Charco Press

Charco Press is an independent publishing house founded in Edinburgh in November 2016 by Carolina Orloff and Samuel McDowell. Its core purpose is to bring contemporary Latin American writing to English-language readers through literary translation. The press focuses on recent fiction from across Latin America, seeking books that it considers formally ambitious, culturally significant, or insufficiently represented in English-language publishing. The name Charco comes from a Spanish word meaning a puddle or pond. In several Latin American contexts, "cruzar el charco"—literally, to cross the pond—is a colloquial expression for travelling across the Atlantic. The name therefore expresses the press's role as a cultural and linguistic bridge between Latin America and English-speaking audiences, while also evoking the historical movement of people and ideas between the regions. Carolina Orloff's academic background in Latin American literature helped shape the publisher's founding rationale. She argued that, until the early twenty-first century, the English-language literary ecosystem repeatedly circulated a relatively narrow group of established Latin American authors. Charco Press was created to widen that field by identifying influential contemporary works that had not yet reached readers in English. The press's publishing model combines selection of original Spanish-language works with commissioned translations and editorial presentation designed for an international audience. A major expansion occurred in 2019, when Charco began distribution in Canada and the United States through Consortium, an Ingram Publisher Services brand. This gave the Edinburgh publisher a broader route into North American bookstores and libraries. In 2021, Charco added a collection of original works in Spanish, extending its activity beyond translated editions. In 2022, it introduced a collection of original works in English, with an emphasis on nonfiction and memoir connected to Latin America. By 2023, the catalogue contained almost 40 titles by authors from different parts of Latin America. The list includes novels and other literary works that have received significant recognition in translation, including International Booker Prize-shortlisted titles such as Elena Knows, The Adventures of China Iron, and Die, My Love. Charco titles have also appeared on the Premio Valle-Inclán and other literary prize lists, while the press itself has received recognition in Scotland and the wider British publishing industry. Charco Press occupies a specialist position in independent publishing: it is neither a general commercial house nor a publisher limited to one national literature. Instead, it builds an English-language list around contemporary Latin American writing and the possibilities of translation. Its profile has grown through critical attention, prize nominations, translator collaboration, and distribution beyond the United Kingdom. The publisher remains active, with its identity anchored in international literary exchange and in the discovery of authors who might otherwise remain less visible to English-language readers.

Charco Press was established in Edinburgh in November 2016 by Carolina Orloff and Samuel McDowell. The press emerged from a concern that English-language readers and institutions had historically encountered a limited and repetitive selection of Latin American authors. Orloff, who completed a PhD in Latin American literature at the University of Edinburgh, and McDowell developed a publishing project intended to identify important contemporary writing beyond that established canon. From its beginning, Charco concentrated on contemporary Latin American fiction translated into English. Its editorial identity was built around literary discovery, international circulation, and high-quality translation rather than around a single national market. The word Charco refers to a puddle or pond, and the Latin American expression "cruzar el charco" describes crossing the Atlantic. The name captures the press's intended function as a bridge between Latin American literary cultures and readers in the English-speaking world. The publisher expanded its distribution reach in 2019 through a partnership with Consortium, a brand of Ingram Publisher Services. The arrangement supported distribution of Charco titles in Canada and the United States, complementing its United Kingdom base and giving the list access to a larger North American bookselling and library network. Charco subsequently broadened its publishing programme. In 2021 it introduced a collection of original works in Spanish. In 2022 it launched an English-language originals collection, concentrating on nonfiction and memoirs with a tangible relationship to Latin America. These initiatives extended the press beyond its initial emphasis on translated contemporary fiction while retaining its regional and cross-cultural focus. The catalogue grew to almost 40 titles by 2023 and included works from across Latin America. Several books associated with the press achieved notable prize recognition. Elena Knows was shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize; The Adventures of China Iron reached the shortlist in 2020; and Die, My Love was shortlisted in 2018. Charco titles also won or were shortlisted for the Society of Authors' Premio Valle-Inclán, and The Distance between Us and Resistance received PEN Translates Awards. Of Cattle and Men won the Cercador Prize in 2023. Other Charco works received attention from the Republic of Consciousness Prize, the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation, and the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. The press itself received institutional recognition as well. Carolina Orloff was named Emerging Publisher of the Year at Scotland's National Book Awards in 2018. Charco Press was named Scotland's Small Press of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2019 and again in 2021, followed by Publisher of the Year at Scotland's National Book Awards in 2023. Through its catalogue, distribution partnerships, and prize visibility, Charco Press helped increase the presence of contemporary Spanish-language Latin American literature in English. Its history is defined by a focused regional remit, the use of translation as a central publishing practice, and gradual expansion into Spanish- and English-language original publishing.

