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.

En un mundo globalizado, las megacorporaciones editoriales solo se preocupan por los números, por lo semejante, por seguir fórmulas ya probadas en sus últimos éxitos de ventas. Se espera que cada libro pague su propia producción junto con las externalidades del proceso de publicación, tales como la infraestructura y el sueldo de los ceo. Bajo esa óptica, los libros que se demoran más en “despegar”, pero que poseen una larga vida y son capaces de cambiar las normas sociales, tienen menos probabilidades de publicarse.

Los editores independientes apuestan por una forma diferente de hacer las cosas. Buscan un compromiso distinto con la sociedad y se preocupan por reflejar el lugar y el espíritu de sus comunidades. “Bibliodiversidad” es un término creado por editores independientes en los años noventa para darle un nombre a esta forma diferente de pensar la edición. En este manifiesto, Susan Hawthorne nos ofrece una crítica mordaz a la industria editorial global, que contrapone a una propuesta visionaria para la publicación “orgánica”. En un contexto de predominio de las grandes corporaciones, Bibliodiversidad marca las diferencias entre los conceptos de libertad de expresión y de “discurso justo” y pone en perspectiva las promesas y los desafíos de la transición al mundo digital.

ISBN : 978-950-889-322-2 - 15 x 21 cm - 120 páginas

Bibliodiversidad, en francés
Bibliodiversidad, en árabe
Bibliodiversidad, en aléman

The ICIP meeting is a special occasion where the activities of the Alliance’s respective networks, upcoming projects, strategic issues and governance of the association are discussed.
It is a crucial annual meeting in the life of the Alliance, often decisive in terms of objectives and choices.
This year, new coordinators and vice-coordinators are joining the ICIP : we propose an “ICIP induction day”, enabling newcomers to understand its functioning and role.
This meeting will further provide an opportunity to examine decisions taken at the previous ICIP and analyse their impacts on the current governance of the Alliance and ahead of the future Assembly of the Alliance (2019-2021).
Finally, a meeting session will be focusing on cultural rights.

Have a look !
HotList and WomenList

In partnership with the Kurt Wolff Stiftung (collective of German independent publishers) and the Frankfurt Book Fair, the Alliance presents two thematic selections on the “Reading Island for Independent Publishers” stand (Hall 4.1 / D36) !

• HotList : the energy of Latin American independent publishing through more than 30 books published in Argentina, Brazil, Equator, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela ! The HotList is available online here !

• WomenList : more than 30 novels, short stories, essays and comics on feminism, women’s struggles, their emancipation across the world – these titles are from independent publishers’ lists from all continents. The WomenList’s books can be seen online.

Roundtables to attend !

• “African Children’s book publishing” : Christine Warugaba, Furaha Publishers (Rwanda), Sophie Batiskaf, Dodo Vole (Madagascar) and Corinne Fleury, Atelier des Nomades (Mauritius) / Wednesday 10 October, 10.00-11.00 / Reading Island for Independent Publishers (Hall 4.1 / D36)

• “Freedom of publishing” : Élodie Comtois (Écosociété, Quebec/Canada), Yasmin Issaka-Coubageat (Graines de Pensées, Togo), Carles Torner (Executive Director, Pen International), Anne-Marie Voisard (sociologist and author of Le droit du plus fort. Nos dommages, leurs intérêts, published by Écosociété and author of the on-going study on freedom to publish, coordinated by the Alliance) / Wednesday 10 October, 4.30-6.00 / Lettres d’Afrique (Hall 5.1 / B125)
  See all the programme of Lettres d’Afrique here !

For the 2018 Frankfurt Book Fair, the Alliance is partnering with Lettres d’Afrique, BIEF, the Kurt Wolff Stiftung and the Frankfurt Book Fair ; and would like to thank the organisations and people who have collaborated to the drafting of our programme (African Books Collective, Afrilivres, PEN International...).

More than 30 novels, short stories, essays and comics on feminism, women’s struggles, their emancipation across the world – these titles are from independent publishers’ lists from all continents.

There is a resurgence of the Women’s Movement following #MeToo and other events and a greater awareness of structural violence against women. Now is the time to know about books being published all around the world by independent publishers, in different languages and across a wide range of issues from the political to the imaginative.

