The Association of American Publishers has awarded the 2024 International Freedom to Publish Award to Januškevič Publishing House, a Belarusian publisher that now operates in Poland. The award recognizes a publisher outside of the U.S. that has "demonstrated courage and fortitude in defending freedom of expression."
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| Andrej Januškevič | |
Founded in 2014, Januškevič Publishing House publishes fiction, nonfiction, and historical books in Belarusian, which has become heavily discouraged by the Belarusian government under Russian influence. In 2022, founder Andrej Januškevič was arrested for selling books in Belarusian and imprisoned for 28 days, and later that year was forced to flee to Poland, where his publishing house continued to publish materials for the Belarusian market. In 2023, Belarusian authorities revoked Januškevič’s publishing license, which effectively blocked the house from selling or operating as a publishing house in Belarus. Still, readers can access books published by Januškevič as e-books in Belarus or by purchasing printed copies of the books in Poland.
AAP president and CEO Maria A. Pallante said, "This year we recognize a publishing house of extraordinary persistence and courage. The leaders of Januškevič Publishing House have braved censorship, suffered incarceration, and endured exile, all in service of their mission to provide readers with literature in the Belarusian language. Together, the Board, membership, and staff of the AAP applaud Januškevič for preserving and celebrating a language that has long been under attack, and for demonstrating why the freedom to publish is an essential element of democratic society."
Andrej Januškevič said, "We are honored to accept AAP's Freedom to Publish Award, and we are thankful for the acknowledgment of our work in Belarus and in exile. The Belarusian language illuminates our culture and heritage, and together with our friends and colleagues at other houses that have seen their licenses revoked--including Limaryus, Knihazbor, Haliyafy, Medysont and Zmicier Kolas--we vow to keep that light alive in hopes that it may serve as a beacon, giving comfort to citizens of our homeland, and hope to those who must live in exile."