Arquipélago Press

24/02/2023

A lovely review by Glenn Perrett of Metroland Media (26+ print and online newspapers in southern Ontario).
"Often funny and heartwarming, this young adult fiction book about family, friends, and love features interesting characters and entertaining dialogue – along with 21 pages of illustrations by Bernardo P. Carvalho. Highly recommended!"

Mary John

22/02/2023

The deadline for submitting to the Luso Gothic anthology is just a month away! Visit our website for submission guidelines.

We’re inviting entries to a Luso Gothic short story anthology for publication in Fall 2023. Stories do not necessarily need to be set in Portugal but should capture a character’s connection or interaction with a specific community or setting in Portugal (or any of its former colonies). For examp...

15/02/2023

Mary John is our first book in partnership with the amazing Planeta Tangerina in Portugal and it won't be the last!

23/12/2022

Thank you to all our friends and readers for supporting our books in 2022. Here's to a year of exciting new projects in 2023!

17/12/2022

Crumbling mansions, desolate villages, historical sins (slavery, the Jewish inquisition, the Lisbon Massacre, the devastating war in Angola), folk-religious practices incorporating both witchcraft and voodoo, the crowning of a co**se Queen, superstitions and generational trauma that follow immigrants to their new country…
Gothic literature is a mood—and Portugal lends itself to Gothic storytelling.

If you’re intrigued, check out the “Submissions” page on our website.

02/12/2022

More praise for MARY JOHN. This lovely coming-of-age novel by Ana Pessoa was included in the Toronto Star's Holiday Book Guide!

Deirdre Baker and Rabia Khokhar have picked options for three different age groups to help you make the exact right choice.

20/11/2022

MARY JOHN has received its first five-star review! CM (Canadian Review of Materials), a peer-reviewed journal for educators and librarians, states: "The beauty of the story is that the themes of coming-of-age and finding your identity are universal so the novel could be set in any country and in any era. Aside from a few mentions of Portuguese culture and traditions, Mary John is really a global and timeless story… Mary John is about childhood, first love, maturing, and finding your way in the world, and Pessoa’s novel is one that will ring true with readers of either gender... Highly recommended."
Link to the full review:

Dad asked if it was the boy from theatre. I asked: How did you know? Dad said: I have my little ways. I said the boy from theatre was called Daniel and that he was very tall. Dad said love was beautiful but also terrifying at the same time.

20/11/2022

MARY JOHN is available in our online store and in very tasteful bookstores like the in Steveston, BC. Drop by for fresh pastries and "fresh" books like MARY JOHN, an illustrated coming-of-age novel by Ana Pessoa.
Independent bookstores and small publishers appreciate your support!

13/11/2022

Júlio Pinhead,
Listen carefully: This is not a love letter. Forget it.

In a long letter addressed to Julio the Pirate, a young woman reflects on the childhood and teenage years spent on the little square where they both lived. We follow the beginnings of their friendship, the special bond that unites them, and how Julio comes to be important in the life of Maria João (or Mary John as he prefers to call her). But are the feelings mutual? What begins as an angry love letter becomes a story of unpacking the ghosts of the past in this truly unromantic, deeply feminist and lyrical coming-of-age story. Ana Pessoa's prose, complemented by full-page illustrated vignettes by Bernardo P. Carvalho, stands out for its aesthetic lyricism, for its dialogue, and for the nuances that hide among the jewels in this spirited English translation.
Link in bio for details.

11/10/2022

It’s publication day for MARY JOHN! We're thrilled to launch this award-winning young adult novel by Ana Pessoa featuring illustrated vignettes by Bernardo P. Carvalho and a sharp translation by Rahul Bery and Daniel Hahn.

Pre-orders placed through our website for MARY JOHN will start heading out into the world today. We hope you enjoy the little gifts we’ve included in each package. Is there a significance behind the cat paper clips and Maltesers? You’ll have to read MARY JOHN to find out!

08/10/2022

Coming soon!

06/10/2022

MARY JOHN will arrive from the printers after the weekend! (Pre-orders submitted by October 10th will receive a little surprise accompanying each copy of the book.) In the meantime, check out these proofs! The lovely blue and white vignettes which illustrate this young adult coming-of-age story are by the talented Bernardo P. Carvalho of Planeta Tangerina.

13/09/2022

The award-winning author of MARY JOHN shares her thoughts on writing from an adolescent perspective, connecting with feelings of melancholy, and the beauty of the colour blue.

Introducing Ana Pessoaby Editor30 August 202230 August 2022 The award-winning author of MARY JOHN shares her thoughts on writing from the adolescent perspective, connecting with our inner melancholy, and the beauty of the colour blue What can you tell us about Mary John?This novel is essentially a v...

30/08/2022

Announcing pre-orders for MARY JOHN by Ana Pessoa! The files have gone to print and copies will arrive at our office in late September! More information on the website.
https://arquipelagopress.com/product/mary-john/

“I’ve been writing to you for weeks. I’m not really sure why. I’m not really sure what for. Who are you, Julio the Pirate? I keep thinking about our story. From the very beginning. From our first encounter. From the very first question: “Are you a boy or a girl?” In a long letter address...

30/08/2022

Squeaking in at the end of Women in Translation month: MARY JOHN by Ana Pessoa with illustrated vignettes by Bernardo P. Carvalho. Originally written in Portuguese and translated into English by Rahul Bery and Daniel Hahn, MARY JOHN is a story of unrequited love and personal transformation from the perspective of a teen looking back on her childhood and adolescence in suburban Lisbon. Check out the Q & A posted on our website! https://arquipelagopress.com/introducing-ana-pessoa/

20/06/2022

Announcing the first book on our Fall '22 list: Mary John by Ana Pessoa! Thank you to Ana and Planeta Tangerina for granting world English-language rights to this beautiful young adult novel. Translation by Rahul Bery and Daniel Hahn, illustrations by Bernardo P. Carvalho.

In a long letter addressed to Julio the Pirate, Mary John reflects on the childhood and teenage years spent on the little square where they both lived. Between sorrow and humour, Mary John organises her thoughts and emotions, gathering strength to inaugurate a new chapter of her story. Ana Pessoa delivers an intense story that magnificently captures adolescence, in a book hat will conquer all teenage readers and adults that appreciate great literary masterpieces.

Watch this space for the pre-order campaign in August!

Ana Pessoa was born in Lisbon, in 1982. She’s an author of children and young adult books, all of them published by Planeta Tangerina. In 2018, she was distinguished with Maria Rosa Colaço Literary Prize for the work “Here is a good place.”

Her books are published in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Serbia, Chile and the Netherlands and have received several awards by institutions like FNLIJ (Brazil), Banco del Libro (Venezuela), Fundación Cuatrogatos (USA), International Youth Library (Germany), among others. 2020 marked her debut with Bernardo P. Carvalho in graphic novels, with the book “Detour.”

20/06/2022

We’re currently open for proposals in the following genres: short story collections, hybrid memoirs, novellas (up to 40,000 words) and narrative nonfiction. For more information, visit our website!

20/06/2022

Only 67 copies left of the second edition of the Memória anthology, available for sale on the website! The collection includes pieces by Aida Jordão, paulo da costa, Emanuel Melo, Irene Marques, and Richard Simas among others. Below, the book travelled to Paris courtesy of Lois Yasay Ribeiro, the former owner of Frigate Books in Porto, and now a bookseller at the esteemed Shakespeare and Company. A copy of the new edition is currently displayed on the bookseller shelf in the store. Ooh la la!

20/06/2022