Presentation & orientations
Language networks
Genres of publication
Bibliodiversity Observatory
Publishing "in developing countries"
Cooperation and Fair publishing
Public Book Policies
Freedom to publish
Bibliodiversity indicators
Bibliodiversity Journal
International network of 750 publishers in the world in favor of bibliodiversity
2019 programme of the Alliance
Read here the 2018 highlights and the 2019 programme of the Alliance!
Read here the 2018 highlights and the 2019 programme
5 main activities
The Alliance's activities are based on guidelines collectively developed by publishers and are focused on 5 main actions:
1. Facilitation of an international and intercultural independent publishers network
2. Creation of a Bibliodiversity Observatory: studies, analysis, measurement tools, and a resource centre on bibliodiversity
3. Hosting and facilitation of international meetings, thematic and increasing capacity workshops (see below) to enable sharing, including through the Digital Lab of the Alliance
4. Support of international editorial partnerships (fair co-publishings, translations, copyright transfers)
5. Implementation of advocacy activities in support of freedom of publishing, independent publishing and bibliodiversity.
Meetings, workshops & book fairs
On 21 September 2012, let's celebrate B Day!
Follow on an hourly basis the activities held on B Day 2012 on the B Day Facebook page, on the eldiab blog and on the Facebook page of the Alliance.
In Colombia: the Association of Colombian Independent Publishers (REIC) facilitate a "liberation" of a approximately 6, 000 books in several areas of Bogotá and other Colombian cities, as well as a sticker and bookmark distribution campaign;
In Madagascar: publisher Marie Michèle RAZAFINSTALAMA (Jeunes malgaches publishers) "frees" some books, as she did in 2011. This year, the operation will target the minibus taxi stations of Antananarivo;
In Italy: the Federation of Italian Independent Publishers, Fidare, has adapted the B Day logo in Italian and promotes B Day on several websites, here, here, here and here;
In Peru: a poster campaign is launched, click here!
In Cameroun: publisher Serge D. KOUAM (Presses universitaires d'Afrique) engages with the media and civil society (see Press Release below) and speaks live on local Cameroonian TV programme "CRTV m'accompagne" and "Panoramique";
In the French language space: Sanou MBAYE, François NKEME, Wilfried N'SONDE, Véronique TADJO participate in this day's events and speak about bibliodiversity (see readings below);
In Argentina: meetings and discussions, if you have not received your invitation yet, click here!
In Algeria: publishers from the Arabic language network, in the context of the Algiers International Book Fair, organise a contest entitled "from the best reader". The winner will be invited to the Tunis Book Fair. An initiative carried out in partnership with Algiers SILA and Algiers National Library (see posters of the Arabic language network of the Alliance);
In Australia also!
At international level, a video of the B Day is circulating, and we encourage you to diffuse it widely!
In Mexico, Mali… B Day is also celebrated… And in your home country?
The newspaper L'Express_Madagascar
Cameroun Press Release
Un accès équitable à l'écrit, Véronique TADJO
Lire au pluriel, Wilfried N'SONDE
Les dividendes de la lecture en Afrique, Sanou MBAYE
The Arabic network to the SILA in Algeria_interview_September 2012
The Arabic network to the SILA in Algeria_September 2012
Posters campaign of the Colombian publishers collective REIC
Meeting of the Alliance Portuguese-speaking network in Lisbon, September 27 – October 1, 2012
Publishing countries : Portugal
After Paris in 2007, and Rio de Janeiro in 2009, the publishers from Brasil, Angola and Guinea-Bissau are gathering in Lisbon. The event will be the opportunity to assess the network activities since 2009; to define a roadmap for the next years; to remind the stakes for independent publishing and bibliodiversity in the Portuguese-speaking area; to think about digital publishing and to share some experiences in this field… Beyond the internal meetings, the publishers will take also this opportunity to meet some Portuguese publishers and to consider fair partnerships between different continents (copublishing projects, copyrights transfer, etc.).
The Alliance thanks the French Institute of Portugal (IFP), the Portuguese association of publishers and bookshops (ANEL), and the bookshop Ferin for their warming welcome and their availability.
Read the program of the meeting in French
Read the program of the meeting in Portuguese
The B-day is coming! (September 21)
On September 21 will be celebrated the International Day of Bibliodiversity. Since 2010, each year, some actions are organized in Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia, to promote independent publishing and bibliodiversity: bookcrossing, meetings, book picnics, posters.
You are more than welcome to participate to the events this year in Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Algeria, Italia... and in many other countries!
Here the video B Day 2012!
All the actions will be soon be on the Alliance website and on the Alliance facebook page.
You can also follow the B-Day on twitter, in Spanish: @diadelab.
This year, the logo of the Day B also exists in Italian
Welcome to the Alliance Lab!
Following the publication of the study on digital publishing in developing countries carried out by Octavio Kulesz, the Alliance is launching its digital Laboratory, in partnership with the Prins Claus Fund and the International organization of La Francophonie.
Integrated to the resources center of the Alliance, the Lab is a participative platform dedicated to discussions on digital issues for the publishers members of the Alliance.
Apart from a blog and a twitter (@digisouth) about digital innovations in developing countries, the Lab is also offering to the members a private digital space for experimentation and training.
The Alliance at the Seine-Saint-Denis Youth Press and Book Fair (France), November 30 - December 5, 2011 – stand J-11
Publishing countries : France
The Alliance will welcome you, from the 30th of November to the 5th of December 2011, to its collective stand, "Readings from Abroad: Africa, Americas, Oceania", J-11, in the Seine-Saint-Denis Youth Press and Book Fair International Space. We invite you to meet and discover works from 10 African, Brazilian and French publishers represented at the stand "Readings from Abroad": Alif publishers (Tunisia), Bakamé (Rwanda), Donniya (Mali), Ganndal (Republic of Guinea), Jacana (South Africa), Jeunes malgaches (Madagascar), Pallas (Brasil), Ruisseaux d'Afrique (Benin), Vents d'ailleurs (France) and Yomad (Morocco).
Click here to discover and order some youth literature the whole year through, and to consult the collective catalogue "Readings from Africa(s)".
