Aiep Editore Revives Melting Pot Series for Global South Literature

Aiep Editore, a San Marino-based independent publisher founded in 1980, has revived its Melting Pot series after a decade-long hiatus. The series, launched in 1993, focuses on literature from Africa, the Middle East, and South America—works rarely translated into Italian. The revival began in late 2022 when publisher Nicola Morganti and his team revisited the series' backlist and decided to restore and reissue its titles. The first reissue is Niiwam by Senegalese author Sembène Ousmane, marking the centenary of his birth. Morganti criticizes the Italian publishing industry for overproducing new titles, creating a speculative bubble, and advocates for a sustainable niche-focused approach. Aiep plans to release a Brazilian author's work in early 2025, translated by Giacomo Falconi, and will spin off Melting Pot into a separate imprint by year's end. The interview is part of Artribune's series on independent Italian publishing.