Our friends over at the University Library want you to learn about Eloisa Cartonera, a nonprofit, community-based cooperative in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The cooperative produces handmade books with cardboard covers. The cardboard is purchased from the urban pickers (cartoneros) who get it from the streets.
Eloisa Cartonera publishes low-cost, avant-garde works by writers from throughout Latin America. The cooperatives catalog now includes nearly 200 titles of poetry, short stories, novels, plays, and children’s books.
Washington Cucurto (founder) and Maria Soledad Gomez of Eloisa Cartonera will talk about their expeiences as “cartoner” publishers and about the movement they started, where they are now, and their hopes for the future. The talk will be at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5 in 100 Hatcher (the new Gallery Room). Light refreshments will be served at the reception to follow.
If you want to try your hand at making a book, you can attend a workshop from 10 a.m.-noon on Monday. Space is limited, and you must write to April Caldwell at apcaldwe@umich.edu to reserve a seat.