In the margins of the Fair, the Alliance organises meetings between African publishers and French librarians and also with associations and structures involved in the book trade – see programme below for more details!
Through the School of Youth Literature, the Alliance also proposes a training day on youth publishing in French-speaking Africa on Friday the 2nd of December.
More information can be obtained on the website of the Fair.
The Alliance's programme of activities, in the margins of and during the Seine-Saint-Denis Youth Press and Book Fair_in French
The collective stand, "Readings from Abroad: Africa, Americas, Oceania"
The freedom to publish is always in danger in Canada
Publishing countries : Canada
Following the call for solidarity with Ecosociété coordinated by the Alliance in 2008, we sent you the conclusions of the "case Noir Canada" with Barrick Gold (as you will see in the attached press release).
Indeed, in order to put an end to the proceedings that Barrick Gold (mining company) instituted against it in April 2008 for the sum of 6 million dollars, Ecosociété and the authors of Noir Canada decided to cease the publication of the book.
However this important title is still part of Ecosociété backlist - and we know it will go on being read, through the copies which have been bought since 2008, notably by libraries.
In front of this censorship act, and the pressure put by compagnies on a independent publishing house, we would like to praise the pugnacity of the publishers and the authors during these last three years.
The struggle against censorship is still topical, and the Alliance goes on supporting every action that Ecosociété will do in favor of freedom to publish.
The Alliance at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2011
Publishing countries : Germany
The independent publishers will meet again in Frankfurt this year. Please feel free to meet them directly at their exhibition stands or contact the Alliance for any additional information.
On another note, a session not to be missed is the public presentation of the study on digital publishing in developing countries, a study coordinated by the Alliance in partnership with the Prince Claus Foundation, on Thursday 13 October 2011 between 12h00 and 13h00 at the Dialogue Forum (Hall 5.1 / A962). Octavio KULESZ (from Teseo Editorial, Argentina, author of the study), Gabriela ADAMO (Director of the Buenos Aires Book Fair), Bridget IMPEY (from Jacana Media, South Africa) and Mariana WARTH (from Pallas Editora, Brazil) will be participating in this session.
The independent publishers in Frankfurt 2011
The International Bibliodiversity Day, 21 September 2011
Publishing countries : South Africa, Australia, Spain, France, India, Turkey
Since 2010, the International Bibliodiversity Day (B Day) is celebrated on 21 September (Spring Day in the Southern hemisphere) by independent publishers. On the programme this year:
in Spain, in Tenerife, the African Book Fair 2011, taking place from 21 to 25 September 2011, will host the publisher members of the Alliance at round tables and meetings, and will provide a platform for the Alliance to officially launch B Day (see programme below);
in France, a workshop on bibliodiversity will bring together some representatives of the book industry's professional associations (booksellers, librarians, publishers);
in Latin America, national publishers collectives are mobilising and will be facilitating numerous activities, read the blog at eldiab.org;
consult the Wikipedia article on "bibliodiversity", available in Portuguese, Spanish, French and English;
in Australia, the artist Judy Horacek draws bibliodiversity;
in Turkey, the painter Emine Bora illustrates biblodiversity;
in India, the artist Alpana Khare represents bibliodiversity;
in South Africa, bibliodiversity is interpreted by a designer - see the illustrations below!
And what's happening in your part of the world? Tell us about your activities!
Watch the B Day 2011 video!
The programme of the meetings of Tenerife
The Alliance at the African Book Fair 2011, at a glance
The bibliodiversity in India, by the artist Alpana Khare
The bibliodiversity in South Africa!
The bibliodiversity in Turkey, by the artist Emine Bora
The bibliodiversity in drawing, by the Australian artist Judy Horacek
B Day logo
Eight Persian-language publishers meet in Paris, June 22 - 24, 2011
Publishing countries : Germany, Denmark, United States, France, Iran, Netherlands, Sweden
Through its partnership with the Prince Claus Foundation, the Alliance gathers Persian-language publishers of the diaspora (Germany, Denmark, United States, France, Netherlands and Sweden) for an unprecedented meeting in Paris, from 22 to 24 June 2011. We hope this meeting would allow publishers to create both humane and professional bonds, ease the way to develop projects collectively and finally to reunite.
The report of this meeting is available in English and Persian. Please, write us to receive a copy.
The programme_in Persian
Discover the programme of the meeting_in English
The International Committee of Independent Publishers meets in Paris, June 19 - 22, 2011
The International Committee of Independent publishers (ICIP) will gather in Paris from 19 to 22 June 2011 for the annual meeting with the Board of Alliance. This year the ICIP will participate in the General Assembly of the Alliance on 20 June, and will meet with the Persian-language publishers of the diaspora, who gather in Paris from 22 to 24 June 2011 (see the program above).
The ICIP members present in Paris:
Nouri ABID (éditions Med Ali, Tunisia), Coordinator of the Arabic-language network;
Serge D. KOUAM (Presses universitaires d'Afrique, Cameroon), Coordinator of the French-language network;
Araken GOMES RIBEIRO (Contra Capa, Brazil), Coordinator of the Portuguese-language network;
Guido INDIJ (la marca editora, Argentina) - Coordinator of the Spanish-language network;
Ritu MENON (Women Unlimited, India) - representative of English-language network.
The report of the meeting of ICIP is available from the Alliance team.
Read the programme of the ICIP meeting
Co-publishings and translations
El comercio justo
Author(s) : Corinne GENDRON ; Arturo PALMA TORRES ; Véronique BISAILLON ; Olga NAVARRO-FLORES
Price : 80 pesos argentin ; .000 CLP
Chilean version of "El comercio justo"
À quand l'Afrique ? Joseph KI-ZERBO and René HOLENSTEIN
Author(s) : Joseph KI-ZERBO ; René HOLENSTEIN
Publishing countries : Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Ivory Coast, France, Haiti, Mali, Switzerland
Language(s) : French
Price : 10 € (France) ; 15 CHF (Suisse) ; 16,95 CAD (Canada) ; 3 000 FCFA (Afrique subsaharienne) ; 350 G (Haïti)
The new edition of "À quand l'Afrique", launched some years after Professor Joseph Ki-Zerbo untimely death in 2006, addresses the relevance and insightfulness of his thoughts. It is simultaneously published in Africa, Europe, Canada and Haiti.
