The Alliance

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 is a professional collective that brings together more than 800 independent publishing houses in 60 countries around the world. Created as an association in 2002, it is composed of 6 language networks (English, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Persian) and thematic groups. Members of the Alliance are publishing houses and publisher collectives.
The Alliance’s activities promote and strengthen bibliodiversity (cultural diversity applied to the world of the book).

In alignment with its mission, the Alliance created a Bibliodiversity Observatory that gathers studies, analysis and tools produced by the Alliance, aimed at professionals and public authorities. The Observatory’s objectives include assessing and strengthening bibliodiversity in the world.

The Alliance also hosts and facilitates international meetings and thematic workshops (for example on children’s book publishing, digital publishing, etc.), enabling independent publishers from various continents to exchange ideas and initiate collaborations. These meetings support increasing capacity through peer sharing, an aspect developed in particular around the issue of digital publishing in the context of the Digital Lab.
The Alliance supports international publishing projects (co-publishing, translation, copyright transfers, etc.), for greater circulation of texts and fair access to books for readers.

In 2022, the Alliance launched a first-of-its-kind initiative: the first edition of Babelica, an international online Book Fair of Independent Publishing, which takes place once a year, on 21 September (International Bibliodiversity Day).

• Gijón meeting (Spain), 2000 (an initiative led by four Spanish-speaking publishers in reaction to the emergence of Spanish multinationals in Latin America)
• Creation of the Alliance project by a group of publishers and Etienne Galliand – who would become the first director of the association
• Paris meeting (France), 2001 (some few days away from the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity)
• Foundation of the “Alliance of Independent Publishers Association, for Another Globalisation”, as per Law 1901 (head office in Paris) 2002
• Dakar meeting (Senegal), 2003 (Declaration of Solidarity amongst Independent Publishers)
• Guadalajara meeting (Mexico), 2005 (Declaration of independent publishers of the Latin world)
• International Assembly of Independent Publishers in Paris (France), 2007 (International Declaration of Independent Publishers to promote and strenghten bibliodiversity together)
• Name change of the association to International Alliance of independent publishers, 2008
• Creation of the International Committee of Independent Publishers (ICIP), 2009
• International Assembly of independent publishers – preparatory meetings and closing meeting in Cape Town (South Africa), 2012-2014 (International Declaration of independent publishers, to promote and strengthen bibliodiversity together, and 80 recommendations and tools in support of bibliodiversity)
• Creation of the Bibliodiversity Observatory, 2016
• Mapping public book policies in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, 2020
• International Conference of Independent publishing in Pamplona-Iruñea, 2021 (Declaration ’for independent, decolonial, ecological, feminist, free, social and solidarity-based publishing’)
• Guide to good practice, 2022
• First edition of Babelica, 2022

On October 10^th, 2005, at 19pm, the Alliance will be present at the Georges Pompidou Center (Paris,), to participate in a debate on bibliodiversity. This event, organized by Littératures Pirates Korporation (LPK, see www.litteraturespirates.org), is included in the Lire en Fête agenda.

Hélène Clémente from Inextenso (www.inextensodiffusion.com), Claire Mathon (LPK), Philippe Magnani (Paris Musées Diffusion), Jérôme Saliou (Alphagraph bookshop, Rennes) and Étienne Galliand (Alliance of Independent Publishers) will debate on concrete practices aimed at empowering the diversity of independent publishers.

The meeting of the Portuguese-language network of the Alliance of independent publishers was held in Rio de Janeiro, September 14^th and 15^th 2005, and brought together the publishers of Angola (Cha de Caxinde), of Guinea Bissao (Ku Si Mon), of Portugal (Campo das Letras), of Mozambique (Moçambique editora) and Brazil (Vozes and Pallas). These publishers of Brazil, Portugal and Portuguese-speaking Africa also took part in the “Primavera dos Livros” of Rio de Janeiro, a book fair organized by the Brazilian publishers of the LIBRE network.

The following documents are available, do not hesitate to contact us:

1) The report from the meeting of the portuguese-language network of the Alliance of independent publishers (Rio de Janeiro, September 14^th and 15^th);

2) The participation in “Primavera dos Livros” (Rio de Janeiro, September 16-19);

3) Projects 2004-2005 (Year of Brazil in France, “Biennial” of Rio, French National Library);

4) List of participants and other contacts.

At the Geneva Book Fair (from April 27 to May 1, 2005), the Alliance of Independent Publishers presented and diffused for the first time the French-speaking publishers’ 2005 Catalogue. (Check it out online).

