The Mookse and the Gripes discussion

Charco Press are a new small press based in Scotland who publish books in translation (so far they all seem to be from Latin America), including the marvellous Die, My Love by Ariana Harwicz.

They will all be from Latin America as ....

Charco Press focuses on finding outstanding contemporary Latin American literature and bringing it to new readers in the English-speaking world. We aim to act as a cultural and linguistic bridge for you to be able to access a brand new world of fiction that has, until now, been missing from your reading list.

Charco means 'puddle' in Spanish. It is also a colloquialism used in some Latin American countries to refer to the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, cruzar el charco means 'crossing the puddle' and is a way of referring to when someone is going overseas, or travelling between continents.

Charco Press was born from a desire to do something a little out of the ordinary. To bring you, the reader, books from a different part of the world. Outstanding books. Books you want to read. Maybe even books you need to read.

Charco Press is ambitious. We aim to change the current literary scene and make room for a kind of literature that has been overlooked. We want to be that bridge between a world of talented contemporary writers and yourself.

We select authors whose works feed the imagination, challenge perspective and spark debate. Authors that are shining lights in the world of contemporary literature. Authors whose works have won awards and received critical acclaim. Bestselling authors. Yet authors you perhaps have never heard of. Because none of them have been published in English.

Until now.

And Carolina Orloff, one of the co-founders and also co-translator of Die My Love is a really lovely person, having had the pleasure of meeting her twice.

Thanks for filling in the quality information, Paul!

It may seem frivolous, but I'd like to add here that the books from Charco Press are some of the most beautifully designed and altogether aesthetically pleasing I've ever come across, both the cover art and the in-hand feel of the books. Definitely a case where one would choose the paper copy over the ebook I think.

That's not frivolous, Viv! I love books as art and there has been discussions about cover design here.

Gumble noted the ability to interact with authors and publishers in the world of small presses and thats true of translators and editors as well. With my copy of Die, My Love was a thank you note from Carla and Kit, the editor of Attrib., also included a note hoping I enjoy the book. Those small gestures a very touch I think.

The Charco thankyou notes are signed by Carolina (Orloff). Attrib was published by Influx.

You’re right Hugh. Let my post stand as example of why we don’t post at 2am after a few Guinness, on a phone that doesn’t allow edits or deletes, and as a reminder of the importance of punctuation.

Take II: Gumble noted the ability to interact with authors and publishers in the world of small presses and thats true of translators and editors as well. With my copy of Die, My Love was a thank you note from Carolina, and Kit, the editor of Attrib., also included a note hoping I enjoy the book. Those small gestures a very touch I think.

Viv wrote: "the books from Charco Press are some of the most beautifully designed and altogether aesthetically pleasing I've ever come across."

I've not seen any copies in person, but I love the cover designs. (Just learned of this publisher last week when I started using GR more fully again.)
They are reminiscent of a style of 1960s and 70s covers that I'd wished would be revived - and now they have been. I am really liking the shift towards geometric cover designs that's happening in a few places now (it used to be just Open Letter and Deep Vellum) and away from the twee cover art that was common in the earlier part of the current decade.

The First Minister of Scotland gives a shout out to Charco Press:

As I switch my tape recorder off, she strides across the room to her bookshelves and pulls out a handful of slim volumes. “Have you heard of Charco Press?” she asks. “It’s a new publishing house in Edinburgh which specialises in translated fiction from Latin America”. It occurs to me, then, that for a politician who is sometimes accused of trying to push Scots literature and language on to the curriculum, her tastes are anything but parochial.

Read more at: https://www.scotsman.com/news/politic...

Nicola Sturgeon is an impressive politician. She is super-smart, hyper-politically aware, but also seems to have a good handle on the real world outside politics.

Yes - irrespective of one's views of her party, it is impressive to have a politician with a cultural hinterland. Particularly when the self-proclaimed leader of the free world doesn't seem to have even read the books he is supposed to have written.

LOL!

Have added these upcoming Charco Press books to GR and the MBI lists.