This new edition includes notes compiled by Pallas Publishers from Brazil, for the Portuguese translation of this book. These notes were translated into French by Caroline Sordia.
Date of first edition: 2004; new edition: 2013; 240 pages; paperback; ISBN France: 9782708241626; ISBN Switzerland: 9782829004568; ISBN Quebec: 9782897120337
This co-publishing bears the label "Fair Trade Book".
Copublishers and the Alliance wish to thank Mr Claude Calame, Director of studies at Paris EHESS and the Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency for their valuable support.
Lancement d'A quand l'Afrique_17 juin 2013 aux Archives nationales de Ouagadougou_venez nombreux !
OGM- La verità riguarda anche te!
Author(s) : Corinne LEPAGE ; Beatrice CERRAI (traductrice)
Publishing countries : Italy
Language(s) : italien
Price : 9 €
The tobacco manufacturers' gimmicks, some lies perpetrated about the Mediator, the chemical industry's hidden truths on Biphenyl A, etc. In short, public health related scandals abound. Although there has never been scientific confirmation of these products' harmfulness, the precaution principle should prevail. And today, we face a similar situation relatively to MSGs.
Noting the public authorities' refusal in playing a leading a role, and the gaps, conflict of interests and other gimmicks aimed at impeding independent research and transparency regarding the adverse effects of MSG's, the Committee of Independent Research and Information on Genetic Engineering (CRII-GEN) decided to carry out an experimentation that is a first in the field.
In her book, Corinne LEPAGE relates the saga surrounding this experience, and how it forms part of the history of MSGs in Europe and the perspectives for civil society participation. It proposes a new expertise model, that is pluralist, multidisciplinary and opposing, based on experts responsibilities and policies, and in which citizens find their rightful place.
Summary extract of Charles Léopold Mayer Publishers website.
Publisher: Il leone verde
Publication date: 2013; 140 pages; ISBN: 9788865800669
Words and money (in Arabic), André Schiffrin
Author(s) : André SCHIFFRIN
Publishing countries : Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia
Language(s) : Arabic
Words and Money, initially published in 2010 by Verso publishers (United Kingdom) was translated and published in France by La Fabrique (L'argent et les mots). The book is now available in Arabic, co-published by three publishing houses: Al Intishar (Lebanon), Med Ali (Tunisia) and Atlas Publishing (Syria). This co publishing project bears the "Fair Trade book" logo.
Read the presentation of the book on the Verso books website.
My Farewell from heaven
Author(s) : Hamed Abdel SAMAD ; Traduit par B. BINIAZ
Publishing countries : Germany, France
Language(s) : Farsi
A co-publishing of the English-speaking network: Forough publications in Germany and Khavaran publishing in France.
Book translated from German into Persian.
Year of publication: 2012 ; Date de publication : 2012 ; ISBN: 978-3-943147-15-5
Making Peace with the Earth: Beyond Resource, Land and Food Wars
Author(s) : Vandana SHIVA
Publishing countries : South Africa, Australia, India
Language(s) : English
Price : Rs. 375 (India) / $AUD: 32.95
Wars in the 21st century are wars against the earth; against natural resources like water, soil, forests, minerals, seeds. The global corporate economy based on the idea of limitless growth has become a war economy and the means it uses are instruments of war. Trade wars. Waters wars. Food wars.
In a compelling and rigorously documented exposition, Vandana Shiva demolishes the myths propagated by corporate globalisation in its pursuit of profit and power, by demonstrating its flawed assumptions and devastating fallouts.
Consumerism lubricates the war against the earth, corporate control violates all ethical and ecological limits. It promotes technologies of production based on genetic engineering, geo-engineering and toxins; industrial development that entails the enforced appropriation of land, rivers, mountains; agribusinesses that deplete nature's diversity; land-grab in Africa, Asia, South America. Exploitation of this order incurs the kind of ecological and economic debt that is unsustainable, unbailable and unbearable.
Making Peace with the Earth outlines how a paradigm shift to earth-centred politics and economics is our only chance of survival; and how collective resistance to corporate exploitation can open the way to a new environmentalism of interdependence and earth democracy.
Vandana SHIVA is a world-renowned environmental thinker and activist, a leader in the International Forum on Globalisation (IFG) along with Ralph NADER and Jeremy RIFKIN, and of the Slow Food Movement. Director of Navdanya and of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Resource Policy, and a tireless crusader for farmers', peasants' and women's rights, she is the author and editor of a score of influential books.
Vandana Shiva is the recipient of over 20 international awards, among them the Right Livelihood Award (1993); Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic (1998); the Horizon 3000 Award (Austria, 2001); Save the World Award (2009); Sydney Peace Prize (2010); Calgary Peace Prize (Canada, 2011); the Thomas Merton Award (2011); and the John Lennon-Yoko Ono Grant for Peace.
Vandana Shiva is currently working on a three-year project with the Government of Bhutan on how to achieve their objective of becoming an organic sovereign country, the first in the world.
Vandana SHIVA received the Fukuoka Grand Prize Laureate, 2012.
Year of publication: 2012; 267 pages; ISBN: 81-88965-75-8 (India) / ISBN: 9781875559275 (Australia)
Couverture version Australie
Australian cover of the co-publishing.
See the cover of the book
Dictionnaire de la narratologie
Author(s) : Mohamed EL KHADI ; Mohamed EL KHABOU ; Ahmed SMAOUI ; Mohamed Najib AMANI ; Ali ABID ; Noureddine BEN KHOUD ; Fathi NASRI ; Mohamed Ayet MIHOUB
Publishing countries : Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia
Price : 30 000 TND
The "Dictionnaire de la narratologie" ("Dictionary of Narratology") is a reference work whose objective is to facilitate the dissemination and transmission of ideas by standardising concepts among Arabic-speaking readers. It enables the refinement of the definitions offered in various essays by Arab critics, whose conceptual framework is drawn directly from the works of theoreticians of Western narratology. The Dictionary is presented in the form of a glossary of terms in use in the analysis of the narration. It also contains terms relevant to the study of narrative and enunciative narratology, terms and notions borrowed from pragmatics and discourse analysis.
