ABSTRACT
This essay examines the ways in which cartonera books continually redraw their boundaries in terms of form, content, and distribution, including their incorporation into libraries. Eloísa Cartonera, the first of these publishing projects, was founded in 2003. It sought to publish contemporary Latin American writers through books made by hand out of recycled cardboard. Furthermore, Eloísa sought to lower production costs by selling books directly to readers, thus circumventing distribution via more standard commercial channels. In doing so, they brought emerging writers who had been traditionally excluded from the publishing market to new audiences. Central to their process was the creation of books in playful, collaborative public workshops and readings. In the ensuing years, these original ideas have captivated a diverse group of readers, artists, and educators, thereby sparking the foundation of over 150 cartonera publishing initiatives in the Americas, Europe, and Africa, many of which have enriched Eloísa's original premise. This essay highlights some of those recent initiatives.