If you follow Charco, please do add info when it becomes available through newsletters etc. Some of them have different titles in the catalogue and on Amazon, and they say in the catalogue "we will very, very likely change our minds on what we call most of them." None of them have proper cover art available yet, just placeholders, even the one down for late January. Some don't have ISBNs or translators listed. The info I've added is from Amazon where it wasn't in the Charco catalogue.

Trout Belly Up by Rodrigo Fuentes (January)
Feebleminded by Arianna Harwicz (May)
The Wind that Lays Waste by Selva Almada. Also pub by Graywolf in the US in July.
War Scenes by Andrea Jeftanovic
Loop / Perfect Diary by Brenda Lozano (September)
An Orphan World by Giuseppe Caputo (October)
The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara (November)

I am thinking about buying all 10 past books. They sell them in two bundles, 40 GBP for 2017 and 50 GBP for 2018 but you only pay one flat shipping fee of 15 GBP whether you buy one or two bundles. I have emailed them to ask if they offer a P and E bundle. I would love that. Pretty books on my bookshelves and ease of reading on my ereader.

A P&E bundle appeals to me as well. It looks like the 2017 and 2018 offers were made at the beginning of their respective years so perhaps we will get a 2019 offer soon.

Yes the 2019 subscription offer is imminent. Sam and Carolina are just considering with some different subscription models e.g. a monthly or per-book recurring sub as an alternative to an annual upfront fee.

What is P & E?

Print and ebook bundling. I did contact them about it. It's an idea they are kicking around. They did give me a great offer since I asked. I suggest if you are interested in a P & E bundling with Charco that you contact them.

I am tempted now.

2019 subscription now available to buy:

https://charcopress.com/bookstore/the...

DM them on Twitter or email re other options eg print & ebook bundling

I bought The Lot!

Me too - indeed realised there is one Charco book I haven't read so have ordered that as well to make me a Charco completist.

(as we discussed on his review of Nocilla Lab, both Neil and I are around the 16/22 mark for past Fitzcarraldo fiction)

I have read them all so far. Which are you missing Paul

Slum Virgin as a reviewer called Gumble's Yard didn't seem to rate it!
But as the same author features in 2019 thought I ought to give it a try.

Article on translating Trout, Belly Up:
https://inpressbooks.co.uk/blogs/news...

(not read this myself)

Thanks - always interesting to read translator interviews as one realises quite how much thought and craft goes in to it.

Antonomasia wrote: "Article on translating Trout, Belly Up:
https://inpressbooks.co.uk/blogs/news...

(not read this myself)"

Thanks Antonomasia. I'm reading this now and struggling with it and could use a little insight.

Charco turned 2 years old today (or yesterday - I'm just getting to my email) and they're having a birthday celebration sale:

Happy Birthday toooo usssss!!!!!!
Hard to believe, but two years ago this month, Charco's very first books were published. So we are celebrating our 2nd Birthday by putting on a MASSIVE sale!! Hurrah! We are offering 40% off ALL our individual titles, both print and ebooks - including pre-orders on our remaining 2019 titles! Now's a great chance to fill any gaps in your Charco library, right? Just use the code BIRTHDAY at checkout. You are the first ones to know so enjoy the shopping spree!

Charco's 2nd Birthday Discount Code: BIRTHDAY
(Enter at checkout)

Brilliant, I think I'll check that out.

I always take advantage of these deals - I bought Loop

2020 line up announced and bundle offer:

https://twitter.com/charcopress/statu...

https://charcopress.com/bookstore/202...

Looks brilliant

I agree. Fabulous list. I already signed up. And free tote bag, yay!

Agree - looks great.

I have just bought it. Well, to be accurate, I did the actual purchase but my wife provided the money as an early birthday present.

A new Robayo. I wonder if this one will inspire another Courtney Love themed review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Gumble's Yard wrote: "A new Robayo. I wonder if this one will inspire another Courtney Love themed review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

EVen if it doesn't inspire one, I think one should be written.

