IPA Newsletter April 2026

Innovation Awards, Copyright updates, Bologna preview, London Book Fair review, Freedom to Publish and more

IPA NEWSLETTER April 2026 View this email in your browser Kuala Lumpur Congress roadshow in Bologna as registrations pass 250 from 30 countries  The 35th International Publishers Congress is fast approaching. Taking place in Kuala Lumpur from 5-9 July, the Congress held its last stop on an international roadshow of book fairs with registrations continuing to pour in and the British Council announcing a programme for publishers from Indonesia, Malaysia and the UK. Read more. Copyright Copyright: Kenyan publishers raise concerns of new Books Bill On 31 March, the Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) filed a position paper to a public consultation regarding the "Books and newspapers Amendment Bill 2025". Read more. Looking ahead to SCCR 48 at WIPO The 48th session of the World Intellectual Property Organization's Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights will take place from 18-22 May in Geneva. Exceptions and Limitations to copyright remain a standing agenda item. Read more.  Policy development on copyright & AI continues to be a priority for IPA and our members IPA members in France, Denmark, and the UK  have all been active on ensuring copyrighted content is licensed by AI companies. Read more.  Freedom to Publish WEXFO 2026: The Freedom to Disagree  World Expression Forum 2026 program to explore disagreement, power, and the future of democracy. Speakers include Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa, journalist and filmmaker Louis Theroux, and Megan Phelps-Roper, alongside experts, activists, journalists, and young leaders from across the world. Read more. Book Censorship in Canada On 17 April, IPA members, the Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP) and the Canadian Publishers' Council (CPC), alongside the Literary Press Group of Canada (LPG), condemned the Government of Alberta's proposal to impose restrictions on public library materials. Read more.  New Reports on the Trinity of Freedoms: PEN International, American Library Association, and V-Dem Institute launch new reports Freedom of expression, freedom to publish, and freedom to read are covered by new reports published by PEN International, the American Library Association, and the V-Dem Institute. The banning of books appears as one of the most increasing forms of censorship. Read more.  Like Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe IPA on the Move IPA leadership visits Bologna Children's Book Fair IPA President, Gvantsa Jobava, joined Vice President, Giovanni Hoepli, and many other senior IPA figures at this year's very successful Bologna Children's Book Fair participating in ceremonies, awards and panels and meeting members and partners. Read more.  IPA President speaks at Tunis International Book Fair  IPA President, Gvantsa Jobava attended the Tunis International Book Fair where she participated in panels and workshops as well as meeting IPA's local member. Read more.  35th International Publishers Congress Updates Book Your Tickets The IPA Congress in Kuala Lumpur is rapidly approaching In preparation for the event, Publishers Without Borders (PWB) and our Malaysian colleagues at MABOPA are gathering testimonies by asking a simple question: Why do we do the things we do?   We would love to hear your answers to this simple question.  Tell Us Why Other News World Book Day and Copyright Day: Celebrations Around the Publishing Industry Globally  23 April is World Book and Copyright Day, an UNESCO initiative to promote books, reading, copyright, and the value of literature in society. Read more.   Women in Publishing: IPA Past President Ana Maria Cabanellas received the PublishHer Lifetime Achievement Award  The winners of the PublishHer Excellence Awards 2026 were announced during the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Bologna, Italy. Read more.  Accessibility: Winners of the 2026 ABC International Excellence Awards announced: Zanichelli Editore S.p.A. (Italy) and Fundação Dorina Nowill para Cegos (Brazil) WIPO's Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) announced the winners of the 2026 International Excellence Awards for Accessible Publishing during the Bologna Children's Book Fair Awards Ceremony in Bologna, Italy. Zanichelli Editore (Italy) received the publisher award, while the Fundação Dorina Nowill para Cegos (Brazil) was recognised in the initiative category. Read more.  Blog Posts International Children’s Book Day 2026: Plant stories and the world will bloom! Bologna Children's Book Fair is quickly approaching — this year, it runs from 13 to 15 April. Yet another beautiful aspect of the book world is that there are so many people out there imagining new stories and new ways of presenting them for children that we can have entire book fairs just dedicated to this part of the book sector. Read more.  Rewriting the Narrative: Stories Shaping the Future At UN Women, we believe that stories are not only a reflection of the world as it is, but a powerful force in shaping the world as we imagine how it should be. Literature has the unique ability to challenge discriminatory norms, open minds, and inspire generations to imagine more equal, inclusive societies. Read more.  Happy World book and Copyright Day! As it is world book and copyright day, and I am completely biased in favour of our wonderful sector, I will share some thoughts on why the book is special. Read more.  R&D for Reading: Learning Across Borders One of the most valuable lessons from gatherings like Bologna Book Fair is the importance of learning through listening to others; their experiences, their insights, and their ways of understanding the world of books. Read more. IPA in the News The IPA statement condemning the arrest of Hong Kong booksellers was covered by IFEX.  The IPA statement drawing attention to the growing repression of independent cultural and intellectual life in Belarus was covered by the European Writers’ Council.  The participation of IPA President Gvantsa Jobava at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in a panel about how publishers can foster camaraderie among nations and serve as stewards of the future was covered by Publishers Weekly.  IPA’s participation at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair was reported by Publishing Perspectives, Books and Publishing, Indian Printer Publisher, and NewsGhana. The announcement of BOP Prizes at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, presented by IPA alongside AIE, was reported by Publishing Perspectives.  The participation of IPA in the UNESCO World Book Capital Advisory Committee was highlighted by Middle East Online. To Come May    21 Apr - 4 May: Feria Internacional del Libro de Bogotá, Colombia 23 Apr - 3 May: Tunis International Book Fair, Tunisia  28 Apr - 2 May: Abidjan International Book Fair 30 Apr - 10 May: Rabat International Book Fair 7 May - 10 May: 22nd Tessaloniki International Book Fair  13 May - 15 May: 25th Nigeria International Book Fair See our full book fair listing on our site here. IPA's websites About the IPA Established in 1896, the International Publishers Association (IPA) is the world’s largest federation of publishers associations. The IPA is an industry body with a human rights mandate, whose mission is to promote and protect publishing and raise awareness of publishing as a force for economic, cultural and social development. Working in cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and other supranational bodies, the IPA champions the interests of book and journal publishing at national and supranational level. Internationally, the IPA actively opposes censorship and promotes copyright, freedom to publish (including through the IPA Prix Voltaire), and literacy. CONTACT US: International Publishers Association 23 Avenue de France CH-1202 Geneva Tel: +41 22 336 20 55 www.internationalpublishers.org

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