Bibliálogos
The issue as vital need
Interview with Jorge Herralde *
For Israel Covarrubias and Ariel Ruiz Mondragón
was in the fall of 1967 when During the review of some booksellers Carmen Literary Agency Balcells, Jorge Herralde suddenly found what they would call his publishing project: Anagram, an adventure which officially began its activities a few years later. Over time, the publisher's catalog is increased as both the number and quality: on the threshold of 40 years, has published about two thousand 500 titles of authors carefully chosen and carefully edited (many translated our language), in addition to category awards and novel test are among the most prestigious of the English language.
Through the years Anagram has established itself as a publisher has succeeded in combining in its catalog literary creation and social policy thinking at the same time has retained its independence and quality over the monstrous corporate media prevailing in the field of books.
was on some relevant aspects of this intense work of four decades and some open issues by reading his book alphabetical order, we spoke with Jorge Herralde, a talk in which he spoke about the origins Anagrama resistance of the work of the editor, the importance of criticism and translation in publishing, the vicissitudes of the publishing business, the role of independent publishers, their relationship with authors and books representing Anagram. From this, one conclusion: for him, editing has been a vital necessity.
Herralde has gained many awards: National Award for Best Editorial Cultural Work (1994), Recognition of Merit Publishing International Book Fair of Guadalajara (2002), the Premio Nazionale per la Traduzione the Ministero per i Beni Culturali (2003). He also received the distinction of Honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and Grinzane Cavour (2005) and was named Commandeur des Arts et del'Ordre des Lettres, France (2006), among many other awards. Israel Covarrubias
(IC): The 40th anniversary of intense editorial work, we can start the conversation based on an idea that you know well: Roberto Calasso about what is an editorial, in which all books are catalog titles a single book. Based on this 40-year history, what book has Anagram? Jorge Herralde
(JH): A huge book, complete unit. Calasso say that bad books are as bad chapters of a novel. I hope that in Anagrama have few bad books.
In Buenos Aires, where I was not too long ago, I gave a lecture on the craft of editing, and I said to myself bored no more talking about the metaphor of the city and the catalog as a novel or a book that is an idea that we share with Calasso, with Christian Bourgois and many literary editors, "I propose a more urban, which is the catalog as a city. Then I was talking about the Anagram titles and authors, how were avenues, monoliths, spoke of the smile chaired by Wodhouse, topped by the Society of Tom Sharpe's laughter, the synagogue of Harold Bloom, the baseball field by Paul Auster and foremost a game relating to the authors of Anagram in urban vision.
Ariel Ruiz (AR): For the first years of Anagram, why did this editorial?, What is Anagram what distinguished from other publishers? In his book he speaks, for example, Pepe and Iberian Turn Martínez, Carlos Seix Barral by Javier Pradera in Editorial Partnership and some others. In this environment, what need was there that arose Anagram and that these and other distinguished imprints?
JH: I would say a necessity if you want selfish, but a vital necessity: what I wanted to do was devoted to publishing as a reader who wants to spread their enthusiasm in a very specific moments of great political turmoil and cultural - are the years of the counterculture, the French May, the opposition to the Vietnam War and so many other movements, "new schools of thought: structuralism, anti-psychiatry, Marxism, then absent from the literature in Spain.
I thought it was necessary to incorporate all this and give ground to the left heterodox. Publishers had friends, but we occupied different segments of the left: it was, for example, notebooks for dialogue, which was an editorial in Madrid, who was with us in the Liaison Group Distributions, and occupied the space of democracy Left and socialism, there was the group of Peninsula and Santadot Vicent de Castellet it was the Catalan and Marxism was Laia, who was the Eurocommunism. So I opted for the unorthodox, and then you get into the catalog of Anagram displayed from Bakunin, Che Guevara, Mao Tse Tung, Rosa Luxembourg and the French Situationists. All this creates a profile ...
AR: After Party also called the Invisibles, which came from the Italian Operaia Autonomy ...
JH: That was later. There were also some texts Il Manifesto, Ross Rosand, in Anagram Papers, which was a whole spectrum of libertarian texts. In Anagrama was where he met the great family heterodox.
IC: In this regard, when speaking of this great family of heretics and dissidents Can you say that, to paraphrase Albert Camus in The Rebel are those who say "no" to say "yes" as a form of resistance?
JH: Exactly. Besides Camus The Rebel is a piece of theater, his first piece, in which there is a character who does not speak for the whole show, and suddenly had the last word is "no."