Included in this catalogue are the following:

• a presentation of each of the 28 publishing houses, from all over the French-speaking world (from Mali to Quebec while passing by France);

• a selection of representative titles from each publisher, more than one hundred titles;

• an access by kind, title, author, publisher;

• information and contacts regarding the purchase of books, no matter who you are and where you come from!

In order to facilitate the exchange of information between book professionals (rights transfers, translations), this new tool is available in two languages: French and English.

Launching of the catalogue of Afrilivres

With more than 1 300 titles published by 54 African editors, an essential tool for professionals.

Order the Afrilivres catalogue.

The English-speaking network of the Alliance the Alliance of Independent Publishers is meeting in London prior to the Book Fair (http://www.lbf-virtual.com), March 10-13. Participants will come from Australia, Canada, England, India, Indonesia, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, the United States, and Zimbabwe to discuss co-publishing projects and develop strategies for future development of this network.

This meeting has been organised in collaboration with African Books Collective, INASP, and SABDET.

A joint cocktail reception will be held at the Fair on Sunday, March 13, 2005, at British Council’s International Centre, 5 p.m. We hope to see you there.

The Alliance of Independent Publishers invite you in its stand at the Paris Book Fair, number L 180, March 18 to 23, 2005.

Cérès Publishing House (Tunisia) and the Alliance of Independent Publishers are very sad to inform you that Nourredine Ben Khader has passed away.

A great influence in the African and Tunisian book industry, “NBK” managed Cérès Publishing House for 20 years. His remarquable enthusiasm as well as his strong involvement in publishing and books made him a reference for all his friends, both in Africa and throughout the world.

We will not forget him.

The Alliance of Independent Publishers, in partnership with the Ford Foundation (USA - www.fordfound.org) and the Charles Léopold Mayer Foundation (Swizerland - www.fph.ch), set up a copublishing project to gather the proposals that will come out of the World Social Forum context, in Porto Alegre (Brazil). To achieve this goal, the Alliance sent 11 writers to Porto Alegre, to cover the 11 themes of the 2005 WSF (see the 11 themes of the WSF on the website www.forumsocialmundial.org.br). Each writer will contribute a chapter to a book that will be copublished by the Alliance members first in French, English, and Portuguese - followed by versions in other languages.

The members of the Enjeux Planète Group will meet in Bruxelles (Belgium), 16^th to 18^th, Décember, 2004. The program of this meeting -organised by the Alliance of Independent Publishers and the Luc Pire Publishing House- is: checking of the past copublishing processes, planning for the 2005 and 2006 publications, signature of the collective agreement.

Participants: Bernard Stéphan (Atelier Publishing House - France), Michel Sauquet (Charles Léopold Mayer Publishing House - France), Dominique Caouette (Ecosociété Publishing House - Canada), Luc Pire (Luc Pire Publishing House - Belgium), Jean Richard (en bas Publishing House - Switzerland), Bichr Bennani (Tarik Publishing House - Moroco), Karim Ben Smail (Cérès Publishing House - Tunisia), Béatrice Lalinon Gbado (Ruisseaux d’Afrique Publishing House - Benin), Serge Dontchueng Kouam (Presses Universitaires d’Afrique - Cameroon), Marie-Agathe Amoikon-Fauquembergue (Eburnie Publishing House - Ivory Coast).

The Alliance of Independent Publishers accepted the invitation from the Office du Livre in Poitou-Charentes, which organized the Littératures métisses festival [multiethnic literatures festival]. A number of discussions with writers (including Alberto Ruy-Sanchez, Alberto Manguel, Theo Hahola) and publishers (Jean Richard from Editions d’en bas, Thierry Discépolo from Editions Agone, among others), along with readings by the actresses Marie-Christine Barrault and Sonia Emmanuel, were open to the public.

The Alliance of Independent Publishers took part in two discussions “Éditer autrement” [Alternative publishing] and “Éditer, produire, créer, diffuser avec l’Afrique” [Publish, produce, create and distribute with Africa]. These discussions and the booth gave good visibility to the association and its members’ co-publishing projects and provided information to the public about topics such as book distribution, the circulation of ideas, independent and united publishing and the equitable book.

The Alliance has adopted an original method of internal organization, respecting both the democratic principles and the functioning of an international network. The Alliance rests above all on its member publishers, represented by the International Committee of Independent Publishers (ICIP). It also relies on a Board – charged with upholding and respecting the publishers’ decisions – and a permanent staff.