Frankfurter Buchmesse

“Freedom of expression to me is the key of freedom and we need freedom of expression to exchange ideas, to open our minds - it is mandatory. As a white European literary agent, I feel obliged to look for diverse voices, to give them the chance to express themselves. I think that every European publishing house and literary agent should do this. We are obliged to do this, for instance.” Anna Soler-Pont, Literary Agent, Spain ❔ Together with International Publishers Association - IPA, we asked international publishing voices for their perspectives on these questions as part of Freedom of Expression Week (3-10 May). Anna Soler-Pontas (Spain) shared her perspective on the topic of freedom of expression with us in this context. ℹ️ She founded “Pontas Literary & Film Agency” in 1992 and has since represented internationally writers from the five continents. Among others, Pontas has launched or helped consolidate the international literary careers of voices such as Dolores Redondo, Jonas Jonasson, Avni Doshi, Milena Busquets and Eka Kurniawan. In 2013, the same partners of the literary agency founded Pontas Films, which specializes in literary adaptations. She was the commissioner of the Catalan Culture program as the Guest of Honor of the Frankfurt Book Fair 2007. #Publishing #FreedomOfExpression #WdM2024

“The right to communicate thoughts and opinions verbally, in writing and indeed in print without fear of punishment or censorship by governing authorities. As a publisher of fiction sometimes set in countries with authoritarian or near-authoritarian regimes (e.g. Russia or India today or Argentina and Cuba in the recent past), this should apply to works of fiction, as well as political essays or history. It is understood this is not an absolute right but is limited by respect for other people's ethnicity, religion, and culture.” Francois von Hurter, Publisher, Bitter Lemon Press, UK ❔ What does freedom of expression mean to you personally? What do you perceive as the greatest challenge to freedom of expression? What can publishers around the world do to promote freedom of expression? Together with International Publishers Association - IPA, we asked publishing voices from different parts of the world for their perspectives on these questions as part of Freedom of Expression Week (3-10 May). 🗨 François von Hurter is the co-founder of Bitter Lemon Press which he launched in 2004. Bitter Lemon Press has published over 110 books, mostly translated crime and noir fiction, but also fiction written in English, by American, English and Indian authors. Born to a Swiss father and a Greek mother, he was raised in Geneva, studying law, business and theology at different points in his life. 📑 You can read the full statement in the article on our website: https://lnkd.in/eRxcNBGy

📚Six things the book industry can do together to promote freedom of expression, publisher Dominique Raccah has compiled as part of Freedom of Expression Week. 💪Diversify Narratives: By actively seeking out and promoting authors and stories from underrepresented groups, publishers can continue to ensure a broader range of voices and perspectives are heard.  💪Resist Censorship: Publishers need to stand firm against pressure to censor or modify content, whether it comes from governments, special interest groups, or advertisers. This also means supporting authors whose work may be controversial.  💪 Translation and Global Distribution: Translating works into multiple languages and distributing them worldwide can help spread ideas across cultural and national boundaries, enhancing global dialogue.  💪Educational Outreach: There’s so much to do on the educational front. We need to work closely with schools and libraries to develop programs that encourage critical reading and thinking, helping younger generations appreciate the value of diverse opinions.  💪 Legal Support: Providing legal backing for writers facing censorship or legal challenges due to their work can be a strong stand for freedom of expression. I’m proud that our colleagues at Penguin Random House have been at the forefront of providing legal support to fight book banning.   💪Collaboration: Working with other publishers, media outlets, and freedom of expression organizations can amplify their efforts and provide a more united front against censorship.  "There’s a lot to do today, with censorship and book banning on the rise. And publishers play a crucial role in helping to promote and enhance freedom of expression. As a publisher, I am proud to be able to do this work in service to authors, creators, readers, librarians, and educators everywhere." adds Dominique Raccah.   ❔ What does freedom of expression mean to you personally? What do you perceive as the greatest challenge to freedom of expression? What can publishers around the world do to promote freedom of expression? Together with International Publishers Association - IPA, we asked publishing voices from different parts of the world for their perspectives on these questions as part of Freedom of Expression Week (3-10 May). 🗨 Dominique Raccah is the publisher and CEO of Sourcebooks. The publishing house is dedicated to changing lives through books. As the seventh largest book publisher in North America, Sourcebooks now employs nearly 300 passionate employees and has published hundreds of national, international, and New York Times bestsellers in a variety of genres. 📑 You can find the whole interview on our website (link in the comments). #Publshing #FreedomOfExpression

What can publishers around the world do to promote freedom of expression? “Combat harmful, malevolent, biased, or ideologically misleading speech with vetted, peer-reviewed speech that earnestly and unapologetically seeks to arrive at the truth such as it can be ascertained.” says Niko Pfund, President and Academic Publisher at Oxford University Press. ❔ Together with International Publishers Association - IPA, we asked international publishing voices for their perspectives on these questions as part of Freedom of Expression Week (3-10 May). 🗨 Niko Pfund is the Academic Publisher and President of Oxford University Press, USA. A past president of the Association of University Press, he serves or has served on a number of boards and advisory groups, including those of the Digital Public Library of America, the Eurasia Group Foundation, the Executive Council of the Professional and Scholarly Publishing division of the Association of American Publishers, and The Common (a literary magazine). 📑 You can read Niko Pfund's perspective on the other questions in the article on our website. (Link in the comments)

