Founded on the principle of co-operation for mutual benefit, based on friendship and trust, the MGA is a more meaningful and personally-linked group than a traditional business association. Members meet not only at book fairs, but individually all over the globe. Over the years, hundreds of co-publications have resulted from these contacts, many valuable business connections have been forged, joint venture companies founded and lasting friendships formed. Likewise dedicated to the principles of freedom of speech and free exchange of information, of cultural and spiritual values, the Association is fostering these aims by all available means.

Most of the motley group of publishing folk from a dozen countries who met twenty-five years ago on the Adria, a refurbished fishing boat, for a cruise along the Dalmatian archipelago, had only a hazy idea of what to expect. In the event, the infectious enthusiasm of the prime movers Bato Tomasevic and Jürgen Braunschweiger engendered such an atmosphere of creativity and cooperation as well as good fellowship that towards the end of the cruise not one of the self-styled ‘boat people’ was in any doubt about the inevitability of a repeat get-together the following year.

As a non-aligned nation, Yugoslavia was the natural place for publishers from both sides of the great divide to meet and implement in book form the lofty concept of co-existence. MGA is full of people passionately committed to the art of the book in all its manifestations.

While in general members of the group tend to publish illustrated non-fiction and children’s books, their lists are very varied in their orientation, from lifestyle books to scholarly works including books on the arts. There is a tremendous sense of collegiality, willingness to share sometimes invaluable information, and to help with the best of advice.