ISLAMABAD: Pakistani author and publisher Mehr Hussain made history on Thursday by becoming the first ever woman from her country to be among the only five nominees shortlisted for the 2023 International Publishers Association (IPA) Prix Voltaire award.
Established in 2005, the IPA says its nominees for the Prix Voltaire award are publishers – individuals, groups or organizations – who have published controversial works amid pressure, threats, intimidation or harassment, be it from governments, other authorities or private interests.
The Prix Voltaire award comes with a generous award of CHF 10,000.
The list of nominees includes Hussain from Pakistan, Günışığı Kitaplığı Publishing House from Turkiye, Egyptian author Ahmed Mahmoud Ibrahim Ahmed, Mercier Press from Ireland and Iraqi publisher Mazen Lateef Ali.
Hussain founded ZUKA BOOKS in 2020, which she refers to as Pakistan’s first independent publishing platform. Hussain decided to establish the platform after Pakistan banned books from India, as ties between the nuclear-armed neighbors deteriorated following the Pulwama attack.
According to the IPA, ZUKA BOOKS published books “that are the first of their kind in Pakistan and have generated a national dialogue focusing on female inclusivity and empowerment.”
“Deeply honored to be shortlisted and that too alongside such incredible heroes,” Hussain said, reacting to the nomination. “The written word has immense potential to change Pakistan and it is an ongoing fight. Those who fear it, need it most.”
“I hope more writers and publishers in Pakistan feel hopeful and I look forward to when we will have a healthy industry where people will no longer be crippled by fear when it comes to telling their stories,” she added.
Hussain says she has written and published Pakistan’s first cultural history “through the lens of fashion titled ‘Pakistan: A Fashionable History’ (2020).”
ZUKA BOOKS has been in the headlines before when it was previously shortlisted as a nominee for the UN Women Asia Pacific Award in 2021.