Arab terms have their French and English equivalents to fulfil the needs of a readership both French-speaking (Maghreb) and English-speaking (Middle East).
The Dictionary of Narratology is intended for students and researchers, literary critics and authors.
Year of publication: September 2010, 600 pages, 16,5 X 23,5 cm, 540 concepts presented in French, English and Arabic,
L'Afrique au secours de l'Afrique
Author(s) : Sanou MBAYE ; préface d'Aminata TRAORE
Publishing countries : Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, France, Mali, Switzerland
Price : 9 € ; 500 DA ; 3 000 FCFA ; 15 CHF
How can Africa emerge from the impasse? Surprisingly, the author shows that Africans themselves have the means of achieving their own development. Since independence the model of development imposed on Africa by the West has been a complete failure. The author analyses the structural causes of this failure which has dragged African populations down into a spiral of poverty and violence. He shows what the West has been responsible for, without shying away from the responsibilities of Africans themselves. His multi-dimensional analysis goes on to suggest a range of innovative solutions which will allow Africans to take in hand their own development. Very persuasively, Sanou Mbaye suggests political, economic and financial reforms, legal action and a resource mobilisation plan which could bring about the true renaissance the regional populations dream of. On its own Africa will deal with its own problems and the author inspires us with hope for the future of the continent. Profoundly Pan-Africanist, he is convinced that the solidarity of the African peoples would constitute fertile ground for this radical change, which would enable them to reappropriate their identity ruined by centuries of domination and to achieve fulfilment.
Sanou MBAYE, former senior official of the African Development Bank, is a political and economic commentator. His writings on the development of African countries put forward political alternatives to what has been established in Africa by the West and its instruments: the IMF and the World Bank.
Year of publication: 2010, 222 pages, 11 X 18 cm
First large print edition: l'Atelier Publishing, 2009
Petit précis de remise à niveau sur l'histoire africaine à l'usage du Président Sarkozy
Author(s) : Sous la direction d'Adame BA KONARÉ
Publishing countries : Algeria, Mali, Senegal
Price : 6 500 FCFA ; 800 DA
After the Africans' first heated and indignant reactions to Nicolas Sarkozy's speech in Dakar on July 26, 2007, his declarations on the African continent's inaction or the absence of French responsibility in its current problems deserved a well-argued response, uncluttered with any emotional diversion. In the aim of enlightening President Sarkozy, yet also his entourage and, broadly speaking, the general public, about the reality of African history, Adame Ba Konaré launched in September 2007 a noticed call to the historians' community. This book is the product of this mobilization: 25 contributions by world-famous experts or younger researchers, both African and European, who each tackle with rigor and precision one aspect of the continent's rich, complex and little-known history.
Year of publication of the pan-African version: 2009, 350 pages, 15,5 X 24 cm
The World According to Monsanto
Author(s) : Marie-Monique ROBIN ; Translated by George HOLOCH
Publishing countries : Australia, United States, India
The result of a remarkable three-year-long investigation that took award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin across four continents (North and South America, Europe, and Asia), The World According to Monsanto tells the little-known yet shocking story of this agribusiness giant—the world's leading producer of GMOs (genetically modified organisms)—and how its new "green" face is no less malign than its PCB- and Agent Orange–soaked past.
Robin reports that, following its long history of manufacturing hazardous chemicals and lethal herbicides, Monsanto is now marketing itself as a "life sciences" company, seemingly convinced about the virtues of sustainable development. However, Monsanto now controls the majority of the yield of the world's genetically modified corn and soy—ingredients found in more than 95 percent of American households—and its alarming legal and political tactics to maintain this monopoly are the subject of worldwide concern.
Released to great acclaim and controversy in France, throughout Europe, and in Latin America alongside the documentary film of the same name, The World According to Monsanto is sure to change the way we think about food safety and the corporate control of our food supply.
Marie-Monique Robin is an award-winning French journalist and filmmaker. She received the 1995 Albert-Londres Prize, awarded to investigative journalists in France. She is the director and producer of over thirty documentaries and investigative reports filmed in Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. She lives outside of Paris. George Holoch has translated more than twenty books, including Notes on the Occupation (The New Press). He lives in Hinesburg, Vermont.
Year of publication: 2010 ; 384 pages
Munyal, les larmes de la patience
Author(s) : Djaïli Amadou AMAL
Publishing countries : Republic of Guinea, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Morocco, Togo
Price : 3 000 FCFA ; 40 000 francs guinéens
Collection Terres solidaires
Created in 2007, the "Terres solidaires" collection is a collective experience. It proposes literary texts from African authors, published by a collective of publishers in Francophone Africa, Through the principle of solidarity co-publishing, texts circulate, are available and accessible for African readers: the local book ecosystem is protected and strengthened.
The "Terres solidaires" collection is supported by the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).
Author(s) : Hubert HADDAD
Publishing countries : Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Central African Republic, Senegal, Chad, Togo, Tunisia
Price : 3 500 F CFA ; 10 DT ; 52 DM ; 550 DA
Co-publishers: Apic (Algeria), elyzad (Tunisia), Graines de Pensées (Togo), Le Fennec (Marocco), Proximité (Cameroon)
Year of publication of the Pan-African version: 2017, 11,5 X 19 cm
First publication in France: Zulma (2007), Cinq Continents price 2008
A Fair Trade Book co-publishing.
Ceux qui sortent dans la nuit
Author(s) : MUTT-LON
Publishing countries : Republic of Guinea, Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Chad, Togo
Co-publishers: Amalion (Senegal), Apic (Algeria), Eburnie (Ivory Coast), Ganndal (Guinee Conakry), Graines de Pensées (Togo), Proximité (Cameroon), Sankofa & Gurli (Burkina Faso)
First publication in France: Grasset (2013), Ahmadou Kourouma price 2014.
