What must have happened in 2012 for Aniol Rafel, Laura Huerga and Ricard Planas and Ramon Mas to jump into the pool of publishing adventure? We are talking about Edicions del Periscopi, Raig Verd and Males Herbes, who have blown out ten candles in recent months at parties that have brought together a large part of the Catalan publishing world, especially the independent but not only. And even a couple of years later L'Altra by Eugènia Broggi was added, and the flowering has been gaining weight.
Broggi, who before founding his publishing house had spent ten years at Grup 62 – where he admits that he “learned everything, what could be done and what not” – believes that the great growth of 62 was one of the causes of these births.
It is not that there was no independent edition, at that time of maximum concentration Quaderns Crema persisted, Edicions de 1984, Pagès from Lleida, Comanegra started... And a few years before LaBreu had been born, with the first intention of publishing only poetry, to the to which the narrative was added, first the original Catalan, then translations... proud, says Ester Andorrà, "of having encouraged undecided authors" and discovering talents such as Joan Todó, Jordi Nopca or Albert Forns, among many others.
But they are, continues Andorrà, "outside the system", because they have not wanted to professionalize to live from the publishing house. The publisher also illustrates that technology has also helped new publishers, because print runs that would otherwise be too expensive can now be adjusted.
For Aniol Rafel, when he was thinking about his Periscopi project, LaBreu was one of the examples that it was possible to have a different and very interesting catalogue, like “also Minúscula or the one that Eugènia Broggi built in Empúries”.
A few days before the celebration of Periscopi, Aniol Rafel offered figures from his publisher: the label produces 0.37% of the annual news in Catalan, but has a market share of 4.47%. Rafel assures that they all have a good relationship: "We share common objectives, to get good literature to readers, and that is why we are not competition." "The reader who goes to the bookstore and picks up one of our books, another day will pick up a book from another, and that benefits us all, it is a work that is also collective, with diversity and quality."
During the tenth anniversary party, a few weeks ago, a publisher from a large group told a small committee that "there were years when Periscopi seemed like a miracle", because they had successes that seemed unexpected, including six Llibreter prizes -two last year–, but it is also responsible for publishing an author like David Foster Wallace or Ànima de Wajdi Mouawad in Catalan.
Laura Huerga, from Raig Verd, also calls for good relations, "with some excellent, with others admiration and respect". Huerga –who shared an office with Rafel for five years and now shares it with L'Avenç and Enderrock– is convinced that the variety of proposals "has given diversity", which in her case also includes publishing books with a critical spirit, with an important in science fiction, responsible for publishing here books such as those by Ali Smith or Ursula K. Le Guin, but also the Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexiévich or the annual call for the Sexe Fora de Norma prize.
At its start, he already surprised by winning the Llibreter prize with his first book, by Gerbrand Bakker. In any case, Huerga does not think that publishers will compete with each other, because in recent years "the reader has noticed a change and an impact that acts as a sounding board for others and benefits us all."
Males Herbes also makes a flagship of the literature of the imagination, an important part of its catalogue, in its case with a more countercultural point, with leading authors such as Kurt Vonnegut and local discoveries such as Elisenda Solsona, the recent Finestres Roser Cabré-Verdiell prize winner or another of last year's phenomena, Guilleries, by Ferran Garcia.
Ricard Planas explains that they started “with the vocation of touching noses, yes, but also to fill a void”. Planas insists that there is fair play among independents: "If I receive an original from an author from another publishing house, I call the editor, let him know." But also, with some they often call or maintain WhatsApp groups to coordinate, "some contacts that have been important in times of crisis." The relationship between them and L'Altra is also professional, because they have a joint collection, Les Altres Herbes.
Broggi agrees that there is good vibes, although he does not hide the fact that "sometimes there can be a certain amount of jealousy, but there is a very noble deal". It is also true that when the three publishers that just turned ten came out in the same year, he was not very amused: "I was afraid they would take over the site, but at the same time it also spurred me on."
The role of Club Editor also stands out, with a much longer history, but not so much if we take it since the relaunch with Maria Bohigas, starting in 2005. For her, in recent years "there has been a strong change in the fertile panorama, in that each one seeks to complete a catalog that has added value”, while seeing a generational component.
Bohigas also points out the importance of other initiatives with personality such as Adesiara, Les Hores or Nits Blanques, but also Anagrama –the collection in Catalan with Isabel Obiols as editor is from 2014– or Angle, another independent with a long history. His editor, Rosa Rey, is also taken into account when making decisions.
And it is that independent publishers have expanded the panorama of publishing in Catalan, seeking their own personality in the type of book, even when it is more general, but also in the way of doing it. There is something for all tastes, and you only have to see some of those born in recent years: Cal Carré, La Segona Perifèria, Chronos, Mai Més, Flâneur, ViBop...
When there is an event in the sector – lots of parties, but also presentations – they meet, laugh and talk. Not long ago, after the Finestres awards party, an editor with a few years of independent experience asked another with more experience for advice, who offered it, of course, with joy.
Catalan version, here
