The new project aims to reissue 170 titles whose rights belong to Villegas.
Colombian publisher Benjamin Villegas has opened his half-century archive and transformed it into a more accessible publishing collection called ‘Anthology of Colombia,’ featuring medium-sized, lightweight, and affordable books.
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For decades, Villegas Editores was known for publishing large-format books with high-quality graphics, becoming a benchmark in the Colombian publishing sector, with works that traveled abroad as cultural symbols.
The new project aims to reissue 170 titles whose rights belong to Villegas, as he commissioned texts, financed research, and sent photographers throughout Colombia.
‘Anthology of Colombia’ will bring together texts and images on art, architecture, crafts, photography, flora, fauna, urban history, customs, festivals, archaeology, and anthropology, with 36 titles planned for the first year.
Villegas recalls that Colombian companies used to support his books by purchasing print runs as corporate gifts, but that model has disappeared, forcing him to now publish without corporate support or guaranteed sales.
The collection will initially print 500 copies per title, making them available directly to the public to test whether his half-century of publishing work “remains relevant” in a new reading ecosystem.
On April 16, he will present three initial titles: ‘Luis Caballero Tribute’ with text by Antonio Caballero, ‘The Flavor of Colombia’ about traditional cuisine, and ‘Colombia Dreams and Adventures’ with Andres Hurtado.
The collection will be bilingual, in Spanish and English, designed for Colombians abroad and students, offering a portable format that maintains a cultural connection with the country in an accessible way.
With this project, Villegas seeks to give a second life to an irreplaceable archive, bringing together works that established a well-researched and visual image of Colombia.
