New indie Charco Press launches

A new independent publisher is launching this month to showcase contemporary Latin American literature in translation to “expose the UK reader to new and exciting voices” featuring authors never before published in English.

Edinburgh-based Charco Press was founded by Samuel McDowell and Carolina Orloff to “change the current literary scene” and two of its authors are appearing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this week.

Charco Press will launch officially on 4th September focusing on Latin American literature, bringing together “the best in original writing and translation to introduce readers to extraordinary, ground-breaking fiction”. These titles have previously been translated into multiple languages and will now be available in English for the first time.

The first three titles which will be published on the launch day include Die, My Love by Ariana Harwicz (translated by Sarah Moses and Carolina Orloff) which is currently being adapted for theatre in Buenos Aires and in Israel. The President’ s Room by Ricardo Romero (translated by Charlotte Coombe) was originally published in 2015 and drew comparisons to Franz Kafka while Slum Virgin by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, (translated by Frances Riddle) uncovers the slums of Buenos Aires and the corruption of the government and police.

Harwicz will appear with Apple Tree Yard author Louise Doughty at the Edinburgh International Book Festival later today (17th August) and Cabezón Cámara will be in discussion with Jackie Kay on Saturday (19th).

Harwicz will also speak the Argentinian Embassy London on 28th September and the following day will appear at the London Review Bookshop with writer and translator Daniel Hahn and author Tessa Hadley with more events planned by the publisher in January 2018.

For more information, visit charcopress.com or follow @CharcoPress.