Once Upon a Time, Era

When publishing house Era announced that it could no longer continue and might disappear, sadness quickly turned into anger, confusion, concern and alarm. Writers, editors, booksellers and journalists responded with messages of solidarity for one of Mexico’s most prestigious publishers, founded in 1960 and known nationally and internationally.

The news became a major cultural issue for two weeks. The president discussed Era’s situation during her daily press conference and said she would ask Culture Secretary Claudia Curiel to find a way to help. She also instructed Francisco Taibo, director of the Fondo de Cultura Económica, to contact the publisher for the same purpose.

The Culture Secretariat then offered Era a two-day book sale at the Los Pinos cultural complex. The event took place on Aug. 29 and 30, drawing large numbers of readers and supporters and producing strong sales. The article says no public information has emerged about any proposals or agreements between Era and the FCE, while expressing hope that the publisher received a worthwhile offer.

The response is welcome, the article argues, because Era’s catalogue represents a fundamental part of Mexican culture. Its subjects include history, sociology, literature, poetry, anthropology, design and Mexican art. The publisher’s role is placed alongside Joaquín Mortiz and Siglo XXI, which were founded in the same period and helped define Mexican publishing in the second half of the 20th century.

But the emergency assistance also reveals a deeper problem, the article says. After eight years, the government of the Fourth Transformation has failed to create a state policy that would give the publishing industry certainty, stability and growth in a rapidly changing market. The government, it argues, has not listened to the private sector.