The Invitation Programme for publishers from countries with developing book industries

Éditions Akoma Mba, founded in the year 1995 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, is focused on a wide range of children’s books, especially for ages between 3 and 15 years old. It has also published some international titles like "Madoulina: A Girl Who Wanted to Go to School". It has equally sold titles like "Yanou a le palu". Éditions Akomba Mba cooperated in literacy / school campaigns like ‘The Picture Book Caravan’ in March 2020 in Yaoundé.

Editora Trinta Zero Nove is an independent press based in Maputo, Mozambique. It was started in 2018 by Sandra Tamele to publish, both in print and audio book, the collection of short fiction translated by the winners of the literary translation competition that celebrates International Translation Day, 30 September. This initiative was awarded a Special Mention on the London Book Fair Excellence Awards in 2020. This year the press debuted a kid lit and young adult collections translated from Arabic, Italian and English into Portuguese in print and braille.

Imagnary House is a South African publisher founded in 2016, focused on children’s books and young-adult literature. The house was built off the phrase, "If you walk in the measurable, you miss out on the imaginable," and so they have come to value story above the rules of language. They have published a catalogue of popular local titles, like “Listen to Your Diddalum” and “The New Girl Code”, with a strong rights program having sold several titles into countries like the USA and China.

Kibondo Editions Ltd is an independent Publishing House operating in Rwanda since 2009. It is focused on a wide range children’s books, especially for ages between 2-6 years. It has published 50 titles so far and 25 of them are translated in foreign languages. Books are sold to Rwanda Education Board, NGOs working in education sector. Kibondo Editions has set itself the goal to produce books which meet needs of every child in their age.

Almatykitap Baspassy was founded in 1999.  It focuses on a wide range children’s books for ages between 2 and 18, including education and non-fiction titles. There are also a number of ethnographic titles on Kazakh culture, its traditions and nature. It has also some international titles in cooperation with Dorling Kindersley, Caramel and Usborne. Titles have been sold to Uzbekistan, Russia and China. It participates on regular basis at national educational campaigns for reading promotion.

E.Q.Plus Publisher, founded on 2003 in Bangkok,Thailand is focused on a Knowledge comic for ages between 9-15 years old. It has also sold the copyrights more than 300 titles in Malaysia, Taiwan, Korea, Hongkong, and we also has others product such as Animation, Merchandize, Boardgame.

Kesaint Blanc was founded in 1988. Four years ago, the publisher started to publish Children’s Books, with the age focus between 3-12 years old. It has published more than 80 original titles, which rights sold to China, Turkey, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Philippines. The publisher has also acquired international titles from China, Korea, Turkey, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia. At their Online Kids Corner kids can learn through watching videos.

Pickle Yolk Books is a multi-award-winning Indian publisher of picture books in English, incorporated in 2018 but in operation since 2015. The titles, aimed mostly at readers between 4 and 8 years of age, are important conversation-starters as they encourage curiosity, independent thinking and a questioning spirit among them. They have sold several language rights within India, and internationally to the US, Poland, Thailand and Indonesia. 

Sacca Publishing Co., founded on Taipei in 2011, dedicates to the children’s books publishing between ages 4 to 15 with 10 to 15 years published yearly. Saccas conduct cross-border/cross-age activities, including introduction of literary landscapes and understanding cultural history and its historical assets. They bring both the elderly and the young to learn traditional folk culture by viewing original paintings, cooperating with Symphony Orchestra to reorganize stories, or bringing adults and children into the National Concert Hall. 

TUTI Books, founded in 2015 in Tehran, Iran, is solely dedicated to publishing high-quality content for children and young adults. TUTI Books is among the handful of publishers in Iran which are active in this field on a global scale and has sold its translation rights in many languages including French, Chinese, and Spanish. TUTI Books has won several national and international awards for its titles, including the BIB Grand Prix award in 2019.

Dar al Saqi is an award-winning independent publishing house based in Beirut. Founded in 1990, their books cover various subjects including children's and young adults’ for ages between 3 and 18. Saqi won many international awards such as “Etisalat Award for Children” and “The International Prize for Arabic Fiction”. Many titles have been sold to foreign languages. Saqi is always present in the exhibitions and collaborate constantly with schools.

Ediciones La Luz, founded in 1997 is a leading publisher for young writers from Cuba. It’s focused on a wide range of children's books for ages between 8 and 12 years old. It has published some international titles such as “Cartas a mi hija Indira” and “En busca de la piedra verde”. It has sold titles too such as “Dice el musgo que brota” and “Retoños de almendron”. It hass cooperated in literary campaigns at High and Special Learning schools.

A Walk Through History is a Russian publishing house specializing in children’s nonfiction. Since 2011 it has created and designed about 50 titles on various periods of history and other themes – mathematics, sport, engines, plants, animals, mythology etc. All the books and games are created with the help of scientists and child psychologists. The catalogue list includes encyclopedias, interactive books, picture books and games.

Aukso Žuvys is a small and independent publishing house founded in 2010 in Vilnius, Lithuania. The focus is historical and cultural-educational illustrated books for children and young adults, especially for ages between 7 and 17. A number of them received several national and international nominations and won multiple awards for book art and content with some of them being transformed into theatre performances, films and radio shows. They cooperate with literary festivals, schools and libraries

Alboroto Ediciones is a Mexican publishing house for Children’s books, born in 2018 as a teamwork proposal. Their books are meant to disrupt through images in order to get a reaction. They deal with several topics mainly related to a social context: dictatorship, exile, disappearances, social integration, disabilities among others. In their books, ab aesthetic and poetic vision of subjects is brought forth, no matter how hard they are. It has been awarded as best children’s book publisher in 2020 by the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

Amelì is a children’s books publisher founded in 2018. This publishing house looks for books that make a difference in the lives of readers. It publishes books that instill the reader creating their own interpretations, so every new reading creates a new book. At the beginning, it published translations of international titles with the first original title being published in 2020 and the establishment of new publishing imprint called 100/cabeças.

Cataplum Libros was founded in 2016 in Bogotá.  The publishing house focuses on children’s books - from 2 to 12 years. It has published some international titles like “Inés” by Roger Mello and Mariana Massarani and has sold the rights of titles like “Lion and Mouse” by Jairo Buitrago and Rafael Yockteng. It seeks to investigate through collective memory recovering the oral tradition, playful language and its diverse and endless possibilities.

Deidayvuelta is a project focused on the production of high - quality illustrated books, the dissemination of these works, and the formation of audience. Since 2014, they have employed different strategies to achieve the objectives set forth. They have an independent editorial line and conduct workshops, lectures and talks. The aim is to transform reading into an integral experience.

Topito Ediciones, founded in Uruguay in 2012 is focused on children's picture books. It specializes in “rare books” that mix pop culture with traditional kids subjects such as "My first book of Rock & Roll". Although the focus lies on Uruguayan artists, books from Norway, Brazil and Argentina have been likewise published. Rights have been sold rights to Argentina, Brazil and Eastern Africa. Topito cooperates with school campaigns and the Uruguayan digital library programme.