Our Books, Our Authors

by Aída Bardales -- Críticas, 10/1/2007

Most of the better-known literary prizes in Latin America and Spain are awarded by the major publishing houses: Premio Alfaguara, Premio Planeta, Premio La Otra Orilla, Premio Anagrama, and others. While such prizes ensure the publication and global marketing of the work and the author (and, ultimately, increase publisher sales), there’s a new model that brings together the entire book community to promote literature and literacy. Last month in Spain, BarcelonaTV’s show Qwerty, a literary program, presented the first Qwerty Awards, created to focus on the Catalan city’s rich publishing world. The awards went to books, as well as bookstores, journalists, and even a stage adaptation of a novel.

Here in the United States, we’re way behind in Spanish-language media promoting books. Some of the Spanish-language morning shows do dedicate a five-to-ten minute slot every other week or so to talking about books. That’s great, but it’s not enough. We need more people out there actively touting authors and great literature, and making them accessible to the average reader. We need more Spanish-language media outlets creating a buzz about a new novel or an up-and-coming author. We need more unaffiliated prizes to bring attention in a public way to already published works and wonderful authors.

Publishers, distributors, all of us working with Spanish-language titles are still struggling to profile the typical U.S. Spanish-language reader. For a while, we thought we’d figured out the trend: self-help books, religious/spiritual titles, and translations of U.S. best sellers abound. But is that really what sells best—or is it that little else is readily available? Are those best-selling translations just benefiting from all the English-language publicity we’re exposed to?

I suspect it all boils down to marketing: we need to keep Spanish readers informed of what’s available in the United States. In putting our Críticas best sellers list together ever month, I see what booksellers are selling the most. And what I see on those lists is not necessarily what is gospel in the industry. Believe it or not, fiction sells well. For years I’ve wondered why there is still no “Latina Oprah” making a wave in the U.S. Spanish-language publishing industry—or anyone else in the media who could express his/her interest in and love for books, for literature—and getting everyone excited enough to run to the bookstore or library (or to the Internet). Just a couple of weeks ago I watched Turkish author Orhan Pamuk on The Charlie Rose Show, and I wondered why we don’t see much of this in mainstream Spanish-language television. Are publishing houses trying to get their authors on shows that are popular among Hispanics and simply not having any luck, or are they just not trying?

I don’t know the answers, but I do want editors, publishers, and Spanish-language book distributors to start thinking of ways to promote fiction—and books in general—among Spanish readers. We can’t simply wait around for a translation of every Da Vinci Code to be a hit among Hispanics. We need to promote our literature, our authors.

Shifting gears slightly, Hispanic Heritage Month is still in full swing and librarians across the country are celebrating with a variety of events and activities. But that is not true in every town or city where Spanish speakers have established a home. In this issue, Queens Library’s Loida García-Febo reveals some of the struggles librarians still face in their attempt to equally serve everyone in their community. While it’s heartbreaking and appalling to read about those who make it difficult for librarians to do their jobs, it’s encouraging to hear about the many who are committed to helping Spanish-speaking immigrants succeed in this country.

Thank you, librarians, for all your hard work and outreach efforts.

Aída Bardales
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