La Saison de l'Ombre
Author(s) : Léonora MIANO
Publishing countries : Republic of Guinea, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo
Price : 2 500 FCFA ; 600 DA ; 45 DM ; 35 000 GNF ; 3 500 RWF
First publication in France: Grasset (2013)
Co-publishers: Apic (Algeria), Eburnie (Ivory Coast), Ikirezi (Rwanda), Jimsaan (Senegal), Ganndal (Guinea), Graines de Pensées (Togo), Le Fennec (Marocco), Proximité (Cameroon)
Author(s) : K. Sello DUIKER ; traducteur : Jean-Yves KRUGER-KATELAN
Publishing countries : France, Switzerland
Price : 23 € ; 36 CHF
Publication: 2014, 496 pages, 15 X 22 cm
ISBN France: 978-2-3641-303-95
ISBN Switzerland: 978-2-8290-470-4
Walaandé, l'art de partager un mari
Publishing countries : Lebanon, Tunisia
"Walaandé, the art of sharing husband", is a novel about the hardships women from polygamous marriages face every day. The themes discussed in the book include polygamy, woman education, discrimination and violence against women, early marriage, and repudiation.
This novel is a sound testimony of women's lives that are deeply affected by years of emotional muzzling. A novel that completely sweeps all hopes of happy tomorrows and sinks them into a day-to-day life with its constraints, its conflicts, its pressures as well as its drama, whereby the wealthy polygamous family with its variety of female characters, exhibits external signs of wealth, but in fact faces a lot of problems.
The setting is in one of the richest muslim households in Maroua. The head of the family, a wealthy businessman, is the father of many children, has a number of domestic servants and renews his harem at will and according to his adventures.
Four wives, a dozen of children and a myriad of servants are the daily actors in a household that has the necessary comfort for a luxurious life. Alas! Walaandé is instead a portrayal of their boring existence.
Behind the golden walls and beautiful fences of this luxurious palace where perfumes, colours and flowers forecast a taste of the well-being of rich people, there is finally nothing but boredom, loneliness, despair, conspiracies and jealousy. But also, this male dictatorship, this pride of the "supreme repudiator", this husband, once very gentle when he needed to conquer his target's heart, had described to her a beautiful life in which he instead chained her. The same love lines to Aissatou, Djaili, Nafissa, Sakina, the same become a set of disappointments for all of them.
This novel, like any other work of art, is inspired from real life whereby lives and delights, charms and tears, worries and frustrations paralyse women energies and distort their beauties, once very irresistible. The reverse of polygamy as described in this realistic novel echoes the long muzzled sigh of many females who dreamt in their early ages of a wealthy lover with perfumed and luxurious cars, but finally find themselves trapped in the external appearance of this comfort.
Djaïli Amadou AMAL is North Cameroon's first female author. She is a young Peulhe woman, with an Egyptian mother. These mixed origins have probably enabled her to write more freely, just to write, and, what is more, on a subject up to now taboo in her society, polygamous marriage, which is known to be closely related to the premature marriage of young girls.
Djaïli Amadou AMAL undoubtedly forms part of the elite of the new movement of regional Cameroonian authors. Her novel has already been reprinted in less than six months. She attracted great attention on a tour of Cameroon and Chad visiting the Alliance Française network to discuss the theme of polygamy.
Year of publication: 2013, 144 pages, 16,5 X 21,5 cm, ISBN: 978-614-404-419-3
First publication: 2010, éditions Ifrikiya, Cameroon
The translation and co-publishing of "Walaandé, l'art de partager un mari" have been supported by the Prince Claus Fund.
Loin de mon père
Author(s) : Véronique TADJO ; préface d'Emmanuel DONGALA
Publishing countries : Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Rwanda, Togo
Price : 2 500 FCFA ; 45 DM ; 3 300 RWF
La civilisation, ma mère !...
Author(s) : Driss CHRAÏBI ; préface Abdelkader DJEMAÏ
Publishing countries : Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Togo
Seeking Palestine (À la recherche de la Palestine)
Author(s) : Penny JOHNSON; Raja SHEHADEH (Eds.)
Publishing countries : Australia, India
Price : Rs. 395 (Women Unlimited, India)
A co-publication of the Alliance's English-langage network. Two co-publishers : Spinifex (Australia), Women Unlimited (India).
"Palestine-in-exile," says Rana Barakat, "is an idea, a love, a goal, a movement, a massacre, a march, a parade, a poem, a thesis, a novel and, yes, a commodity, as well as a people scattered, displaced, dispossessed and determined."
How do Palestinians live, imagine and reflect on home and exile in this period of a stateless and transitory Palestine, a deeply contested and crisis-ridden national project, and a sharp escalation in Israeli state violence and accompanying Palestinian oppression? How can exile and home be written?
In this volume of new writing fifteen innovative and outstanding Palestinian writers—essayists, poets, novelists, critics, artists and memoirists—respond with their reflections, experiences, memories and polemics. What is it like, in the words of Lila Abu-Lughod, to be "drafted into being Palestinian?" What happens when you take your American children, as Sharif Elmusa does, to the refugee camp where you were raised? And how can you convince, as Suad Amiry attempts to do, a weary airport official to continue searching for a code for a country that isn't recognised?
Contributors probe the past through unconventional memories, reflecting on 1948 when it all began. But they are also deeply interested in beginnings, imagining, in the words of Mischa Hiller, "a Palestine that reflects who we are now and who we hope to become". Their contributions—poignant, humorous, intimate, reflective, intensely political—make for an offering that is remarkable for the candour and grace with which it explores the many individual and collective experiences of waiting, living for, and seeking Palestine.
Penny Johnson is an independent researcher who works closely with the Institute of Women's Studies at Birzeit University, where she edits the Review of Women's Studies. Recent writing and research on Palestine has focused on weddings and wars, wives of political prisoners, and young Palestinians' talk about proper and improper marriages. She is an Associate Editor of the Jerusalem Quarterly.
