Within Cuba’s system of publishing houses, exists one group that this past August 13 celebrated its 20th anniversary, the System of Territorial Publishers (SET). The proposal to ensure that all provinces could promote their local talent, along with works from their respective regions within the nation, written by authors from these locations, was conceived by the person who asked the people - who would always consider him their eternal leader - not to believe, but to read, convinced of the liberating impact of reading and knowledge.
The idea emerged at Expocuba. Fidel, meeting there with municipal directors of Culture, referred to the need to disseminate literary creations at that level, noting that budding writers, who had no opportunity to publish their work, might go unnoticed. Right away, he asked what resources would be needed to provide each province its own publishing house.
The SET, which soon became known as La Riso, in reference to the Risograph machines installed at that time, came into the world of Cuban culture with strong support, and today includes 22 publishers.
The 20 years of life of these literary “greenhouses” have produced not only inspiring statistics, but evidence of admirable perseverance, releasing new works at a time when the country is immersed in the battle against COVID-19. To discuss these latest offerings and the direction being taken by this cultural movement, Granma conversed with Juan Rodríguez Cabrera, president of the Cuban Book Institute (ICL).
“These publishers, that have been working with less than ideal equipment, constantly requiring maintenance to keep publishing books, will be provided new Riso machines, in all of the provinces. The distribution process is underway right now. The provinces are also receiving paper and supplies that have been delayed for two years, and what is being delivered will cover half of the current backlog. We are working hard to provide the rest,” Rodríguez reported.
Regarding the Riso productive process, the director explained that the publishing houses receive “the equipment to fabricate the book at their small plants. Unlike what happens with titles that go to large industrial facilities, the process begins and ends in the same publishing house. They have paper cutters, binders, printers, everything. This way, they have not only allowed authors to be known - many have become prominent – but editors, designers, lay-out specialists have been trained, as well. The difference with the large industry is that La Riso publishes small runs, and the books have no more than 110 pages, since this is the most their machines can handle.”
The director cited the fruits of this labor, “Over these 20 years, some 4,200,000 copies of 4,300 titles have been printed. Around 4,000 authors have published their work, many of them, on more than one occasion.
“Some provinces have more than one publisher, the rest at least one. Of the 22, five are linked to the AHS (young artists’ association), located in the Isle of Youth, Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, Holguín and Matanzas. These houses prioritize the youngest authors, although they publish established writers, as well.”
The system has not only produced authentically Cuban literature, Rodríguez stated, but also “allowed the development of each territory to be highlighted through publications of historic and scientific investigations and texts that have complemented different genres. Many of these houses are no less respected than national publishers, and five years ago, the decision was made that, in addition to the small runs, if a house had an impressive proposal for a book of interest to the entire nation, La Riso would take on the project, but not print it. The run would be printed at a large industrial plant. Today, the national publishing plan for the large facilities includes more than 100 books from the special plan. The special plan may include several of their books, plus those by international authors who have conceded their rights and are of national interest.”
The SET has continued to develop, Rodríguez reported, “While its principal objective has not changed, design has been improved, quality upgraded, thus some of its books have been awarded prizes for criticism, book design, readers’ choice, and have a wider reach than before. They participate in national competitions and have won important distinctions.”
The improved quality is clearly evident in the most recent runs. “On average, every year La Riso publishes around 260 books, and quality control is a priority,” Rodríguez states, adding, “This doesn’t mean that all the books have become classics, undeserving books have also been printed, but we can say that the majority have contributed to the national culture, with an increasingly broader scope.”
The director commented on the promotion of SET books and their presence at the International Book Fair, “Although not as much as we would like, promotion of these books has increased. They are present at the Fair, but we feel that
their presence should and needs to be greater, at the Havana event and the provincials.”
The Cuban Book Institute supports a work strategy to guarantee the health of these publishers, Rodríguez noted, “Not a year goes by without a workshop, from Guantánamo to Pinar del Río, to exchange experiences, recognize books, their designs, the most outstanding. We have made sure that, in these workshops, the best results are highlighted. This is why, today, the books are of better quality. These exchanges have allowed errors to be corrected. To conduct collective evaluations, you have to let go of any self-centered attitudes, ‘me-isms.’ We had overlooked these analyses, the publishers themselves requested them, and today, we see the results.”
Many of the books from SET publishers are similar to those from large national houses, Rodríguez continued, “Previously, the book cover was produced on the Risograph, in black and white. Over the last few years, the difference between these books and those from large industrial plants is much less noticeable, because the covers are printed at poly-graphic facilities, in color. They are able to make the spine, even though the books don’t have many pages, which makes for a better appearance. The work is done manually. The large plants won’t make the spine, if you don’t have more than 110 pages.”
Among the Cuban industry’s 180 publishers, the SET houses provide immeasurable satisfaction, Rodríguez insists, “This niche that the system covers cannot be served by national publishers or by the large industrial printers. Authors just starting out need to experiment and see how their work is received. Thinking that the large presses could print 400 copies and do away with the La Riso is not the idea. La Riso has its place, it was well-thought out and today its existence is a source of pride. It is part of the larger Cuban publishing system. There will always be new writers, and La Riso has the privilege and duty of being the first to discover these talents, who later become the country’s great authors.”
