- Mohamad Hadi, Dar Al Rafidain, Lebanon
- Amar Ingrachen, Frantz Fanon, Algeria
- Nadja Kandrusevich, Koska, Belarus (exiled in Sweden)
- Michel Moushabeck, Interlink Publishing, USA
- Dmitri Strotsev, Hochroth Minsk, Belarus (exiled in Germany)
- Georgy Urushadze, Freedom Letters, Russia (exiled in UK)
A short description of each of the shortlisted publishers is available below. Photos of the nominees are available here.
Kristenn Einarsson, Chair of the IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee said: The freedom to publish is vital if the freedom of expression is to exist in practice and if the freedom to read is to be enjoyed fully. The IPA Prix Voltaire recognizes those publishers who fight for their freedom to publish, for their freedom to recognize the remarkable work of a creator and to try to bring it to readers. As we see from the world around us the freedom of expression can erode very quickly with obvious influence on the Freedom to Publish. These are rights that we constantly must fight for, and as a number of publishers in our shortlist this year suggest, from exile if necessary.
The announcement was part of session at the Festival du Livre de Paris entitled “The Book: A Form of Resistance?” which was opened by a video message from Sihem Bensedrine, the 2009 IPA Prix Voltaire laureate, and a speech from her daughter, Essia Mestiri.
Following the shortlist announcement, French publisher, Antoine Gallimard, and Algerian author Khamel Daoud took the floor to support imprisoned Franco-Algerian author Boualem Sansal and repeat the industry’s calls for his immediate release.
The session closed with a discussion around the topic Democracy Depends on Reading with French publisher Laurence Faron (Talents Hauts) and Kristenn Einarsson.
Mohamad Hadi, Dar Al Rafidain, Lebanon
Mohamad Hadi founded Dar Al Rafidain in Beirut in 2004 as well as the “Al-Rafidain First Book Award”, providing young authors with the opportunity to publish their debut works. Amid the ongoing armed conflict, Mr Hadi and his team continue to work in a high-risk environment, shipping books and participating in book fairs. In October 2024, the main office of Dar Al-Rafidain was bombed and completely destroyed.
Amar Ingrachen, Frantz Fanon, Algeria
Amar Ingrachen is a journalist, writer and co-founder of Frantz Fanon Publishing House in Algeria. In 2023, Frantz Fanon published Jewish Algeria, a book exploring the country’s Jewish history. Amid growing pressure on Algerian publishers since the 2019 Hirak protest, Mr Ingrachen was placed under judicial control in November 2024 and Frantz Fanon was ultimately closed for 6 months by Algerian authorities in January 2025.
Nadja Kandrusevich, Koska, Belarus (exiled in Sweden)
Nadja Kandrusevich founded Koska, a children’s book publisher, in Belarus in 2018 to provide literature in Belarusian that promotes free thinking and escape from oppression. In a market dominated by Russian-language publishing and strict regulation, the aftermath of the 2020 Presidential election saw Koska have publications seized and offices closed. Since 2022 Kandrusevich has continued her work in exile, still reaching Belarusian children back at home.
Michel Moushabeck, Interlink Publishing, USA
Michel S. Moushabeck is a writer, editor, translator, publisher, and musician of Palestinian descent. The founder of Interlink Publishing, he has devoted his life to publishing and amplifying marginalized and underrepresented voices with the aim of furthering the cultural understanding of their lived experiences. Each year Interlink Publishing publishes one humanitarian book and donates profits to a worthy cause.
Dmitri Strotsev, Hochroth Minsk, Belarus (exiled in Germany)
Dmitri Strotsev is an award-winning Belarusian poet, publisher, and activist. After Vinograd, his publishing house, lost its license he continued as an underground publisher, resisting state censorship. Arrested in October 2020 he subsequently faced threats and restrictions on his work. Forced into exile, he relocated to Berlin and founded Hochroth Minsk as a platform for Belarusian and exiled writers to publish their works freely.
Georgy Urushadze, Freedom Letters, Russia (exiled in UK)
Georgy Urushadze is a publisher, producer, and journalist. Founder of the house Palmira in 2002, Urushadze has gone from being an important figure in the Russian literary scene to being declared a ‘foreign agent’. In early 2023, Urushadze founded Freedom Letters. Despite website blocks and book bans, Freedom Letters uses various channels to circumvent censorship and deliver books to Russia physically and digitally.