An increasing number of independent publishers are initiating book events in their own countries (festivals, book fairs, fellowships, etc.) as a way of boosting the local book market and bringing their catalogues to life. This round table looks at the challenges inherent in creating these events, such as fund-raising, drawing up a programme, mobilising local actors and building an audience.
Speakers :
* Ibrahima Aya (Éditions Tombouctou, Mali)
* Camila Perlingeiro (Liga Brasileira de Editoras - LIBRE, Brazil)
* František Malik (BRaK, Slovakia)
* Dejan Trajkoski (Prozart media, North Macedonia)
* Renée-Laure Zou (Les Éditions du sucrier, Martinique)
Moderated by Germán Gacio Baquiola (La Caída Editorial, Ecuador)
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Whether they are based in South Africa, Mexico, Poland, France or living in exile in the diaspora in the UK, the publishers taking part in this round table are passionate about their work... but they don’t count the hours and are often forced to have an extra job in order to make a decent living. Between mental and physical fatigue, they find strategies to keep their heads above water while continuing to defend their ideas and convictions.
The speakers at this round table are all contributors to the next issue of the Bibliodiversité journal (to be published in October 2024), on the theme of precariousness. This round table gives them a voice and draw up initial proposals and recommendations aimed at the public authorities in particular, to provide greater support for independent publishers.
Speakers :
* Dorota Hartwich (FORMAT, Poland)
* Bridget Impey (Jacana Media, South Africa)
* Karima & Sol (blast, France)
* Azadeh Parsapour (Nogaam, United Kingdom/Iran)
* Nayeli Sánchez G. (La Cartonera, Mexico)
Moderated by Laëtitia Saint-Loubert (translator, teacher-researcher, France)
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The word « bibliodiversity » was invented by Chilean publishers in the 2000s. It is the cultural equivalent of biodiversity. For a culture to be in balance, it is important that monoculture does not dominate the book ecosystem ; it is important that a multitude of voices exist and are heard - and independent publishers make a major contribution to this bibliodiversity.
Ten years after the publication of 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 : 𝘈 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, how has bibliodiversity evolved in different countries ? Three publishers from the Czech Republic, Syria and Australia discuss how and why bibliodiversity is important to them, what are the challenges and threats within their publishing territories. They also present the changes and challenges they have observed and faced over the last 10 years.
Babelica is the International online Book Fair of Independent Publishing, conceived and organised by the network of publishers of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers. All the information about the 2023 edition can be found at babelica.alliance-publishers.org
The result of the reflections of the members of the Alliance during the International Conference on Independent Publishing in Pamplona-Iruñea (November 2021), the Guide to Good Practices offers book professionals concrete lines of action on book ecology, social publishing, solidarity publishing, feminist and LGBTQI+ publishing... and presents an inventory of alternative practices, sources of inspiration for the book of tomorrow.
Speakers :
* Indira Chandrasekhar, Tulika, India
* Dorota Hartwich, Format, Poland
* Dieulermesson Petit Frère, LEGS Édition, Haiti
* Carlos Vela, Pesopluma and representative of the EIP collective, Peru
Moderated by Mariana Warth, Pallas Editora (Brazil) and coordinator of the Alliance’s Lusophone network
Round-table discussion #1 « ’Challenges for a diversified and committed book ecosystem in the face of current issues » with John B. Thompson (sociologist, United Kingdom), Julien Lefort-Favreau (professor of Contemporary Literature and Critical Theory, Québec/Canada), Kenza Sefrioui (publisher, En toutes lettres, Morocco), Esther Merino (publisher, éditions les Monédières and chair of the Association des Éditeurs de Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France), moderated by Alfonso Serrano, (publisher, La Oveja Roja, Madrid, Spain).
For several years now, the notions of independence and bibliodiversity permeate almost all discourses on the publishing sector. However, there is a strong network of interdependencies at different levels of society, which are not always easy to identify. Yet, their identification is necessary for the theoretical framework constructed from these notions to go beyond mere sloganeering and lead to a meaningful reflection on the place of the publishing activity of independent publishers within society.
Round-table discussion #2 « Ecology of the book » with Anaïs Massola (bookseller, Le Rideau rouge and co-founder of the Association pour l’écologie du livre, Paris, France), José Bellver, (economist and researcher, Madrid), Susan Hawthorne (publisher, Spinifex Press, Australia) moderated by Corinne Fleury (publisher, Atelier des nomades, Mauritius/France).
A quick look at the national budgets of most states shows that publishing is classified as an industrial activity. This is logical for a business that uses a significant amount of labour and raw materials, which once transformed into marketable products, are transported, and traded around the world. At a time of inevitable reflection on the ecological sustainability of human activity on the planet, nothing should prevent us from calmly analysing the responsibilities arising from the choices made by independent publishers. And in a context of increasing digital visibility, it is also appropriate to question what lies behind the apparent intangibility of this ‘cloud’.
