Bibliodiversity: Ensuring Every Story Can Be Heard
What do we find when we walk into a bookstore or library? Works from a multitude of cultures offering different perspectives on the world—or mostly books backed by the largest production, distribution, and promotional networks?
On September 21, International Bibliodiversity Day invites us to reflect on the diversity of works and voices that make up our literary ecosystems.
Just as biodiversity refers to the variety of living things, bibliodiversity refers to the diversity essential to the creation and circulation of books: diversity among publishing houses, authors, languages, cultures, literary genres, ideas, and ways of telling stories about the world.
Preserving Diversity in the Face of Publishing Concentration
The term “bibliodiversity,” which emerged among Chilean publishers in the 1990s, was later embraced by the International Alliance of Independent Publishers. International Bibliodiversity Day has been celebrated since 2010, on September 21, which marks the beginning of spring in the Southern Hemisphere.
This movement responds in part to concerns about the concentration of the publishing industry and commercial mechanisms that can favour certain titles over works that may be less likely to immediately reach a large market.
The issue goes far beyond economics. Gilles Colleu warned about the cultural consequences of such standardization: “In seeking to create products for the greatest number of people, we forget and erase the notions of specificity and cultural identity.”
Bibliodiversity therefore helps preserve spaces where different experiences, cultures, and perspectives can find expression, including those that are less represented in mainstream commercial channels.
Behind Every Book Is a Human Chain
On this International Day, the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) also reminds us that there is an entire “human chain” behind every book: authors, publishers, translators, booksellers, librarians, and other professionals all help ideas and imaginations circulate.
This diversity deserves to be protected because, as the OIF emphasizes, “every story deserves to be heard.”
This statement raises several questions worth considering. What does the word “bibliodiversity” mean to us? Do all stories truly have the same opportunity to be published, distributed, and discovered? And how can we encourage a greater diversity of voices within our own communities?
Choosing independent publishers, discovering authors from different backgrounds, reading translated works, supporting local libraries and bookstores, or simply stepping outside our usual reading habits are all ways to contribute to this diversity.
Reading to Discover Different Realities
This International Day has particular resonance with the mission of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM), who have placed education and the full development of every person at the heart of their commitment.
Reading allows us to learn, but it also gives us an opportunity to encounter others through their stories. A diversity of books and narratives can help us discover different realities, challenge preconceived ideas, and become more open to different cultural identities and ways of experiencing the world.
To continue the reflection, read the International Organisation of La Francophonie’s article on bibliodiversity (in French) and watch the short promotional video about this International Day.
And why not mark September 21 by choosing a book that takes us beyond our usual frame of reference? Preserving bibliodiversity also means giving ourselves the opportunity to hear more voices and better understand the richness of the world around us.