The ceremony also paid tribute to the first laureate of the then IPA Freedom to Publish Prize, Shahla Lahiji (Iran), who passed away in February 2024, and 2009 laureate Sihem Bensedrine (Tunisia), who was arrested earlier this year and remains in detention.
Kristenn Einarsson, Chair of the IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee said: Before, during, and post conflict, the role of publishers is monumental. Peace is only possible in a society that welcomes education, values the exchange of diverse ideas, and promotes innovation, conversation, and compromise. This is why books as builders of empathy and sources of cultural knowledge, and the publishers that produce and protect them, serve as cultural institutions that promote peace and progress. Authoritarian governments and other powerful entities often tighten control over information during conflicts, imposing strict censorship and disseminating propaganda. Publishers not only face personal destruction in conflict, but may also face threats such as violence, imprisonment, or even death for publishing materials that are perceived as controversial. Those committed to freedom of expression have navigated these treacherous waters, often working clandestinely, in exile, or even in a context of war, in order to ensure the dissemination of knowledge.
Accepting the 2024 IPA Prix Voltaire Samir Mansour delivered a video address. He said: I would like to thank everyone who supported the IPA Prix Voltaire and the International Publishers Association. In 2021 my bookshop was completely destroyed. It was rebuilt in 2022. During the current war, the bookshop was also destroyed again and the second branch of the library bookshop was destroyed. However, I am still continuing my work which I grew up with and was raised in since my childhood. I am still publishing despite being on the Gaza strip. God willing us, we will continue to publish and print, no matter how difficult the circumstances we are living today. We will continue.
Karine Pansa, President of the IPA said: Our two laureates this year as well as our shortlist encourage us to think about the role of publishing for peace and the relationship between conflict and publishing. This year’s Prix Voltaire laureate and nominees embody publishers’ efforts to promote books and the dissemination of information to prevent conflict and foster peace, even while facing extreme dangers themselves. Their commitment to publishing and the dissemination of knowledge becomes a beacon of hope amidst immense devastation.
Photos of the laureates and the ceremony are available here.
About the 2024 IPA Prix Voltaire
Prix Voltaire nominees are publishers – individuals, groups or organizations – who have typically 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 recognizes.
2024 IPA Prix Voltaire laureate, the Samir Mansour Bookshop for Printing and Publishing has been a critical part of the local community in Gaza, publishing the works of Palestinian authors and housing thousands of books in various languages. Destroyed in 2021 and rebuilt through community efforts, the bookshop has once again been a victim of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The bookshop has continued its efforts to bring books to Palestinian youth, visiting evacuation centres and providing books and gift packages to displaced children.