Raja Shehadeh is a Palestinian lawyer and writer who lives in Ramallah. He is the founder of the pioneering non-partisan human rights organisation, Al Haq, an affiliate of the International Commission of Jurists, and the author of several books about international law, human rights and the Middle East. He is also the author of the award-winning Palestinian Walks and A Rift in Time: Travels with My Ottoman Uncle. His new book, Occupation Diaries, is published in August 2012.
"How can an essentially sad story give such pleasure? The answer is in these narratives: these stories, memoirs, poems are a pleasure and an education; personal, vivid, original, sometimes witty, always accomplished and always honest. They are a testimonial to the human spirit, and to the growing contribution of Palestine to literature." —Ahdaf Soueif
ISBN: 81-88965-73-1 (Women Unlimited, India), 978-1-74219-823-1 (Spinifex, Australia).
Mandela et moi (Mandela's ego)
Author(s) : Lewis NKOSI ; préface de Véronique TADJO
Publishing countries : Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Morocco, Rwanda, Togo, Tunisia
Price : 2 500 FCFA ; 400 DA ; 45 DM ; 8 DT ; 3 300 RWF
The young Zulu Dumisani Gumede grows up in the pastoral setting of the mountains of South Africa. This irresistible seducer has two obsessions: sex and an utter adoration of Nelson Mandela, the mythical ANC leader then the talk of the country and to this young man the essence of courage and virility. Originally published in 2006, "Mandela's ego" looks back at South Africa under the apartheid regime. A brave and unusual coming-of-age novel, combining delightful anecdotes about the everyday life of the Zulu community with scenes of violence, family, social and political, in a country in torment. Wisdom and humour rub shoulders in this fable, a homage to the great Mandela.
Lewis NKOSI was born in Durban (South Africa) in 1926. A journalist, he taught literature at various universities. The author of many essays on culture and South African literature, plays and novels, he was awarded numerous literary prizes. He died in Johannesburg in September 2010.
Le dodo aux plumes d'or
Author(s) : Corinne FLEURY (texte) ; Sébastien PELON (illustrations)
Publishing countries : Ivory Coast, Mauritius
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.
Contes de l'Île Maurice
Author(s) : Shenaz PATEL (texte) ; Sébastien PELON (illustrations)
Les quatre frères
Author(s) : Bienvenue GNIMPO N'KOUÉ (texte) ; Ayoutoufèï GUÉDÉGUÉ (illustrations)
Publishing countries : Benin, Ivory Coast
A pan-African co-publishing gathering Ruisseaux d'Afrique (Benin) and Vallesse (Ivory Coast).
Le soir autour du feu
Author(s) : Sylvie NTSAMÉ
Publishing countries : Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo
A pan-African co-publishing gathering Ntsame (Gabon) and Elondja (DRC).
La Forêt sacrée
Author(s) : Nicolas CONDÉ (texte) ; Irina CONDÉ (illustrations)
Publishing countries : Benin, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo
A pan-African co-publishing gathering Ganndal (Guinea Conakry), Eburnie (Ivory Coast), Ruisseaux d'Afrique (Benin), Graines de Pensées (Togo), Ntsame (Gabon) and Elondja (DRC).
Les cheveux de Cora / Ny volon'i Cora
Author(s) : Ana Zarco CÂMARA (texte) ; Taline SCHUBACH (illustrations)
Publishing countries : Madagascar
Language(s) : French , malgache
Price : 16 0000 Ar (4 €)
Children's illustrated book – bilingual French-Malagasy edition
Translated from Portuguese (Brazil) into French by Joana Cabral, translated into Malagasy by Veloniaina Rabakoly
Éditions Jeunes Malgaches, 2014, 32 pages.
Original edition: Pallas Editora (Brazil)
ISBN: 978-2 916362-42-7
Selling price: 16 0000 Ar (4 €)
This book is the result of several meetings between publishers who are members of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers ("Children's literature" group of the Alliance), at book fairs (collective stand for young readers) and through workshops on children's books. These opportunities of sharing mutual knowledge, know-how, and discussions foster unprecedented editorial partnerships. By supporting and promoting these partnerships, the members of the Alliance participate in the circulation of texts and ideas from one continent to another, but also from one language to another. Through these solidarity-based editorial partnerships, translation flows that are still "rare" are being developed, for example here from Brazilian Portuguese to Malagasy.
Kofi et le petit garçon de feu
Author(s) : Nei LOPES (texte) ; Hélène MOREAU (illustrations)
Publishing countries : Benin
Translated from Portuguese (Brazil) into French by Flavio Corrêa de Mello
Ruisseaux d'Afrique (Benin), 2012; 37 pages
Les nouveautés du fonds "Lectures d'Afrique(s)" à découvrir d'urgence !
Téléchargez les nouveautés du fonds Lectures d'Afrique(s) !
Download the "African readings" catalogue
Author(s) : Catalogue collectif
Publishing countries : Republic of Guinea, South Africa, Benin, Brazil, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Rwanda, Tunisia
Language(s) : English , Arabic , French , malgache , Portuguese , amazighe , bambara , kinyarwanda , kiswahili
Rooted in African daily life, in the streets of Bamako and Conakry, in the fishing port of Cotonou, on Tunisian soil, or redolent of Afro-Brazilian heritage, the 281 tales, documentaries, albums and novels that make up the catalogue are just waiting to be discovered. Books by nine independent publishing houses from Africa (South Africa, Benin, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, the Republic of Guinea, Rwanda, Tunisia) and from Brazil are now available in France, Belgium and Switzerland!
If you would like to diversify your stock, read in Bambara, in Arabic, in English, in Portuguese, in Kinyarwanda, in Malagasy, in French, if you are simply looking for some escapism… the solution is here… just turn the pages !
The Alliance distributes all the books contained in the catalogue.
Download the catalogue here.
The "African readings" catalogue was created with the support of the Ile-de-France Region.
Contos do mar sem fim
Author(s) : Cinco autores de Angola, quatro de Guiné-Bissau e sete escritores do Brasil
Publishing countries : Angola, Brazil, Guinea-Bissau
Language(s) : Portuguese
Price : R$ 32,00
This collection, which takes its title from an iconic verse by Fernando Pessoa, is a veritable invitation to a journey through sixteen tales by
authors from Brazil, Guinea-Bissau and Angola.