IC: So if the "no" is to say "yes", what else you said "no" to build a "yes" biographical and publishing in these 40 years?
JH: Look, the certainty of "no" is greater than "yes" (laughs). Is "no" against the Franco regime, is "no" against the dictatorship, the "no" against bourgeois morality, the "no" against religion, then bets on greater freedom, utopian ideas, such as the "new man" in Cuba-which turned out a disaster. In any case, the larger the rejection of belief in certain utopias or in some cases, willing to believe, but at the same time with a critical distance in this regard.
AR: In the book you give much importance to literary criticism in that sense, I noticed how you recover Julian Barnes, who says that the critic is a failed writer, but a critical failure (laughs). Reproduces many of the critical judgments for or against their books. What has been the role of criticism in the development of Anagram?
JH: Good critics are the natural allies of the literary editors to do a little sounding board. That is, every good book that has not been a product marketing reads through word of mouth or word of mouth. To facilitate this, we need to be present in good libraries, supported by good criticism, good supplements and good reviews, so that from this sum impact is conducive to word of mouth. Therefore, it is very important to good reviews.
For example, the collection passwords, which began in the late seventies and that is a collection of marginal literature, wild, outlaw (so labeled), was strongly supported by certain kind of counterculture magazines, but viewed with some indifference by critics more dedicated.
criticism is important, what happens is that now there has been slippage on the lowest overall space devoted to criticism. In general, magazines and supplements gets smaller cultural space critical. The role of the mandarins, who had Critical certain supplements, for example, some years ago in El Pais Rafael Bridge was like the official pope, and some years later it was Ignacio Echevarría is much more blurred and less space.
Moreover, there have been many interviews with the writers, who are sometimes more useful, because the reader and supplements is a very determined player, many people browsing the supplement and throws it, as I pull the engine or housing. In contrast, in the regular pages of the newspaper reader encounters an interview with a writer, which is why the interviews are very important.
But now we speak in a moment Spain, but also other countries in which there is a certain economic crisis, a crisis of advertising-there is less publicity because of the economic crisis, and there is a tendency to cut the space of books on culture daily, so fewer and fewer interviews. For one or two years, is a progressive trivialization and a tendency to make the newspapers and cultural sections in a sort of Sunday supplement: short texts, many photos and so forth. So today we are fighting a commonplace trend.
IC: One thing that catches the attention of the catalog is the central role Anagram he has given the general translation: English, French, Italian ...
JH: More or less an almost mathematically exact, is two-thirds of translations and third in English.
IC: That means, perhaps, spreading within the language a number of cultural centers, reference "other"?
JH: Yes, and it seems to me fundamental.
IC: What does today, when in fact it seems that the zeitgeist is, in large measure to counter? For example, in the United States means very little.
JH: At a minimum, and England is the same, but in others countries.
IC: Yes, but this pole-call Anglo-Saxon culture, what future holds for the translation?
JH: I think that historically, both in the United States and the United Kingdom, translation has always been very low. Literatures are also very powerful. In England, for example, have been absorbing all the Anglo-Indian literature, literature calls angloexóticas. But this is in decline, that is, by the growing perception that "American readers and readers are reluctant to English translations, now in principle means little, they are generally more commercial books, with exceptions glorious as Roberto Bolaño, who, with The Savage Detectives, is both a critical success and sales. But except for the last 20 years, maybe.
But if I'm patriotic about something, it is of great literature, wherever it occurs. A central role the issue is precisely the incorporation of the best international literature in the language of their country, in this case in Spain and Latin America. This happens in English, but also, for example, in France, which is the country of the great tradition of translations and the great reception of oriental literature. It has also been a country that has hosted many political exiles, and has had many authors Japanese, Chinese, I read them in French.
Pascal Casanova, in a book called The World Free Republic , I published years ago and I think an excellent analysis, says that now the great door of the literature is in the U.S. and Britain, but that role that could be central, because it is not translated. Instead, it is France, which, after centuries of glorious literature, now has a minor role, but, instead, remains where it is translated more and which produces the internationally renowned writers. The decisive victory in Paris is also for international irradiation.
AR: In the book you make a summary of the analysis of Pierre Bourdieu on the publishing industry, in which he speaks of the book as a commodity and significance, making the editor a double character that has to balance the art and money . Bourdieu was a pessimistic conclusion, as saying that the literary capital growth leads to the commercial hub, and all he can do is slow down the movement editor. How has reconciled these two poles, the artistic and the commercial?, You see the pole go inevitable commercial?