To read through all the books of the WomenList is a reminder of just how much violence women have suffered – from rape, torture, and mass violence against women to indifference and neglect in the case of child abuse, to survival in war, sexual slavery and marriage forced by custom. But there is also resistance and optimism whether it be Pussy Riot or women rebelling against patriarchy as well as the inspiration of women in the vanguard of environmental projects or gathering together the works of women poets.

There are voices from so many places around the world – from Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, England, France, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea, Morocco, Mexico, Senegal, South Africa, Switzerland, Syria, Turkey... Languages include Arabic, English, Indonesian, Farsi, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Turkish. Women write poetry, short stories, political tracts, novels, biography, graphic novels and again more. These are words that matter : women’s voices are loud. It is time to listen !

The WomenList is an initiative of the International Alliance of independent publishers, through a partnership with the Kurt Wolff Stiftung (collective of German Independent Publishers) and the Frankfurt Book Fair. The WomenList is presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair on the “Reading Island for Independent Publishers” stand (Hall 4.1 / D36) and is also available online, on the Alliance’ website. The catalog of the WomenList was made by Julie Agor (Oréka graphisme).

The WomenList was born in the wake of the HotList (selection of books published by independent Latin American publishing houses and presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2017 and 2018 – Hall 4.1 / D36).

Read here the article published by Publishing Perspectives, October, 5, 2018

In 2019, a new international selection will be showcased in Frankfurt, on another theme... succeeding the WomenList 2018 !

The International Alliance of independent publishers celebrates the remarkable vitality of independent publishing in Latin America at the Frankfurt International Book Fair through a selection of books from Latin America : the HotList 2018 !

Through a partnership with Kurt Wolff Stiftung (a collective of independent German publishers) and the Frankfurt Book Fair, independent Latin American publishers in Frankfurt will be exhibiting, at the “Reading Island for Independent Publishers” stand (Hall 4.1 / D36), more than thirty books of various genres : novels, short stories, art books, essays, children’s literature, and poetry... from Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela !

The HotList is also available online, an opportunity to discover the wealth and creativity of independent publishers all year round.

Discover also the WomenList : a thematic and international selection created in 2018, celebrating women’s struggle !

Context…

• 2009 : The members of EDINAR (collective of Argentinian independent publishers) present a selection of the best books from their list at the Buenos Aires Book Fair. This selection is then promoted in independent bookstores across Buenos Aires.
• 2010 : Argentina is the guest of honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair. However, Argentinian independent publishing is poorly represented. The Argentinian independent publishers, in partnership with the Frankfurt Book Fair, decided to present a HotList on the stand of independent German publishers : a showcase of the diversity and quality of their offering.
• 2017 : The HotList 2017 opens to independent publishers from Latin America ! Thanks to the collaboration with the collective Kurt Wolff Stiftung (independent German publishers), a selection of about 40 titles from publishers from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Uruguay is exhibited in Frankfurt on the “Reading Island” (Hall 4.1).
• 2018 : Following the success of the 2017 edition, the HotList is repeated and opens to Brazilian publishers. In addition, a thematic and international selection is launched : this year, the theme of “women’s struggle” is selected in the WomenList 2018, showcasing more than 30 titles edited by independent publishing houses from all continents.

On 21 September, it is the first day of Spring in the Southern hemisphere… and the Bibliodiversity Day !

Don’t miss this 9^th B Day – an initiative launched by Latin American independent publishers, and then disseminated all around the world. Picnics, readings, bookcrossing, discussions… the activities are gathered on the B Day blog and in the social networks.

Widespread poverty and malnutrition, an alarming refugee crisis, social unrest, economic polarisation... have become our lived reality as the top 1% of the world’s seven-billion-plus population pushes the planet—and all its people—to the social and ecological brink. In Oneness vs. the 1%, Vandana Shiva takes on the Billionaires Club of Gates, Buffett, Zuckerberg and other modern Mughals, whose blindness to the rights of people, and to the destructive impact of their construct of linear progress, have wrought havoc across the world. Their single-minded pursuit of profit has undemocratically enforced uniformity and monocultures, division and separation, monopolies and external control—over finance, food, energy, information, healthcare, and even relationships.

Basing her analysis on explosive little-known facts, Shiva exposes the 1%’s model of philanthrocapitalism, which is about deploying unaccountable money to bypass democratic structures, derail diversity, and impose totalitarian ideas, based on One Science, One Agriculture and One History. She calls for the “resurgence of real knowledge, real intelligence, real wealth, real work, real well-being”, so that people can reclaim their right to : Live Free. Think Free. Breathe Free. Eat Free.

