Nicola Orichuia, owner of I AM BOOKS in Boston, Massachusetts: (iambooksboston.com) in conversation with Italbooks discussing the US book market, its challenges and the presence of Italian writers and publishers in the United States.
ITA: Why did you decide to open a bookstore specializing in the Italian language in the United States?
NICOLA: Ever since I moved to the United States in 2008, I have always missed Italian books. Over time, and with the realization that I would be staying in the United States, I felt even more the need to have Italian books on hand, easily available.
ITA: What brought you to the United States initially?
NICOLA: Usually, people come here either for work or for love. In my case it was a bit of both. My wife came to the United States to pursue her career in the medical field, me with the hope of continuing to be a journalist, as in Italy.
ITA: What were the biggest challenges you encountered after opening the bookstore?
NICOLA: In the beginning, it is always difficult to establish yourself and make yourself known. To function, independent and small bookstores do not need big marketing campaigns, but patience and a lot of work. With time, people get to know the bookstore and appreciate it.
ITA: How did the COVID pandemic affect your business?
NICOLA: Enormously. When the pandemic came, we were among the first to close in the United States, launching a fundraising campaign. I understood early on that keeping the doors closed would make it very difficult to pay the employees, the rent, and the bills. Six months later, with the lease expiring, we closed the original physical store and invested online. But then things started to turn around and we found a new space, four times the size of the original and with incredible visibility, which we entered in late 2021. Not all ills come to harm, in short.
ITA: What surprised you about the reading tastes of the American public?
NICOLA: The American public is extremely curious and interested in new publishing. Selling mostly English-translated texts by Italian authors, we have noticed that there are strong ties to past Italian authors such as Italo Calvino, Primo Levi, and Natalia Ginzburg, but since Elena Ferrante has had great success we have also noticed a growing interest in contemporary Italian authors such as Mario Desiati and Claudia Durastanti. At the same time there is a rediscovery of authors and authors from the past, as in the case of Alba de Céspedes.
ITA: What types (categories) of Italian books are most popular with American readers?
NICOLA: Definitely fiction, but I would say the category that attracts the most is children’s and younger literature. It is just as thriving and fascinating a market as adult literature. Here again we see a growing number of Italian names standing out among the catalogs, both Italian and American. Names like Beatrice Alemagna, Sergio Ruzzier, Felicita Sala come to mind. In America there is now also the rediscovery (or perhaps the belated introduction) of Gianni Rodari, thanks to the efforts of the Enchanted Lion publishing house and the outstanding translations of Antony Shugaar.
ITA: What are the biggest differences you have noticed between Italian and American readers?
NICOLA: If I go and look at the trends, I don’t think there are big differences. Italian readers are usually more attracted to authors and authors from the Italian literary world. There is almost a need to read Italian literature, perhaps to stay in touch with contemporary Italian. However, the same can be said of American readers, who usually gravitate toward American authors and authors who speak about themes and subjects closer to their own reality.
ITA: Have there been any Italian publishing houses that have offered any kind of promotion to help you market their books to your customers? If so, which ones have been successful? If not, what would you suggest as an effective method to help bookstores sell more Italian books (and Italian books in translation) to U.S. customers?
NICOLA: When I opened the bookstore in 2015, I had no idea how the book business worked. I admit, I was a total ignoramus on the subject-I came from the world of journalism. But in just a few months I learned a lot and discovered that there are publishing houses that are very easy to work with directly from abroad, while there are others that prefer to delegate export work to large distributors. Certainly, the publishing houses that specialize in textbooks, those titles that you need to learn Italian, are well organized and have long had a network of contacts in the country, although the United States is so big that there is always some new opportunity around the corner. The only suggestion I would make, as a bookseller, is to invest in portals or online sites that make it easier for everyone. Technology exists and is already used by many. Using it can only benefit you.
ITA: What promotional actions should be put in place to increase the demand for Italian books in America?
NICOLA: Certainly, a common and coordinated strategy should be put in place between publishers and those who sell books instead. We are now conditioned to think that Amazon is the only online resource, but if you go and dig a little bit, you realize that there is actually very little on Amazon when it comes to books in Italian (and in any case for this category Amazon depends on retailers, because they do not sell books in Italian directly, they do not care). With publishers such as Alma Edizioni and Edilingua, which specialize in language teaching, we have distribution agreements and include us in their catalogs and promotional materials distributed to schools and teachers. This synergistic work produces more sales for the publishers and at the same time provides customers with better service than Amazon, because we have real people working in the bookstore and can answer any questions or requests that come from the customer.
ITA: What promotional actions should be placed to increase awareness of Italian authors in America?
NICOLA: Here again, I think there is a need to find synergies that are not there at the moment. For example, we have a network of Italian Cultural Institutes, we have consulates and many other institutional bodies that often organize or collaborate on literary initiatives. Yet these efforts, in my opinion, are not always maximized because there is often a lack of communication between the various entities that could affect the success of the event promoting an Italian book or author. For example, if a famous Italian author comes to the United States, invited by a U.S. publishing house, there should be a simple and effective way for those who invited the author to get in touch with the various Italian realities that can promote the event (the institutions, schools, organizations on the ground) and those that can increase the circulation of the author’s books and the publishing house (the bookstores).
ITA: What challenges does an Italian publisher who wants to enter the American market face?
NICOLA: On this point I am less experienced. The American market is vast and there are so many titles coming out every week. It is a bit of a jungle, and you can get lost if you are not clear on how to proceed. Again, having institutional or private resources that can help publishers navigate the American market would be extremely helpful.
ITA: What needs to be done to increase the desire for Italian culture in the US?
NICOLA: Actually, the desire for Italian culture is very strong now. There are books coming out regularly that are translated from Italian or that talk about Italy in one way or another. I think it’s important to figure out how to continue to sustain this interest. We cannot take it for granted. That’s why we must continue to support publishers who want to promote Italian books in the United States, but also those who – like us booksellers – work every day to make sure that books get into the hands of readers.
