Huge congratulations to NB Publishers who scooped an international award earlier this week for The President’s Keepers, Jacques Pauw’s bestselling and influential political exposé that was published in 2017.
The prestigious Association of American Publishers’ International Freedom to Publish Award is given annually to a publisher outside the United States that has demonstrated courage and fortitude in defending freedom of expression. The President’s Keepers implicated several high-ranking government officials and had to withstand several gag attempts.
The association’s president and CEO Maria Pallante said “the perseverance that NB Publishers has demonstrated in seeing through the publication of this important book despite the relentless threats that it expected and continue to experience from various state apparatuses is globally inspiring”.
Media24 Books and NB Publishers managing director Eloise Wessels says they are truly humbled to be regarded worthy of this award, and to be joining the ranks of past honorees from countries as diverse as China, Iran, Bangladesh, Turkey and Egypt.
“We knew, when we decided to publish The President’s Keepers, that we were taking an enormous risk. The main subject of our book held the highest power in the country.”
Eloise says they had to edit, typeset, print and distribute the book in the utmost secrecy and even code-named it “The Peacock’s Keepers”. “I dedicate this prize to my fellow publishers, our supportive booksellers and the excellent investigative journalists that continue to expose and fight the rot even when they are at risk physically and otherwise.”