Agone

Agone (Éditions Agone) is an independent French publishing house founded in 1998 as a non-profit association. It grew out of the journal Agone, which had been founded in Marseille in 1990. The publishing house is based in Marseille and distributes its books through Les Belles Lettres, with diffusion handled by HOBO diffusion. Its editorial identity is explicitly political and self-managed: the house states that its singularity lies in building an editorial line attentive to the struggles of the present, subject to the demands of knowledge, and organized in a self-managed mode in resistance to media and marketing logics. It presents its project as political above all, aiming to give the widest possible public tools to understand the world, and to publish what the university — from the sciences to philosophy and history — still produces as subversive knowledge. The editorial policy is defined negatively as well as positively: Agone says it does not publish a book solely because it is profitable, does not publish an author solely on the criterion of fame, and does not treat a subject solely because it is topical. Some works receive subsidies from various institutions, including the regional council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, the Bouches-du-Rhône department, and the CNL (Centre national du livre). Its collections cover politics, social history, philosophy, and engaged literature. Some collections are produced in collaboration with other associations, including Survie, the Comité de vigilance face aux usages publics de l'histoire, and the Smolny publishing collective. OpenEdition Journals provides the full online version of the Agone journal and of some titles published in the 'Banc d'essais' and 'Contre-feux' collections. Agone's catalogue includes authors such as Paul Boghossian, Burnett Bolloten, Jacques Bouveresse, Noam Chomsky, Stig Dagerman, Alfred Döblin, Serge Halimi, William James, Karl Kraus, Rosa Luxemburg, Gérard Noiriel, George Orwell, Jean-Marc Rouillan, Moritz Schlick, François-Xavier Verschave, and Howard Zinn. The house has also faced internal conflict: a social dispute led to the departure of five employees out of six, along with several other collaborators, between late 2012 and early 2013. In summer 2013, members with rights in the association who had taken part in the publishing activity since its foundation asked to be convened to the 2013 general assembly, saying they no longer recognized themselves in the project defended by the editorial director with the support of the association's bureau and some collection directors. These historical members of the Agone journal and publishing house held a press conference in Marseille on 19 September 2013 to inform the public. Several former employees of the association complained of having been victims of 'harassment' by the management.

Agone began as a journal founded in Marseille in 1990. In 1998, the publishing house Éditions Agone was founded as an independent, non-profit association, emerging from that same journal. The house is based in Marseille and its books are distributed by Les Belles Lettres and diffused by HOBO diffusion. Its editorial line was built around a self-managed organizational model and an explicit resistance to media and marketing logics, with the stated political aim of giving the widest public tools to understand the world and of publishing knowledge produced by the university that is still subversive. The catalogue spans politics, social history, philosophy, and engaged literature, with some collections produced in collaboration with other associations such as Survie, the Comité de vigilance face aux usages publics de l'histoire, and the Smolny publishing collective. OpenEdition Journals offers the full online version of the Agone journal and some titles from the 'Banc d'essais' and 'Contre-feux' collections. Authors published include Paul Boghossian, Burnett Bolloten, Jacques Bouveresse, Noam Chomsky, Stig Dagerman, Alfred Döblin, Serge Halimi, William James, Karl Kraus, Rosa Luxemburg, Gérard Noiriel, George Orwell, Jean-Marc Rouillan, Moritz Schlick, François-Xavier Verschave, and Howard Zinn. Between late 2012 and early 2013, a social conflict resulted in the departure of five of six employees and several other collaborators. In summer 2013, association members with rights who had participated since the founding asked to be convened to the 2013 general assembly, saying they no longer recognized themselves in the project defended by the editorial director with the support of the bureau and some collection directors. On 19 September 2013, these historical members held a press conference in Marseille to inform the public. Several former employees complained of 'harassment' by the management.

• 2013

  Historical members request the 2013 general assembly; press conference held in Marseille on 19 September 2013.

• 2012

  Social conflict begins, leading to departures of five of six employees and several collaborators between late 2012 and early 2013.

• 1998

  Éditions Agone publishing house founded as an independent non-profit association.

• 1990

  Agone journal founded in Marseille.

Independent, non-profit, politically engaged publisher resisting media and marketing logics, publishing subversive knowledge for the widest public.

• Agone journal

  Journal founded in Marseille in 1990; full online version available via OpenEdition Journals.

• Banc d'essais collection

  Book collection; some titles available online via OpenEdition Journals.

• Contre-feux collection

  Book collection; some titles available online via OpenEdition Journals.

1. 1Wikidata: Agonewikidata.org
2. 2Wikipédia: Éditions Agonefr.wikipedia.org