A-ba-ba-ha-la-ma-ha

Ivan Malkovych's Publishing House "A-ba-ba-ha-la-ma-ha" is a Ukrainian publishing house that was founded in 1992, becoming the first private children's book publisher in independent Ukraine.[1] It started to publish books for a wider range of readers in 2008. Ivan Malkovych is a founder, as well as director and the main editor. He controls the publishing of each and every book from its manuscript to the final printing process.[2]

A-ba-ba-ha-la-ma-ha
Parent companyA-ba-ba-ha-la-ma-ha
Founded1992 (1992)
FounderIvan Malkovych
Country of originUkraine
Headquarters locationKyiv
Official websiteababahalamaha.com.ua

History

The publishing house name derives from a phrase "a-ba-ba-ha-la-ma-ha" firstly used in Ivan Franko's short story Hrytseva shkilna nauka (Hryts's Schooling),[3] whose main character learns how to read by syllables using the phrase "a-ba-ba-ha-la-ma-ha" (stands for A baba halamaha, which literally means And a grandma is a blabber).

The publishing house for children from 2 to 102[4] presented its first title The Ukrainian Alphabet in July 1992. As Ivan Malkovych stated: "At first I didn't think of the publishing house, all I had in mind was an alphabet book starting with the word Angel. I didn't want it to be words like Autobus and Akula (Shark) or whatever on purpose. I wanted my book to start with the Angel."[5]

A New York publishing house Alfred A. Knopf purchased a publication rights of the A-ba-ba-ha-la-ma-ha's children book The Kitten and the Rooster in 1995.[6] It was the first time a notable Western publisher expressed its interest in a book of a Ukrainian publishing house.

Following the success in The Moscow International Book Fair in 2001, Malkovych decided to open a branch office in Russia, which was established in Moscow in 2004.[7] The publishing house commenced publishing books in Russian, that were not to be distributed in Ukraine.[8]

The new Ukrainian translation of Hamlet executed by Yuri Andrukhovych was published in 2008, for which the publishing house received a Grand Prix of Ukrainian contest The Best Book of The Lviv Publishers' Forum.[9]

Being one of the most successful publishing houses in Ukraine, the A-ba-ba-ha-la-ma-ha published more than 100 titles with a total circulation of more than 4,000,000 copies. It has also sold the publishing rights for its books to 19 foreign countries.

The director of A-ba-ba-ha-la-ma-ha Ivan Malkovych claimed that there was a failed raider attack on the publishing house's office in November 2011.[10][11]

References
  1. «Абабагаламагія», "Видавництво Івана Малковича «А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-МА-ГА», Перевірено 04.12.2010
  2. Анна Ященко. «Іван Малкович: „Мені не все одно що продавати — труси чи книжки“», Час і Події, Перевірено 04.12.2010
  3. New Ukrainian book for children is a treasure for all time
  4. «Книги», "Видавництво Івана Малковича «А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-МА-ГА»
  5. Сергій Рахманін. «Дійова особа: засновник приватного дитячого видавництва „А-ба-ба-га-ла-ма-га“ Іван Малкович. „, “Радіо Свобода»
  6. «The Cat and the Rooster (Alfred A.Knopf, USA)»
  7. Елена Горелова. «А-ба-ба-га-ла-ма-га»(in Russian), «MarketingMix»
  8. «Історія», «Видавництво Івана Малковича „А-БА-БА-ГА-ЛА-МА-ГА“»
  9. Галина Гузьо, Галина Антонів «Чудова вісімка від „Високого Замку“», «Високий замок»
  10. Малкович: Невідомі забарикадувалися і почали ламати підлогу і стіни
  11. Рейдери атакували відоме видавництво
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