Shadows Cabinet - Introduction
Heresies in Book Form In the year of Generalissimo Franco's death in Spain, 1975, an exquisite collection of books appeared in Madrid. The name of the collection was imposing and affronting: Biblioteca de Visionarios, Heterodoxos y Marginados (Library of Visionaries, Nonconformists and Outsiders). Edited by Editora Nacional, that series had a considerably long life, since it was published until the middle of 1980s. The collection was intended not only to be in opposition to what the Franco regime represented; the editors sought, editing persecuted, silenced or forgotten authors since the days of the Holy Inquisition, to settle accounts with a certain authoritarian strain of thought that allowed the criminalization of everything that is different. Now, in the 21st century, with all the threats available to freedom of thought, Raphus Press, in Brazil, seeks to recover this powerful editorial source, taking its trademarks (through translation) to new readers. This is the core of our Shadows Cabinet collection, available through a quarterly subscription system, with the aim of rescuing great heretics who wrote in Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian, as well as contemporary authors who equally could be ranked in the large field of the non-alignments and dissents. The Subscription: Analog and Digital The subscription system will work as follows; the Shadows Cabinet collection will have 3 books per quarter, two digital and one printed. Thus, the subscriber will be able to choose 3 possibilities each quarter: purchase a single digital volume (for USD 5.00), two digital volumes (for USD 9.00), and the most complete option, 2 digital books and a printed one for only USD 25.00 (mail expenses included). Digital books will always be translations, while the printed volume will be by a different contemporary author per quarter. We chose the signature system not only because it allows for a good translation job (including even a professional review), but also to guarantee the printed volume, which is important in this entire process, as it is the materiality of this collection. In addition, the amount of money assist the next releases; as well as a kind collaboration by the friends and customers of Raphus Press, especially in view of these difficult, pandemic times. The First Ones and The Next Ones The first three books in the series will consist of the following: The Dread and the Mystery, digital volume that will bring a short story by João do Rio ("Dread") and an essay by Guy de Maupassant ("Goodbye, Mysteries"). The second book will bring a translation of a short story by the Spanish gothic writer, author of some fine narratives, Augustin Perez Zaragoza (published in the original Biblioteca de Visionarios), Bristol, The Murderer Butcher. The printed book will be the collection of speculative, weird and philosophical stories by Alcebiades Diniz Miguel entitled The Last Days of Kierkegaard and Other Occurrences. The next releases: excerpts of the singular bestiary Explanatory Notes On Things (in Spanish: El Ente Dilucidado) by Friar Antonio de Fuentelapeña, short stories by the great Portuguese modernist Mario de Sá-Carneiro, essays by the decadent Spanish author Ramon Maria Valle-Inclan. And, of course, new pieces by D. P. Watt and Jonathan Wood, to warm up our collection. The subscriber could be choose between the most common digital formats: epub, Mobi and PDF. The printed books would be handcrafted by the capable hands of Marcio SImões, our usual parter from Sol Negro Atelier. Survival Tactics All Shadows Cabinet releases will be marketed on this website only. And there would a gift for all packages, even the cheaper – the poems of the Spanish baroque poet Alonso de Ledesma in a exquisite presentation. So, please do support this singular initiative and our independent productions in these uncertain times. All money would be use in new titles and in the solutions for all international packages even with all the Brazilian mail offices restrictions. So, thank you very much. |