Labreu Edicions, an independent publisher based in Barcelona, celebrated its 20th anniversary on 7 March 2026, two decades after its initial launch at the Laie bookshop. Founded by philologists Marc Romera and Ester Andorrà, with poet Francesc Garriga as a mentor, the project began with a strong focus on poetry and a commitment to publishing high-quality, often overlooked, literary voices.
Initially, Labreu Edicions launched with a single poetry collection, Alabatre, featuring three books: Cartes de sotamà by Jordi Vintró, L'ull entorn by Andreu Subirats, and El furgatori by Josep Pedrals. Romera stated at the time that Alabatre aimed to challenge a provisional literary canon, which he believed often promoted authors based on social or political connections rather than literary merit. He also highlighted the neglect of new authors exploring different languages and forms, whose work might disorient established literary figures.
Andorrà and Romera also expressed a desire to move away from what they called "martipolisme" and "margaritisme" a reference to Miquel Martí i Pol and Joan Margarit, which they considered "parapoetic phenomena". They emphasised that their publishing decisions would be based solely on the quality of the work, rejecting criteria such as authors paying for publication, personal friendships, or publishing award-winning books simply because local councils funded them. Their goal was to discover new voices, or those ignored or undervalued due to being misunderstood or uncomfortable, despite their literary excellence.
Origins and Growth
Labreu Edicions emerged shortly before the boom of independent publishers, positioning itself as a reaction against the formation of Grup 62, which had consolidated major Catalan literary imprints and was later acquired by Planeta. The idea for Labreu was developed during poetry sessions at Bar L'Horiginal in Barcelona's Raval neighbourhood, programmed by Meritxell Cucurella-Jorba, Josep Pedrals, and Ferran Garcia, with Francesc Garriga's close involvement.
Today, Labreu Edicions is run by five editors: Ester Andorrà, Marc Romera, Ignasi Pàmies, Bernat Reher, and Teresa Florit. The publisher has significantly expanded its catalogue, now boasting 154 poetry titles. It has also ventured into narrative, with 34 titles in Catalan fiction under the Cicuta collection, 50 foreign fiction titles in the La Intrusa collection, and 12 out-of-collection titles. Initial print runs of 400 copies for poetry have increased to an average of 600 copies. Nosaltres, qui by Mireia Calafell is currently their best-selling book. Enric Faura, representing Xarxa de Llibres, the new distributor for Labreu's books, was also present at the anniversary event.
Maintaining a Combative Spirit
To mark its 20th anniversary, Labreu Edicions gathered press and booksellers at the Laie bookshop, the same location as its launch, to reaffirm its founding values and present new releases for the second half of the year. The celebrations continued with a reading of excerpts by authors and friends at the Ciutat Invisible bookshop, followed by an evening event at L'Horiginal de la Deskomunal in the Sants neighbourhood, both venues known for poetry and music.
Ester Andorrà reflected on the publisher's beginnings, stating, "We started with the explosion of believing that everything was possible editorially, with few resources, and with an excited literary community." She spoke of creating a network through the books' content, form, and personal involvement, fostering a dynamic cultural community. Labreu has introduced authors like Francesc Garriga, Zoraida Burgos, and Jordi Cussà, who were previously marginalised by the system. They have also published the first Catalan translations of authors such as Dovlàtov, Mavis Gallant, Jörg Fauser, and Muriel Spark, alongside works by contemporary Catalan writers like Joan Todó, Anna Gual, and Pol Guasch, and established figures such as Màrius Sampere and Antònia Vicens.
Andorrà added, "We publish with the full intention of influencing aesthetics and constructions that we find necessary to make visible. We expand knowledge in the editorial process and engage in important dialogue with authors and translators to honour the manuscript and ensure it reaches bookshops in the best possible form within our collections." This process, she explained, involves understanding the authors' inner language to honour the art of writing and reading, fostering thought and beauty.
Outside the Cultural Industry
Marc Romera explained how Labreu has maintained its combative spirit over two decades. He acknowledged that publishing decisions can sometimes cause internal disagreements, but their continued vitality stems from an "allergy" to what they call the "cultural industry," which Romera considers an oxymoron. He stated, "We are a non-profit cultural association. All the editors at Labreu have full-time jobs. We do publishing for the love of art. We are outside the cultural industry." Romera recounted telling another editor who said Labreu played in a different league, "No, we don't play in a different league, we play a different sport."
Another key difference, Romera noted, is Labreu's commitment to keeping its entire catalogue alive. "We fight never to abandon books. We have very few out-of-print books, only two or three, in twenty years," he said. "Because it's a commitment to literature that works against time. And if you notice, most of the best-selling books that have appeared in the last twenty years no longer exist. They are absolutely forgotten. We fight against that." As an example, Labreu plans to re-release La zona, their first published work by Dovlàtov, while also releasing a new book, La columna, by the same author. Romera compared this approach to the enduring work of Paul Celan, which he described as universal and eternal.
Upcoming Publications
In June, Alabatre will publish La més nit by Adam Manyé, a short collection of poems based on a mystical and delirious experience with the sea. In September, Eleusis by Míriam Cano will be released. New poetry collections by Alfons Navarret and Josep Pedrals are also confirmed. Marc Romera will also release a new poetry book, Haddock, in which the poet, a Tintin enthusiast, writes fifty poems from the perspective of Captain Haddock. Romera also mentioned a second poetry collection where he adopts the persona of Tintin, which is yet to be published.