Year of publication: 2010; 224 pages; 14 X 21 cm; ISBN: 978-85-347-0294-2
Solidarity with the Mexicans, 22 September 2017
On 21 September, all around the world, we have celebrated the International Day of Bibliodiversity. Meantime, in Mexico, the terrible earthquake occurred 2 days before, on 19 September, turning streets into dust, causing victims, hundreds and hundreds of roofless people…
The International Alliance of independent publishers expresses –in these days of celebration of cultural diversity, ideas and texts flows– its solidarity with the Mexicans.
The Association of Mexican independent publishers (AEMI), member of the Alliance, proposes to collect Latin-American books to offer especially to children and young Mexicans –so that their imaginations do not focus on this disaster, and that stories and words coming from abroad can help them in these painful moments.
This is also bibliodiversity: be careful about the surrounding world, keep awake and conscious, in solidarity.
Read the communique here
Call for freedom of speech and publishing in Turkey, 22 August 2016
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.
Read the Communiqué in English and French
Call for freedom of speech and publishing in Bangladesh, November 2015
Extract from the Communiqué by the Alliance for a call for freedom of speech and publishing in Bangladesh, 10 November 2015:
For several months, authors, bloggers, publishers and booksellers have been the victims of violent and deadly attacks in Bangladesh.
The International Alliance of independent publishers, representing 400 independent publishers from 45 countries in the world, condemns these murderous attacks and assault on freedom of speech and publishing. The Alliance also reaffirms the essential role needing to be played by public authorities, in Bangladesh and throughout the world to enable the emancipation of its citizens, and to guarantee a public space conducive to dialogue and peace. Plurality and diversity of ideas constitute the foundation of democracy. It is urgent that the Bangladeshi government protects and supports actors in the book industry, thus safeguarding the foundations necessary for their work and freedom of speech.
Read the full Communiqué
Communiqué from the Alliance on the Tunis meetings, 27 May 2011
Publishing countries : Tunisia
15 publishers from 8 countries (Algeria, Argentina, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, France, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria) met in Tunis, from 12 to 15 May 2011, to discuss e-publishing. The meeting was organised by the International Alliance of Independent Publishers, with the support of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.
The publishers who met in Tunis wished it to be known that these meetings took place in a peaceful and secure environment. The warm welcome we were given, despite the curfew then in place, enabled us to organise meetings of a high standard, from both a professional and a human perspective.
We wished to show our solidarity with our Tunisian partners in this way, by inviting associations, NGOs, organisations and institutions, tourists and the simply curious to rediscover Tunisia – a Tunisia where freedom is in the air.
Read the communiqué of 27 May 2011 in full_in French
Communiqué from the Tunisian Publishers' Union, 21 January 2011
Extract from the Tunisian Publishers' Union's communiqué, published on 21 January 2011
"The Tunisian Publishers' Union, whose members met on Friday, 21 January, congratulates the Tunisian people, is proud of its glorious revolution and pays tribute to its martyrs, while declaring its unwavering support for the popular resistance".
Read the communiqué of the Tunisian Publishers' Union_Arabic version
Read the communiqué of the Tunisian Publishers' Union_French version
Communiqué in support of Txalaparta Publishing following attacks on "El manual del torturador español" and on freedom of expression, December 2010
Paris, December 2010
It is with great concern that the International Alliance of Independent Publishers has noted the recent censorship of a book in Spain, and the threats made against the independent publishing house Txalaparta, member of the Alliance's Spanish-speaking network.
The book in question, "El manual del torturador español" (The Spanish Torturer's Manual) – by Xabier MAKAZAGA denounces the torture carried out by the Spanish police. The book was withdrawn from a public library (in the Basauri town council), following a request by a political party and certain Madrid newspapers to remove it from all libraries where it was made available to readers. However the practices described in this book support the accusations already made in reports by Amnesy International and by the UN Recorder on Human Rights. The campaign against this book has already been publicly denounced by public librarians. Furthermore the Basque Country Human Rights Observer (Behatokia) sent a letter of protest to Frank de la Rue, Special Recorder on Human Rights and Freedom of Expression with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, whose headquarters are in Geneva.
The International Alliance of independent publishers, whose objectives include defending freedom of expression and denouncing all forms of censorship, also has a duty to respond publicly when attacks or infringements are directed – for ideological reasons – against independent publishers, whose very job it is to encourage the dissemination of ideas and to contribute to forging the identity of people and their culture.
One has only to examine Txalaparta's publishing catalogue to appreciate the vast range of literary works and essays which constitute an undeniable contribution to bibliodiversity, while reflecting a clear editorial policy.
This is why we independent publishers are appealing to the Spanish authorities to respect the work of independent publishers and to encourage respect for fundamental rights and democracy.
We also appeal to independent publishers, booksellers, librarians and readers to follow the development of this matter closely and to express their support to Txalaparta Publishing in order to defend and respect the right to information that is true and diverse.
The Spanish-language network of the International Alliance of independent publishers
Read the communiqué by Txalaparta Publishing_in Spanish
Preferential postage rates for books: urgent for Latin America, August 2010
Massively used by small publishing firms to distribute their products to bookstores, libraries, and readers, the postal service is the most popular means of circulating books throughout the world. However, the absence, suppression or questioning of special postage for books is an impediment to bibliodiversity in many countries.
In Latin America, with a huge territory to cover and limited circulation, a large share of publishers ensures the delivery of their products themselves. For these publishers, preferential postage rates for shipping books are all the more vital.
Read the advocacy
Haiti, let's mobilise for the long haul, February 2010
The International Alliance of Independent Publishers calls on all international solidarity organisations to mobilise in Haiti. The Alliance will do do its outmost to support Haitian book professionals in the long-term, particularly librarians, publishers and booksellers, by joining forces with existing and future stakeholders in Haiti.
The importance of culture should be considered in the reconstruction process. In the Haïtian context, where symbolism has a special place, reinventing Haïti also involves supporting the arts and culture, particularly books and authors that promote the people's complex and fascinating identity. A people cut off from its culture is a dead people.
