A new prize recognises initiatives defending freedom of expression, freedom to publish and the freedom to read across book publishing, journalism, and archives from USA, Georgia, Germany and Turkey. The laureate will be announced at Frankfurt Book Fair on Wednesday 7 October.
Gvantsa Jobava, President of the International Publishers Association, said: “With this initiative we really wanted to be able to bring hope and inspiration and our first ever shortlist does exactly that. These are all initiatives showing how we can fight for freedom of expression, for the freedom to publish and for the freedom to read. Let us learn from them and use their experience.”
Jessica Sänger, Chair of the IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee, said: “It has been a real privilege for the Freedom to Publish Committee to consider the nominations for this new prize. We saw so many different ways of organising the defence of free expression – from private companies, to coalitions to associations. Above all, they showed that there is no reason to be defeatist in the face of the growing attacks on free expression. We can fight back and win.”
The full shortlist is:
The Media Coalition, United States of America
Penguin Random House Intellectual Freedom Taskforce, United States of America
Sovlab (Soviet Past Research Laboratory), Georgia
StraightForward Foundation / ”Geradeaus” e.V., Germany
Turkish Journalists Association, Türkiye
