Independent bookstores on the periphery: facing the centralization of Mexico's publishing industry

Abstract

 Taking a general approach to the centralization of the Mexican publishing industry in the private and bookseller sectors, this article presents an analysis of the current state of independent bookstores as a resistance to market priorities and demands. Based on the results of interviews with booksellers in El Traspatio (Morelia) and La Cosecha (San Cristóbal de las Casas), we seek to contribute to the construction of a written heritage that demonstrates the main challenges they face as a project in the country's periphery, as well as the social spaces they have strengthened in their bookstores through years of constant work. It concludes that the current strategies of independent book agents are a crucial part of their resistance to the system, such as the creation of alliances between booksellers and publishers, the organization of meetings and festivals focused on literary themes that integrate current and urgent discussions, and the shared commitment to bibliodiversity, which mitigates the homogenization of publishing catalogs.