
A pedestrian bridge and skyscrapers in Jakarta. Image – Getty iStockphoto: Denny Aulia
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
November 10 to 12 in Jakarta
Ffrom its offices in Geneva, the International Publishers Association (IPA) is announcing this morning (June 28) that it has opened registration for its 33rd International Publishers Congress in Jakarta, November 10 t0 12.Registration is here, and the congress itself is free for delegates. The program offers accommodation packages in a range of prices.
As Publishing Perspectives readers know, the International Publishers Congress is a biennial event, last held in New Delhi in February 2018.
The 2020 edition, which had been extensively planned and scheduled for Lillehammer, had to be canceled as the still-ongoing coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic was prompting some of the most severe spread-mitigation constraints in many markets of world publishing.
In that same year, Jakarta was demonstrating its centricity to the Indonesian publishing business, registering 14,906 ISBNs. The choice of the Indonesian capital for the 33rd congress was announced in September 2020.
The 33rd congress’ overarching theme is “Reading Matters: Embracing the Future.”
In keynote presentations and panel discussions, the content will include the impact and dynamics of artificial intelligence; technology and its platforms; the realities of—and threats to—the freedom to publish; issues around sustainability in publishing, the challenges of deepening diversity and inclusivity; questions of how to promote reading in a hyper-visual world; and the power of translation.

Bodour Al Qasimi
The freedom to publish will be central to the congress’ gala dinner, which will showcase the 2022 Prix Voltaire ceremony.
The program includes keynote speeches from Daren Tang, director-general of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Japanese author Natsuo Kirino, and Bodour Al Qasimi, IPA president and the lead with Dubai Cares‘ Tariq Al Gurg of the IPA-administered Africa Publishing Innovation Fund.

Gabriella Page-Fort
Speakers include Jesús Badenes, the Madrid-based publishing director of Grupo Planeta; Gabriella Page-Fort, the former editorial director of Amazon Crossing and now executive editor with HarperOne; and Adi Ekatama, general manager of Jakarta’s Gramedia.
Both Jakarta Content Week (JakTent, quite familiar to Publishing Perspectives readers) and the Indonesian International Book Fair are scheduled to run

Karine Pansa
IPA’s vice-president, Karine Pansa, is speaking during the congress and is the chair of its programming committee. She’s quoted today, saying, “We are so excited to be revealing the great line-up we have for this congress.
Combined with the free registration and great-value accommodation packages, we really want to bring our global publishing community back together in person.”

Laura Prinsloo
And the executive chair of Jakarta Book City Committee Laura Prinsloo says, “Jakarta is looking forward to hosting the 33rd IPA Congress and is committed to giving delegates an unforgettable experience of Jakarta during and after the congress through well-curated professional and cultural programs.”
More information will be forthcoming soon about the congress, as we develop our coverage around its issues and events.

Fatahillah, or the Jakarta History Mueum, in the capital city’s old town, May 15. Image – Getty iStockphoto: Nur Kayat
More from Publishing Perspectives on the International Publishers Association is here, more on its series of International Publishers Congress is here, more on the freedom to publish and freedom of expression is here, more on the IPA’s Prix Voltaire is here, more on the work of WIPO is here, more on copyright is here, and more on the Indonesian publishing market is here.
Publishing Perspectives is the International Publishers Association’s global media partner.
More from us on the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on international book publishing is here.