The closing date for nominations is now 28 October 2017. The nine publishing professionals that make up the IPA Freedom to Publish Committee will identify a shortlist in November, then select the recipient. The IPA will announce the outcome in January 2018, and present the award during the International Publishers Congress, on 10-14 February 2018, in New Delhi.

On Friday (29 September), the IPA will present the 2017 prize to Turkish publisher and journalist Turhan Günay and Turkish publishing house Evrensel, atGothenburg Book Fair, in Sweden. But with the next edition of the prize to be awarded in just over four months, the 2018 selection process must be compressed to allow the IPA Freedom to Publish Committee sufficient time to make its selection.

Freedom to publish 

Freedom to publish is one of the founding principles of the IPA, which promotes and protects publishing worldwide. In many countries, publishers who provide authors with the means to disseminate their written ideas run the same risks as the writers themselves. Their work requires immense courage and a values-based, altruistic compulsion. Freedom to Publish is far from guaranteed around the world, with daily attempts by governments, extremists or private interests to intimidate, attack, imprison and even kill publishers.

Who nominates whom?

Any individual, group or organization can nominate a publisher, defined as an individual, collective or organization that provides others with the means to share their ideas in written form, including via digital platforms. Nominees will have recently published controversial works amid pressure, threats, intimidation or harassment. Alternatively, they may be publishers with a distinguished record over many years of upholding the freedom to publish and freedom of expression.

Nominations are to be submitted by email using THIS FORM (in English, preferably) to the IPA at info@internationalpublishers.org

Key dates

The closing date for nominations is 28 October 2017.
The IPA Freedom to Publish Committee will identify a shortlist and eventual recipient in November 2017.
The IPA will announce the recipient in January 2018.
The 2018 IPA Prix Voltaire will be presented during the International Publishers Congress, on 10-14 February 2018, in New Delhi.

The prize 

The recipient receives 10,000 Swiss francs funded by a range of generous sponsors, which are listed below. To find out how you or your organization can support the IPA Prix Voltaire, please contact info@internationalpublishers.org

About the IPA Prix Voltaire

The IPA Prix Voltaire is unique in honouring the freedom to publish, without which many forms of freedom of expression would be impossible. Publishers who provide authors with the tools to disseminate their written ideas assume the same risks as the writers themselves.

Nominees have usually published controversial works amid pressure, threats, intimidation or harassment, be it from governments, other authorities or private interests. Alternatively, they may be publishers with a distinguished record of upholding the values of freedom to publish and freedom of expression. For the purposes of the IPA Prix Voltaire, the definition of ‘publisher’ is an individual, collective or organization that provides others with the means to share their ideas in written form, including via digital platforms.

The IPA Prix Voltaire, which comes with a CHF 10,000 prize, is made possible by generous contributions from sponsors, all of which are publishing houses and organizations that share the values that the IPA Prix Voltaire embodies.

The sponsors of the IPA Prix Voltaire are, in alphabetical order:

prix voltaire sponsor cloud 2019