Network Partner of the Prince Claus Fund, the International Alliance of Independent Publishers, celebrates bibliodiversity worldwide. Since 2010, the International Bibliodiversity Day (B Day) is celebrated on 21 September (Spring Day in the Southern hemisphere and the international day of Peace) by independent publishers. Given the freedom of expression they exercise, independent publishers guarantee the multiplicity and circulation of ideas, and as such are the real players and defenders of this cultural diversity within publishing.

The term bibliodiversity is used to describe cultural diversity applied to the world of publishing. As an echo of the term biodiversity, it refers to the necessary diversity of the editorial output made available to readers. While major publishing groups participate, by way of their massive editorial output, to a certain publishing offer, bibliodiversity is nevertheless closely linked to the editorial output of independent publishers.

Given the freedom of expression they exercise, independent publishers guarantee the multiplicity and circulation of ideas, and as such are the real players and defenders of this cultural diversity within publishing. Bibliodiversity appears today to be threatened by an editorial glut and financial concentration in the world of publishing, which paves the way to the supremacy of a handful of major publishing groups and the quest for high productivity. See the wikipedia’s article on “bibliodiversity”, available in Portuguese, Spanish, French and English.

On the programme of the International Alliance of Independent Publishers for bibliodiversity 2011:

in Spain, in Tenerife, the African Book Fair 2011, taking place from 21 to 25 September, 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;

The Launch of the International Day of Bibliodiversity takes place on Wednesday, September 21st 2011 at 12.15 am (auditorium- salón de actos)

On Saturday, September 24th 2011 at 10.30 am to 12.00 am there is a round table on Books or bibliodiversity? Which bibliodiversity in the world? (auditorium - salón de actos).

in France, a workshop on bibliodiversity will bring together representatives of the book industry’s professional associations (booksellers, librarians, publishers); in Latin America, national publishers collectives are mobilizing and will be facilitating numerous activities, read the blog at eldiab.org; Illustrations are made by artist Judy Horacek in Australia, the painter Emine Bora in Turkey and a designer in South Africa gave his interpretation on bibliodiversity.