I'm trying to read Spanish books IN Spanish these days, but man my fingers are getting itchy to get a Charco sub.

Do it, Ella. It’s a win-win. Lovely books arriving in the mail and you support a press!

Neil wrote: "Agree - looks great.

I have just bought it. Well, to be accurate, I did the actual purchase but my wife provided the money as an early birthday present."

Happy early birthday, Neil.

Thank you. It's not actually for about 4 weeks yet, but hey ho. Julie said she would happily buy it for my birthday and then we decided there is no time like the present (if you'll excuse the pun). I am well beyond the age where I can get excited about the actual day, anyway: I've had far too many of them!

I agree, the only good thing about birthdays are the gifts, and that you’ve lived to have another one. Mine is Halloween, so it’s always a fun day.

Charco has a Christmas sale, so the 2020 bundle/subscription is down to some 47 pounds total. Following Neil, maybe this is a Christmas present to myself.

And yes, you may see some irony in that I just said in another thread I’m only subscribing to one publisher for the next year. :-)

You are only subscribing to one press. You are buying the Charco one as a Christmas present for someone (who just happens to be you).

Also, I felt it was practically somehow wrong not to buy books from that sale - the prices beat Amazon's prices, which means supporting a publisher and writers while throwing a pebble at Goliath. At 1 AM, I was adding more books to my order and writing them a note to feel free to bundle them all together with apologies for adding to their work.

Luckily, the Charco people are also very nice.

I rarely hesitate to spend money on books, much like the popular book meme, $50 for clothes I find hard to part with, but $100 on books? No problem. However, we have a long list of kids and grandkids on our Christmas shopping list so Charco will get full price from me after the holidays, but I definitely plan on a Charco subscription. I’m happy others got to take advantage of this great price!

Does anyone know why the Charco authors are skewed so strongly toward Argentina? (I haven't counted, but it seems that way to me).

Is the country-of-origin distribution of authors Charco publishes a reflection of the literary culture of the region, where Argentina and then to some extent Mexico just has a lot more going on in terms of literary culture?

Or is the Charco list just a reflection of Charco editors' tastes and/or connections?

Carolina, one of the two founders of the press, was born and raised in Argentina (although has lived in the UK for the last 20 years). and she and her partner and co-founder, Sam, met in Buenos Aires. Carolina also researches contemporary Argentinian literature at the University of Edinburgh. The designer of their logo and distinctive covers lives in Argentina as well. So there is a very strong connection.

Charco’s first list of books from 2017 was intentionally all from that country. The 2018 list then looked further afield (Peru, Brazil, Columbia etc). But given in several cases they go on to publish more than one book from the same author (eg Consiglio, Harwicz, Sagasti) the list does remain quite weighted to Argentina.

Thanks for this answer, Paul.

I wish I knew more generally about the literary cultures of each country, since I'm sure they are as varied as European countries. I'd like to know how distinct they are, and also how much authors from different countries know one another and influence one another.

It will be interesting to follow Charco as they expand their offerings of "Latin American" literature. I'm assuming that term includes Brazil/Portugeuse literature and Caribbean literature (including Haiti-France), which they haven't ventured into as yet. I just read the marvelous The Fallen by Carlos Manuel Álvarez (thanks for the review, btw) and thought, hmm, I don't think I've seen a Cuban author from Charco yet.

They have published a Brazil/Portuguese book, Resistance, but only one. The two new books in 2020 were from Chile and Mexico. And they did suggest previously a book from Cuba was in the works.

But I expect they will maintain a more Argentinian / Spanish language bias going forward.

Nice interview with Carolina, co-founded of the press and translator of some of the books: https://www.asymptotejournal.com/blog...

Does anyone know what's happening in 2021 with Charco? Nothing on their website, sadly.

No - they've been sending out emails re their 2020 books recently, doing launch events etc so they are still very active, but haven't mentioned their 2021 line up.

It may be they want to launch the (delayed) 2020 line up first - e.g. Theatre of War is formally launched only on Dec 8th https://charcopress.com/events/theatr...