International Conference of Independent Publishers, Pamplona-Iruñea, November 23, 2021
The objectives of this guide are to :
• suggest lines of approach and actions for publishers who are members of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers, and to book professionals more broadly ;
• help implement and put into practice the principles and values defended by the Alliance’s members ;
• illustrate these principles using examples (experience, projects, ideas, etc. from professionals) which may serve as sources of inspiration.
How ?
The “entries” in this Guide are thematic. Given that the intention of the Guide is to present in a practical way the principles of the Pamplona-Iruñea Declaration, the main entries are currently as follows :
• decolonial publishing
• ecological publishing
• feminist and LGBTQI+ publishing
• free publishing
• social publishing
• solidarity-based publishing
This Guide will evolve ; its form is not fixed. Indeed, several of the Guide’s entries require input that will come from the work of the thematic working groups which will be tasked with making suggestions and enhancing these entries. It will then be possible to update and adapt the Guide over time in line with the evolution of practices and ideas inside the Alliance (in particular through post-conference thematic working groups).
Prerequisite
The Alliance is a unique intercultural network, whose specificity and strength lie in respect for diversity.
Kindness, curiosity, listening and respect for points of view, as well as equal opportunities for speech, must be the basis of every exchange within the Alliance. There can be no place for hate speech or non-inclusive discourse, which would be against the fundamental principles of the Alliance.
This prerequisite is the basis on which the Alliance’s members organise themselves and work together – on the creation of this Guide, among other things.
Warning
The Guide to Good Practice is intended as food for thought and discussion. It cannot commit the publishers who are members of the Alliance to all the proposals and recommendations it contains. Indeed, the International Alliance of Independent Publishers is aware of the geographical diversity of its members and, consequently, of their cultural diversity. It is also fully aware of the impossibility of implementing certain measures (e.g. on book ecology, etc.) in some countries for many reasons related to the political, social, economic, cultural environment…
The Independent Publishing Glossary is a collective project led by publishers from the Spanish-language network of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers.
It shows the meanings and definitions of words commonly used in publishing. It is an evolving project, which will be enriched over time in order to include new concepts and to take into account other proposal for definitions. The idea is not to freeze or petrify the concepts, but to open them up to enhance their multiple meanings.
Each term is signed by the person who worked on the definition. The glossary was edited by Germán Gacio Baquiola (Corredor Sur Editorial, Ecuador / Colectivo Editores independientes de Ecuador), Teresa Gottlieb, (Editorial Maitri, Chile), Paulo Slachevsky (Lom Ediciones, Chile) and Miguel Villafuerte, (Editorial Blanca, Ecuador).
“Now that we have entered the 21st century, it is difficult to dissociate the end from the means : what to say, and where to say it ? Thus, we find that many authors seeking to promote debate, creativity and critical thinking, justice and equality are published by large conglomerates with multiple editorial labels. Isn’t the transformative power of these works reduced to nothing when they plunge into the workings of the entertainment industry ? It is a fact that transnational corporations, whatever their field of action, are the very expression of the system that dominates us. By choosing them as publishers, do we not somehow leave the world of transformative ideas in the hands of those who lay the foundations of the model we criticise ? Doesn’t that strengthen the control of big capital over the word and our daily lives ? Moreover, how can we not question the cross-industry investment of the business groups that own publishing houses ? And, are these investments neutral ?”
In this open letter, independent publishers invite all the actors of the book industry to reflect with them on their practices and the impacts that result from them. In particular, they call on authors, academics and intellectuals to work on projects whose vocation is to transform the order of things and not to consolidate the status quo, to publish their works in independent publishing houses in their own countries, and to give preference to independent publishing houses when it comes to transferring foreign and translation rights.
As the world suffers the health, social and economic consequences of the pandemic, book ecosystems and independent publishing houses are further weakened and, for some, are trying to survive. If solidarity between creators and book professionals is one of the foundations of bibliodiversity, this solidarity is vital in the current context.
Re|Shaping Cultural Policies 2018 (UNESCO 2005 Convention Global Report)
Creativity at the Heart of Development
Excerpt from the foreword :
“This new UNESCO Global Report ‘Re|Shaping Cultural Policies’ is an invaluable tool for the implementation of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. This Convention, now ratified by 146 Parties, including the European Union, is leading UNESCO’s efforts to strengthen capacities for the creation, production, and dissemination of cultural goods, services, and activities. States are supported in their sovereign right to implement public policies for the development of strong and dynamic cultural and creative industry sectors. UNESCO is committed to developing more effective and sustainable public policies in these areas.
Our roadmap is clear and requires the cooperation of governments and non-governmental actors in four key areas : strengthening governance for culture, improving the conditions for the mobility of artists, integrating culture in sustainable development strategies, and promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms. These four goals are closely linked to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
Bibliodiversity 
