Association of American Publishers awarded its 2023 International Freedom to Publish Award to “all publishing houses in multiple countries and regions of the world that continued to publish in the face of increased government pressure, harassment, and threats.”
Terry Adams, chair, AAP Freedom to Publish Committee and digital and paperback publisher, Little, Brown and Company, says in a release, “This year we heard from numerous publishers from various parts of the world who were grateful to be considered for recognition, but who also live in fear of the additional scrutiny, harassment, and danger that such an honor might bring. As a result, this year’s award is for the many houses who quietly fight the battle for free expression under impossibly difficult circumstances.”
He continues, “We realize that the empty hole at the center of this year’s award might seem to represent a missed opportunity to recognize some one individual publisher, and so in making this announcement we cannot emphasize strongly enough that the danger, the outrageous levels of censorship, the deep fears of reprisal, and the freedoms that are very much on the line make this the most important award we’ve ever given.”
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