JH: I think not necessarily proof of this is that we are in this interview. Ie there are spaces of resistance in certain publishers, in many countries and in certain essential libraries for it. I agree in some ways Bourdieu's pessimism and the pessimism of Andre Schiffrin, great friend of mine, whom I was discussing on television because he is more pessimistic than I, perhaps for his career, he was expelled because of his publishing and created another , New Press. The example of New Press, who wants to do more general, is very unusual: it has gotten money from a number of U.S. foundations, which are his patrons. But this is not easy or extrapolated, against which I argued that there are good and very independent literary publishers in all countries-not many, but a few-that there are good libraries without which our work would be much harder, because if we had to sell everything in large stores, 99 percent of our catalog disappear. But as good booksellers persist, while maintaining those publishers and while there are good readers exist.
There are also many unusual reader who buys books because it is the Premio Planeta or becomes fashionable because Dan Brown, and in his circle of friends, which is not widely read, are topics of conversation. But I think the majority are non-readers or new readers who did not read before, ie the level literacy, education, university degrees, have led to a much greater number of readers, though many of them are Hans Magnus Enzensberger called 'functionally illiterate', ie they could read and write, but for practical things, not interested in the literature.
There is also a thing that makes me laugh by Umberto Eco, who speaks of 'literacy distracted "from reading online, and sporadic attention that lends itself to a short time, which is not reading the required concentration.
IC: In keeping with this, and so likely to be a bit fatalistic, it seems that as a form of resistance not just the production of books, but in other similar cultural expressions, there is always this revival to do things to alleviate the crisis, but simply to resist it in a more polite. This is sometimes the adventure of many small publishers who publish independently. In this case, what today means to edit independently, or be independent publisher?
JH: It's a very tricky word. The term "independent publisher" is really a moot concept, because thousands of independent houses they have no cultural or literary interest, but is dedicated to publishing books on farming the rabbit, for example, and are independent. But I'd say it's cultural editing career which could perhaps refine it. Sometimes I have discussed this with bosses of the major groups in Spain, who get very angry with the independent publisher.
Actually, the final diagnosis is simple: the typical animal squint with one eye on the culture and with an eye on trade. Now his eye is much more to trade, and the catalog is completely different than it looks to the culture. Then, almost say, let us analyze labels and catalogs, ie, the catalog is the one who tells the truth, and their analysis by someone who knows the literary status the time is final.
The catalog does not lie, the editor and analyst can do all sorts of linguistic acrobatics more or less bright on their work, but eventually the catalog tells the truth.
AR: Schiffrin, which you mentioned, has denounced the tendency of large groups near monopoly not only books, but media that are appropriate, have bought a lot of publishers, "process is well described in his book The editors edit without . In that sense, what future have these independent publishers call this media to the monopolization?, Have you received any offers some of these groups to be of Anagram?
JH: Anagram started receiving large groups since the late eighties, when it begins the process of monopolization, and it makes sense to be made. It is logical that a publisher with some authors and deployment as Anagram, is the object of desire for large groups that constantly seek to expand and go buy stamps, as they have bought Seix Barral, Destination, South America and Joaquín Mortiz. That is their business logic.
thing is that I have always refused, because I've always been able to do the kind of issue that I wanted to do. Occasionally there is a blow and take away an author with some advances impossible to match, but authors are also sometimes large groups, unhappy with the treatment and the habitat to which they are confined. There is a very classic case is Ricardo Piglia, published in Metro and Seix-Barral, who has spent at Anagram, and now we have all his work.
seemed that in the late nineties and the field was determined, and once and for all had three or four major publishers, independent publishers a few veterans, and little else, if anything, some of which began -. But the most significant issue in this first decade of the twenty-first century is the emergence of numerous independent publishers in Spain, Argentina, Peru, Italy, France, which also is a structural thing: large groups leave spaces because they seek the maximum return, then, most of these new publishers are doomed to excellence and self-examination. Many of these titles are being nourished by great authors already published 20, 30 or 40 years, published by large groups but that they consider unprofitable and its re-release print, and republish the new publishers, who do not need to sell 10 000 copies, but two thousand and they jump for joy.
As usual, these new publishers, now in Spain have come out about 50 - maybe in 20 years are only five. When I started Anagrama, Link founded distributions, in which five disappeared, then another, Lumen was sold to Random House; as Anagram and Tusquets remain independent.
AR: Another interesting aspect of the editors is the relationship with authors. I remember reading a Mario Muchnik, who, when the writers were going to another publisher, broke relations with them. In your book you raised two positions on this problem: Korda, who was a friend of the authors, and the Entreguí. Do you prefer?