“Publishers can promote freedom of expression to the extent that they can overcome any obstacles to their publications. Therefore, publishers must sometimes fight against censorship, investigations, lawsuits, and even economic barriers. They can overcome all of these obstacles through solidarity with both their fellow publishers and their readers.” ❔ What does freedom of expression mean to you personally? What do you perceive as the greatest challenge to freedom of expression? What can publishers around the world do to promote freedom of expression? Together with International Publishers Association - IPA, we asked publishing voices from different parts of the world for their perspectives on these questions as part of Freedom of Expression Week (3-10 May). 🗨 Onur Öztürk worked as an editor and manager at Evrensel Basım Yayın between 2012 and 2016.  After the publishing house was shut down by a Decree-Law, he was among the founders of Ginko Kitap in 2017, where he continues to serve as the editor-in-chief. 📑 You can read the full statement in the article on our website: https://lnkd.in/eqCN9gjm

State of the German Internet: Einer der Gewinner 2024: Die #Buchbranche. Da sind die jungen Menschen, die wir alle erreichen wollen, sagt Philipp Westermeyer OMR. Wir sehen uns auf der #fbm24. 📚 @tiktok #OMR24

"Publishers have the privilege and duty to bring a range of voices, opinions and ideas to their readers. They have to stand in solidarity with others in the book sector – authors, booksellers and librarians who are also under pressure to censor.” Kristenn Einarsson What does freedom of expression mean to you personally? What do you perceive as the greatest challenge to freedom of expression? What can publishers around the world do to promote freedom of expression? ❔ Together with International Publishers Association - IPA, we asked international publishing voices for their perspectives on these questions as part of Freedom of Expression Week (3-10 May). 🗨 kristenn einarsson, Chair of Freedom to Publish Committee, has forty-five years of experience in Publishing with 9 years as CEO of The Norwegian Publishers Association (2011 – 2020). He is now Managing Director of the newly created World Expression Forum. 📑 You can read Kristenn Einarsson's perspective on the other questions in the article on our website: https://lnkd.in/eB36FTJc #FreedomOfExpression #WdM2024 #Publishing

"When the cost of paper and printing and the power of certain large structures dominate the territory, freedom to publish is also challenged with publishers, small independent publishers not being able to cope with the price cost of paper and printing increasing, that puts at risk the freedom to publish.” Simon de Jocas, Les 400 coups, Canada” Simon de Jocas, Les 400 coups, Canada ❔ What does freedom of expression mean to you personally? What do you perceive as the greatest challenge to freedom of expression? What can publishers around the world do to promote freedom of expression? Together with International Publishers Association - IPA, we asked publishing voices from different parts of the world for their perspectives on these questions as part of Freedom of Expression Week (3-10 May). 🗨 Simon de Jocas is President and Owner of the children's book publishing house Éditions Les 400 Coups in Montreal, Canada. He is also co-founder of the Facebook group "Publishers without borders". 📑 You can read the full statement in the article on our website (Link in the comments).

What does freedom of expression mean to you personally? What do you perceive as the greatest challenge to freedom of expression? What can publishers around the world do to promote freedom of expression? ❔ Together with International Publishers Association - IPA, we asked publishing voices from different parts of the world for their perspectives on these questions as part of Freedom of Expression Week (3-10 May). 🗨 Urvashi Butalia is a publisher and author from India with over 35 years of experience in feminist and independent publishing and a long history of involvement in the Indian women's movement. Her perspective on the question, “What do you perceive as the greatest challenge to freedom of expression?” is: It's always difficult to define one thing as the 'greatest' challenge to anything. There are many challenges to freedom of expression: foremost among these is the assumption, widespread in our world, that someone else has the right to decide how freely you can speak. A linked challenge (and not necessarily lesser in any way) is the fear and insecurity among those in power to allow voices, hitherto marginalized, to speak out. For centuries men have feared women speaking out and so they have tried to silence their voices. For centuries ruling classes have feared the voices of the oppressed, and so they have silenced them. 📑 You can read Urvashi Butalia's perspective on the other questions in the article on our website: https://lnkd.in/eUmaZi5K

What does freedom of expression mean to you personally? What do you perceive as the greatest challenge to freedom of expression? What can publishers around the world do to promote freedom of expression?  ❔ Together with International Publishers Association - IPA, we asked international publishing voices for their perspectives on these questions as part of Freedom of Expression Week (3-10 May). 🗨 Alberto Bisi's perspective on the question “What do you perceive as the greatest challenge to freedom of expression?” is: ”From a professional point of view it’s the attitude ‘Oh well, I have this great book, so I’m going to give it to a major publisher.’ It’s understandable but on a bigger scale this really challenges the term ‘freedom of expression’ because independent publishers are the essence of what that phrase means, since they are a plurality of voices. This attitude reduces the number of independents, and places that freedom of expression into the hands of very few entities.  So, if we’re still doing this for passion too, not just for money, we may as well forget about it." ℹ Alberto Bisi is the Publisher of 21lettere in Italy (Winner of the Premio Strega Europeo 2022) and 26letters in the United States. In 2020, he used his extensive experience to found 21lettere in Italy and, after positive results in Italy, Bisi ventured to the more competitive American market where, in 2023, he founded 26letters, in his quest for a more fertile ground for independent publishing. 📑 You can read Alberto Bisi's perspective on the other questions in the article on our website. (Link in the comments) #WdM2024 #FreedomOfExpression