• 2023

  Charco is named Publisher of the Year

  [1]Charco Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Charco Press receives the Publisher of the Year honor at Scotland's National Book Awards; its catalogue has reached almost 40 titles.

• 2022

  English originals collection launches

  [1]Charco Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Charco introduces an English-language originals collection centered on nonfiction and memoir connected with Latin America.

• 2021

  Spanish originals collection launches

  [1]Charco Pressen.wikipedia.org

  The press adds a collection of original works in Spanish.

• 2019

  North American distribution begins

  [1]Charco Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Charco partners with Consortium, an Ingram Publisher Services brand, to distribute its books in Canada and the United States.

• 2018

  Carolina Orloff receives Emerging Publisher recognition

  [1]Charco Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Orloff is named Emerging Publisher of the Year at Scotland's National Book Awards.

• 2016

  Charco Press is launched in Edinburgh

  [1]Charco Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Carolina Orloff and Samuel McDowell establish the independent publisher with a focus on contemporary Latin American literature in English translation.

A specialist independent literary publisher that connects contemporary Latin American authors with English-language readers through carefully selected translations and related original works.

• Translated fiction

  Elena Knows

  A Charco Press translation that was shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize. Its recognition illustrates the press's role in bringing contemporary Latin American fiction to a broad English-language literary audience.

• Translated fiction

  The Adventures of China Iron

  A translated contemporary Latin American novel published by Charco Press and shortlisted for the 2020 International Booker Prize. It is among the titles that established the press's international literary profile.

• Translated fiction

  Die, My Love

  A Charco Press title shortlisted for the 2018 International Booker Prize and the Premio Valle-Inclán. Its prize recognition reflects the publisher's emphasis on distinctive contemporary Latin American writing.

• Translated fiction

  A Musical Offering

  A Charco Press publication that won the Society of Authors' Premio Valle-Inclán in 2021, adding to the press's record of recognition for translated Latin American literature.

• Original Spanish-language publishing · 2021

  Spanish-language originals collection

  A collection introduced in 2021 through which Charco Press expanded beyond English translations and published original works in Spanish.

• Original English-language publishing · 2022

  English-language originals collection

  A collection launched in 2022 for original works in English, particularly nonfiction and memoir with a substantive connection to Latin America.

• 2022

  Introduce original works in EnglishProduct launch

  Background

  The press aimed to extend its Latin American publishing identity beyond translated fiction.

  Action taken

  Charco launched an English-language originals collection focused on nonfiction and memoir linked to Latin America.

  Aftermath

  The collection created an additional route for the press to publish work directly for English-language readers.

  Source

• 2021

  Introduce original works in SpanishProduct launch

  Background

  Charco's original model centered on bringing Latin American writing to English readers through translation.

  Action taken

  The publisher launched a collection of original works in Spanish, broadening the languages and formats represented in its programme.

  Aftermath

  The move diversified the catalogue while retaining the press's Latin American focus.

  Source

• 2019

  Expand distribution into North AmericaStrategy

  Background

  After establishing its Edinburgh publishing operation, Charco sought wider access for its translated Latin American literature.

  Action taken

  The press partnered with Consortium, an Ingram Publisher Services brand, to distribute its titles in Canada and the United States.

  Aftermath

  The partnership extended Charco's commercial and institutional reach beyond the United Kingdom.

  Source

1. 1Charco Pressen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Charco Press official websitecharcopress.com