Palestinian publisher Samir Mansour was awarded the International Publishers Association's 2024 Prix Voltaire, which honors publishers--individuals, groups, or organizations--who have "typically published controversial works amid pressure, threats, intimidation or harassment, be it from governments, other authorities or private interests. Alternatively, they may be publishers with a distinguished record of upholding the values of freedom to publish and freedom of expression." The awards took place at a ceremony during the IPA Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico. The IPA also announced a Prix Voltaire Special Award for murdered Ukrainian author Victoria Amelina. The Prix Voltaire has a prize of CHF 10,000 (about $11,320).
The Samir Mansour Bookshop for Printing and Publishing was cited by the IPA for being "a critical part of the local community in Gaza, publishing the works of Palestinian authors and housing thousands of books in various languages. Destroyed in 2021 and rebuilt through community efforts, the bookshop has once again been a victim of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The bookshop has continued its efforts to bring books to Palestinian youth, visiting evacuation centres and providing books and gift packages to displaced children."
Amelina was cited for having "put her fiction writing on hold during the war in Ukraine to become a war crimes investigator. She gathered testimonies from survivors and witnesses of the war, also ensuring to document the killings of fellow writers, including last year's Special Award recipient, Volodymyr Vakulenko. Victoria found Vakulenko's occupation diaries hidden in his family's garden and played a key role in bringing them to publication this year. Amelina had attended the 2023 Prix Voltaire ceremony to receive the Special Award on his behalf."
IPA president Karine Pansa said, "Our two laureates this year as well as our shortlist encourage us to think about the role of publishing for peace and the relationship between conflict and publishing. This year's Prix Voltaire laureate and nominees embody publishers' efforts to promote books and the dissemination of information to prevent conflict and foster peace, even while facing extreme dangers themselves. Their commitment to publishing and the dissemination of knowledge becomes a beacon of hope amidst immense devastation."