Vandana Shiva is a world-renowned environmental thinker and activist, a leader in the International Forum on Globalisation, and of the Slow Food Movement. Director of Navdanya and of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, and a tireless crusader for farmers’, peasants’ and women’s rights, she is the author and editor of several influential books, including Making Peace with the Earth ; Soil Not Oil ; Seed Sovereignty, Food Security : Women in the Vanguard ; and Who Really Feeds the World ?
Vandana Shiva is the recipient of over 20 international awards, among them the Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic (1998) ; the Horizon 3000 Award (Austria, 2001) ; the John Lennon-Yoko Ono Grant for Peace (2008) ; the Sydney Peace Prize (2010) ; the Calgary Peace Prize (2011) ; and the Thomas Merton Award (2011). She was the Fukuoka Grand Prize Laureate in 2012.

Kartikey Shiva is a shatterer of illusions, grower of freedom, and agent of light.

A co-publishing of the English-network of the Alliance : Women Unlimited (India), Spinifex (Australia) and New Internationalist (UK), 2019.
ISBN (Women Unlimited, India) : 978-93-85606-18-2
ISBN (Spinifex Press, Australia) : 978-19-25581-79-9

Oneness vs. the 1% , Australian cover :

Oneness vs. the 1% , UK cover :

US, Canada, UK, Italian, Australian, French and Spanish rights sold. All others available.

This nonfiction title by a German-Egyptian academic examines stereotypes throughout the history of the prophet Muhammad. The main theme of the book is a representation of the life of Mohammed and the emergence of Islam. Osama bin Laden’s actions, as well as the crimes of Islamist terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State, are also attributed to Muhammad’s willingness to spread Islam through violent subjugation and partial physical liquidation of people of other faiths.

Hamed Abdel-Samad, the author, is born near Cairo in 1972. He worked for UNESCO, at the Institute for Islamic Culture at the University of Erfurt, and at the Institute for Jewish History and Culture at the University of Munich. Abdel-Samad is a member of the German Islam Conference and, according to his publisher, is “considered to be one of the most renowned Islam intellectuals in the German-speaking world”.

The book was first published in German (Mohamed. Eine Abrechnung) by the German publishing house Droemer Verlag in October 2015.
Publishers from the Persian network of the Alliance have translated and co-published the book in Farsi in 2018 : Forough Publishing and Pouya Publishing (Germany), Khavaran Publishing (France) and Pegah Publishing (Canada).

2018 - 250 pages - 13 X 20,5 cm - ISBN : 978-3-943147-63-6

STATEMENT
August 8, 2018

The International Alliance of Independent Publishers (IAIP), a network of 553 publishers worldwide, expresses its shock and dismay at the late-night abduction and detention of acclaimed photographer and human rights activist, Shahidul Alam, in Dhaka. Shahidul Alam has been a partner-colleague of the IAIP, in which context we have interacted with him on many occasions.

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.

See here the film make by New Internationalist (UK) in support with Shahidul Alam.

15 publishers from 10 countries meet in Cotonou for a workshop dedicated to creating ePub files from Indesign. The workshop will also be an opportunity for discussions on the commercialization of digital books between the publishers : Cassava Republic publishers (Nigeria) will share their experience - a cross between French and English speaking Africas !

This workshop, supported by the International Organization of La Francophonie, was organised with the support of Ruisseaux d’Afrique publishers in Benin, a member of the Alliance. Ruisseaux d’Afrique publishers celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2018, offering activities throughout the year. The Alliance will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Ruisseaux during the workshop !

Since 2010, the Alliance Lab offers capacity-building workshops to independent publishers in French-speaking Africa. Several publishing houses in French-speaking Africa have developed a digital strategy.

The Alliance Lab regularly publishes surveys and analysis on digital publishing :

• Digital publishing in the mobile era in Africa, 2017, Octavio Kulesz
• Feasibility study on the establishment of digital printing structures for independent publishers in Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa, 2017, Gilles Colley
• All Lab studies can be accessed here.

The Alliance Lab provides tools :

• Website Pattern “Ready to use" for the creation of publishers’ websites
• All tools from the Alliance Lab can be consulted here.

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.