JH: I, obviously, of Entreguí, they say, if I recall, "also in love, statistically, most of the time a relationship breaks down and begins another, and why not people stop and join in love, though he may assume that statistically have a destination, as I said Frederic Beigbeder on a book called Love lasts three years . Well, it may take longer, but statistically not last long. So, if you had in mind than friendship with an author can actually break-breaker, mutilate a very enriching. Naturally, what happens if after an author leaves the editorial in which it has been discovered and encouraged him, and suddenly you have one offer The Godfather type, can not refuse, obviously you hurt and understands, but friendship is weakened. Professional treatment becomes friendly, but professional support friendship weakened.
is also another very painful issue: When you say "no" to a writer who has never published, because it is very painful, but less than if you have posted one, two or three books, which for him is a trauma and for the editor is very nasty as nasty, maybe.
But these are tricks of the trade that work in both directions.
IC: To continue with the question of the authors, is there some authors who have complained of not having published, which you yourself have gone chasing the but never wanted to publish in Anagram, because they can not get the rights for translation or because he got one of these holdings publishers put a lot millionaire and took him?
JH: First of all I would say that, with almost 3 000 titles and with this impressive array of authors, my degree of bulimia in that regard have been quite satisfied. Now, for example, to me, I was an avid reader of Borges, which he had read everything, I would love to publish it, there was a time when Whiley, the famous agent, got the rights and, knowing my taste in literature, I proposed the issue. He had not properly analyzed the status of contracts, came to Barcelona, \u200b\u200bwe were talking and said, "Unless the contracts have expired, I do not think, Borges is published by Emecé and Alliance." Then, finally had to negotiate with these publishers to renew the contracts of Borges, in other countries such rights were not tied, as in Italy, for example, as my good friend Roberto Calasso Borges managed to publish because he "always author has been a minority, and more-translation had been recently sold in Italy. In contrast, in Spain and Latin America, although he was never a bestseller , it is an author of any publisher would logically retain.
AR: Of the approximately two thousand 500 titles published, what are the five titles most representative of what has been Anagram?
JH: That is a question that should not answer, but I will, as I did earlier this year in Princeton, where we were invited to several publishers. One of the issues we had to answer was that of the five most representative titles of publisher, and I said: "Five? With an alternate, to be six. "I said they were often not my favorite books of authors, but those are more important symbolically about these authors and the publisher.
The first is details of Hans Magnus Enzensberger, the first title of the collection veteranísima arguments, which is still active. I have published 20 titles of Enzensberger, who was an author of a quite extraordinary sharpness, very personal, very often against the very controversial. I think an author intended symbolic of what the library Topics: anti-academic, where the critical imagination present. And besides him, who read English and speak it because it was a long time for Latin America in Cuba was even translator of Vallejo, García Lorca and Neruda, for example, was a member a few years jury's Anagram Test, then had many commitments that would not let him be, but it was very exciting to have him. Another is
Lolita, Nabokov, but I like a lot and almost prefer Pale Fire. But in any case Lolita is the figurehead of the Library Nabokov, who is one of the Anagram companies that I liked to do, and, symbolically, from the collection of narratives Panorama. One more is
The hero of the attics of Mansard first title published by Alvaro Pombo, our first prize novel, dye also symbolic: first prize of the collection Narratives and Narratives first issue of Hispanic, an author unknown and superminoritario, who has now won all the academy awards have or might have in Spain. I think it's one of the top three or four current English authors.
The fourth is Brooklin Follies, Paul Auster, the author is now more readers abroad with Anagram, not my favorite novel either, I prefer others to him. I think it's a great novel, but it has the greatest number of readers. In addition, coincided with the Prince of Asturias Prize, which was a revolution. Then Auster, already sold much, much more was sold under this title, reaching nearly 200 000 copies.
The fifth is, of course, Roberto Bolaño with The Savage Detectives. Maybe I would have preferred 2666, but was more significant that it was almost dark where shot to stardom with our award and the Rómulo Gallegos, and there began his great international career.
Pongo as a substitute, if I am accepted, Ebony , Kapuscinski, a great author of Anagram, as was the title after 15 years and five or six titles published to rave reviews and poor sales, shot and not only became a bestseller , but that made his previous books bestsellers in semi , and revitalized.
* Interview published in Metapolítica , vol. 13, no. 66, September-October 2009. Reprinted with permission from editorial director.
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