How (Yes) Cardboard Is Revolutionizing The Latin American Book Industry

Once a month, near the bustling Baquedano metro station, 14 publishing presses gather together in the quiet Café Literario in Parque Bustamante. One might suspect that they are discussing marketing strategies, launching books, or comparing changes in the book economy. What they’re really doing is something far more artistic — something you might not believe until you stumble into one of their fairs: selling books made out of cardboard.

Editoriales Cartoneras is a collective of independent cardboard book presses in Santiago, Chile that collaborate to make the publishing industry more accessible, artistic, and environmentally friendly. Following in the footsteps of Argentinian bookmakers who began the cardboard book movement following a devastating economic crisis, these Chilean writers and artists seek to make high-quality books out of low-cost and recycled materials. In the process of making these cardboard books, Chilean bookmakers are not only beginning a new artistic movement, but also questioning the role of publishing in a country with a rich literary history, but also falling readership rates.

Indeed, Chilean bookstore owners across Santiago lament the decreasing number of people buying books in their stores. The Santiago Times reports that only 7% of regular Chilean readers read for…