!

See the previous videos here.

1001 activités autour du livre is not about learning to read but about giving children from 2 to 11 years old and beyond a passion for books and reading. How can you achieve this? By playing, drawing, inventing, talking, miming... all thanks to books. This playful and original work of practice and experience makes you want to devour all the others! An authentic tool for child education professionals and attentive parents.

Initially published by Éditions Casterman in 2013.
Date of publication (Pan-African version): September 2020
A specific adaptation for this pan-African co-publishing has been made by Philippe Brasseur; the co-publishers have also updated and adapted to their contexts and environments some of the references of the book.

A book co-published by 11 publishing houses in sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean: AGO Média (Togo), Atelier des Nomades (Mauritius), Editions Bakame (Rwanda), Editions Elondja (DRC), Ganndal (Guinea), La Farandole des livres bookstore (Niger), Gashingo (Niger), Jeunes Malgaches (Madagascar), Editions Ntsamé (Gabon), Ruisseaux d’Afrique (Benin) and Vallesse (Ivory Coast).

This co-publishing bears the label “Fair Trade Book”.

This solidarity co-publishing is the result of a workshop on children’s literature organised by the Alliance in Abidjan in May 2019, as part of the International Conference of Independent Publishers 2019-2021. It received the support of the Centre national du livre.

A pan-African co-publishing gathering Atelier des nomades (Mauritius) and Eburnie (Ivory Coast).

Date of publication: September 2020

This solidarity co-publishing is the result of a workshop on children’s literature organised by the Alliance in Abidjan in May 2019, as part of the International Conference of Independent Publishers 2019-2021. It received the support of the French Development Agency.

A pan-African co-publishing gathering Atelier des nomades (Mauritius) and Eburnie (Ivory Coast).

Date of publication: September 2020

This solidarity co-publishing is the result of a workshop on children’s literature organised by the Alliance in Abidjan in May 2019, as part of the International Conference of Independent Publishers 2019-2021. It received the support of the French Development Agency.

A pan-African co-publishing gathering Ruisseaux d’Afrique (Benin) and Vallesse (Ivory Coast).

Date of publication: September 2020

This solidarity co-publishing is the result of a workshop on children’s literature organised by the Alliance in Abidjan in May 2019, as part of the International Conference of Independent Publishers 2019-2021. It received the support of the French Development Agency.

A pan-African co-publishing gathering Ntsame (Gabon) and Elondja (DRC).

Date of publication: September 2020

This solidarity co-publishing is the result of a workshop on children’s literature organised by the Alliance in Abidjan in May 2019, as part of the International Conference of Independent Publishers 2019-2021. It received the support of the French Development Agency.

Nathalie COOREN (French-Spanish)

Nathalie Cooren has a background in law (Master of Laws with a specialisation in European and international law) and in social sciences (Master in sociology of conflicts). After working several years in the field of international relations, where translation was an integral part of her daily life, she decided to make it her full-time job.
Several years spent abroad, particularly in Latin America, also made her aware of the importance of languages and the diversity of cultures. She translates from Spanish and English into French, for documents in the legal, institutional, political, environmental, tourism, marketing, and publishing fields, as well as books (see in particular "Guide du municipalisme : pour une ville citoyenne apaisée, ouverte”).

Danielle CHARONNET (French-Spanish)

Rachel MATTEAU MATSHA (French-English)

Rachel Matteau Matsha is senior lecturer at the Durban University of Technology (South Africa). Her research interests include book history, sociology of literature, Indian Ocean studies, and postcolonial studies. Born in Québec (Canada), she holds a BA in Literary Studies from the Université du Québec à Montréal, and a MA and PhD in African Literature from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg (South Africa). She is the author of Real and Imagined Readers. Reading, publishing and censorship under apartheid (UKZN Press, forthcoming 2018). She is collaborating with the International Alliance of independent publishers since 2013.

Volunteers come from time to time to support the permanent team of the Alliance for the implementation of the action plan of the association: we thank them very much for their involvement and their commitment!

Céline ANFOSSI
Céline Anfossi is specialised in project management and consultancy. She has worked in the book sector, mainly in coaching professionals (International Alliance of independent publishers, Fill-Interregional Federation of Books and Reading). She explores these issues through different projects and audiences (women seeking employment, students) and is particularly interested in the topic of professional integration.

Djamilatou DIALLO

Born in Tahiti, of Franco-Guinean parents, Djamilatou continued her studies in Paris in Lettres et Histoire (MA dissertation on Ancient History: “Patrons of cities in Roman Africa from the third to the fifth century: an epigraphic study”).
In the long term, Jamilatou would like to specialise in the protection and enhancement of heritage by working with different cultural organisations here or elsewhere.
Following a five-month internship at the Alliance (development of the 2018 WomenList and the HotList presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair, and the study on the textbook market in French-speaking Africa), Djamilatou is now a volunteer of the Association.

The ICIP includes the coordinators of the Alliance’s language networks; they are nominated by the members of the networks. Since 2011, the ICIP has been an essential part of governing the Alliance, representing the voice of the publishers. The ICIP meets once a year in the presence of the Board and the team of the Alliance. The agenda is based on the aspirations and objectives of the Alliance, considering above all the needs and expectations of the members.

Composition of the ICIP:

• Coordinator of the Arabic-language network: Samar Haddad, Syria (Atlas Publishing)

• Coordinators of the English-language network: Ronny Agustinus, Indonesia (Marjin Kiri) and Colleen Higgs, South Africa (Modjaji Books)

• Coordinators of the French-language network: Yasmin Issaka-Coubageat, Togo (Graines de Pensées); Dieulermesson Petit Frère, Haiti (LEGS ÉDITION) and Marie Michèle Razafintsalama, Madagascar (Jeunes malgaches)

• Coordinator of the Persian-language network: Azadeh Parsapour, UK/Iran (Nogaam)

• Coordinators of the Portuguese-language network: Carla Oliveira, Portugal (Orfeu Negro) and Sandra Tamele, Mozambique (Trinta Zero Nove)

• Coordinator of the Spanish-language network: Francisca Muñoz Méndez, Chile (Editoriales de Chile)

Click here to see the list of Alliance member publishers.