Reading Matters – focus on reading and literacy at Virtual Frankfurt Book Fair
IPA partnered with LitCam and Aldus Up to organise a session at the Virtual 2020 Frankfurt Book Fair looking in detail at our new Reading Matters report and initiatives around the world supporting reading and literacy. Watch the session here.
Vietnamese Publisher Arrested
Pham Doan Trang, the Vietnamese author, journalist and co-founder of Liberal Publishing House, the 2020 IPA Prix Voltaire laureate, was arrested on 6 October.
International and European Publishers Condemn Violent Crackdown in Belarus
The International Publishers Association (IPA) and the Federation of European Publishers (FEP) call on Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to cease his brutal campaign of violence and intimidation against peaceful protests. The IPA and FEP call on the international publishers of Nobel Literature Prize laureate, Svetlana Alexievich, to demonstrate their support for the author as she faces interrogation at the hands of the Lukashenko regime.
IPA Welcomes End of Kuwaiti Book Censorship Committee
A report in ArabLit confirms that Kuwait’s National Assembly has amended the law on media and publications that previously required all books to receive prior approval from a committee before release. The new rules apply to both local and imported books and put an end to the mandate of the Kuwaiti book censorship committee.
IPA Concerned over Reports of Hong Kong Book Bans
The International Publishers Association is extremely concerned by reports in the Guardian, Global Times and The Wall Street Journal among others that books by prominent protester, Joshua Wong, and Hong Kong politician, Tanya Chan, have been removed from public libraries and bookshops as the new Chinese Security Law is implemented in Hong Kong.
IPA calls for international donations to save murdered publishers’ legacy
The international Publishers Association has contributed 1,000CHF to kickstart an international appeal for support as the lockdown in Bangladesh puts the legacy Faisal Arefin Dipan at risk. His widow, Razia Rahman Joly, carried on his publishing house and opened a bookshop, Dipanpur, in his memory. 3 months of lockdown and no income mean eviction and closure are now looming.
Vietnam’s Liberal Publishing House awarded 2020 Prix Voltaire
The International Publishers Association took to a virtual stage on June 3 to unveil the laureate of the 2020 Prix Voltaire which supports defenders of freedom to publish: Liberal Publishing House (Vietnam).
Freedom to Publish Seminar at Seoul International Book Fair
Alongside the Award ceremony for the 2019 IPA Prix Voltaire, the 2019 Seoul International Book Fair also hosted a two-part seminar on Freedom to Publish featuring IPA President, Hugo Setzer, the Chair of IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee, Kristenn Einarsson, and Committee member Myung-hwan Kim.
Publishing ‘the most humane profession’ says Lotfy at Prix Voltaire Ceremony
The emotional ceremony for the IPA 2019 Prix Voltaire was held in Seoul, Korea on 21 June where Khaled Lotfy’s brother, Mahmoud, received the prize on his behalf and delivered a powerful speech asking for Egyptian President el-Sisi to grant the publisher a pardon.
Khaled Lutfi awarded 2019 IPA Prix Voltaire
Imprisoned Egyptian publisher Khaled Lutfi has been selected for International Publishers Association’s 2019 Prix Voltaire which supports defenders of freedom to publish.