Rodney Saint-Éloi, author and publisher member of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers
Read the declaration: Haiti, let's mobilise for the long haul. The Alliance thanks the International Association of French-language Booksellers (AILF) for its partnership in the dissemination of this declaration
Solidarity with Iranian publishers, August 2009
Publishing countries : Iran
In view of the worrying situation in Iran and the attacks on freedom of expression, the publishers of the Alliance wish to express their solidarity with their Iranian colleagues. They demand the right to publish freely and call for increased cultural and editorial exchanges with Iran.
Towards a Europe protecting bibliodiversity?, April 2009
As the official campaign for the next European elections is being launched, the Alliance has decided to get involved in a positive fashion by formulating three proposals that would be very simple to implement.
These proposals have furthermore been published on the website http://challengeforeurope.blogactiv.eu, with dozens of others, on the initiative of the Charles Léopold Mayer Foundation in the framework of its "What kind of Europe do we want?" program. Let us hope this impressive corpus of proposals will be a profitable inspiration to the EU's future elected representatives!
European Support for the Development of Publishing Sectors in Emerging and Developing Countries
Setting a fix European book price
Europe Needs a General Assembly for Books
Financial and Activity Report
Read the financial and policy report 2009 (in French)
Bibliodiversity Day & Indie Book Day
Indie Book Day, March
Indie Book Day was created in 2013, by German independent publishers; since last year, it has been celebrated in other countries, thanks to independent publishers collectives and the Alliance.
How it works: On the third Sunday of March, readers are invited to visit an independent bookshop, buy a book published by an independent publisher, and post a picture of the book on social media with the hashtag #indiebookday. Booksellers and publishers can then organize a common campaign ahead of the event, to inform their communities (posters in the bookshops, information on social media and websites, etc.).
Find here Indie Book Day logos and more information on the official Indie Book Day website.
Bibliodiversity Day (B Day), 21 September
Bibliodiversity Day was created in 2010 by Latin American publisher members of the Alliance.
Since then, it has happened every year in numerous countries, especially in Latin America. On September 21, the first day of spring for the southern hemisphere, publishers, booksellers, book professionals and readers are invited to celebrate independent publishing and bibliodiversity.
How it works: All ideas and activities are welcome, coming from publishing houses, collectives of independent publishers, book professionals, and readers: bookcrossing, literary picnics, professional meetings, public readings, radio broadcasts, newspaper articles…
Download B Day logos and visit the blog here.
Watch all B Day videos here->https://eldiab.org/videos-oficiales/.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indpub/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bibliodiversidad/
40 stories unveiling the names of independent publishing houses from all around the world
Logo_English
Logo_Arabic
Logo_Portuguese
Logo_Italian
HotLists & thematic selections
Latin America and Arab World HotList, 2020!
This year, on the occasion of the Frankfurt Book Fair (14-18 October), two HotLists will be presented... virtually!
The Latin American HotList - 4th 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!
HotList 2019 (Frankfurt Book Fair, 16-20 October, 2019)!
Discover here the HotList 2019!
Thanks to a partnership with Kurt Wolff Stiftung (the German collective of independent publishers, member of the Alliance) 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), twenty books of various genres: novels, short stories, art books, essays, children's literature... from Argentina, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Mexico!
- 2009: The members of EDINAR (a group 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. To make sure Argentinian independent publishing is well represented, the Argentinian independent publishers, in partnership with the Frankfurt Book Fair, present a HotList at the stand of independent German publishers, showcasing the diversity and quality of their books.
- 2017: The HotList 2017 opens to independent publishers from Latin America! Thanks to the collaboration with the collective Kurt Wolff Stiftung, a selection of about 40 titles from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Uruguay is exhibited in Frankfurt on the "Reading Island" (Hall 4.1 / D36).
- 2018: Following the success of the 2017 edition, the HotList 2018 is back 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", showcasing more than 30 titles edited by independent publishing houses from all continents.
- 2019: The International Alliance of independent publishers and the Kurt Wolff Stiftung collective offer a new edition of the HotList. Some twenty books (novels, essays, children's books, comics, art books) will be exposed at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2019. A colourful and powerful HotList this year!
WomenList: A thematic and international selection - Frankfurt Book Fair 2018
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!
WomenList 2018: The catalog!
HotList 2018: The Independent Publishing from Latin America in Frankfurt!
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!
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.
HotList 2017 from the Latin American independent publishers!
WHY A HOTLIST?
In 2009, together with the members of EDINAR (Argentinean Alliance of independent publishers), we decided to launch a promotion strategy, following the "Young independent Germans": a HotList.
Against the tendentious ranking of the most sold out books published in the newspapers, every member of the collective had to choose one book among her/his new books -the one that she or he saw as the most outstanding, for whatever reason. With all EDINAR publishers, we thus formed a list, promoted at the same time by a group of booksellers from Buenos Aires who arranged a special table dedicated to this list in their bookshops during one month.
In 2010, Argentina was Guest country of Frankfurt Book Fair and the Argentinean National Book Chamber had a spacious booth with a strong presence of local publishing, which did not include many independent publishers. However, the Hotlist had an outstanding exhibition space in this Fair: thanks to a German colleague, curious publisher, philoanarchist, employed by the Fair, we got a well-situated booth and the possibility to exhibit our HotList.
Because a lot of Latin-American publishers cannot travel every year to Frankfurt, we have reminded this adventure and decided to implement it again this year, extended to Spanish-speaking publishers from Latin America, in order to give a better visibility to the vibrant Latin-American independent publishing, in the biggest commercial Book Fair of the World.
This HotList presents a selection of about 40 books published in Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile… exhibited in the "Reading Island for Independent Publishers" (Pavilion 4.1) of the Frankfurt Book Fair, thanks to the cooperation of the Kurt Wolff Stiftung, group of German independent publishers.
We hope you will appreciate!
Guido Indij
Argentinean publisher, coordinator of the Spanish-speaking network of the International Alliance of independent publishers
I'm not a robot.
of Independent Publishers
{#ENV{titre},#SELF,sujet}