Fear of Government Pressure Leads Publishers to Decline Freedom to Publish Award

In response, the Association of American Publishers honors all publishers who continued to publish amidst opposition.

Book publishers worldwide are facing intense government pressure, leading to fear and self-censorship.
The Association of American Publishers (AAP) was unable to find a recipient for its annual International Freedom to Publish Award due to this fear.
The AAP is instead honoring all publishing houses that continued to publish in the face of opposition this year.
Publishers from various parts of the world expressed gratitude for being considered for the award, but also fear of additional scrutiny, harassment, and danger.
The award, established in 2002, recognizes publishing houses outside the U.S. that have demonstrated courage in defending freedom of expression.