On this episode of Booklyn Calling, Faride Mereb and Oriana Nuzzi of Letra Muerta trace the evolution of their publishing practice, from its beginnings in Venezuela to their current studio in New York City. Together, they discuss how publishing can serve as a form of research: recovering overlooked texts, engaging in translation, fostering collaboration, and creating new ways of reading poetry. Throughout the conversation, Mereb and Nuzzi reflect on the value of remaining lifelong students, embracing curiosity, experimentation, and the open-ended process of learning as the foundation of their work.
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Letra Muerta Inc. is an award-winning design studio, workshop, and Latin American Archive center co-directed by Faride Mereb and Oriana Nuzzi, located in New York City. Originally founded as a publishing house by designer and editor Mereb in Venezuela in 2014, Letra Muerta Inc. has evolved from a publishing house that sought to review unpublished or republished texts that were considered to be important to disseminate in our context, respecting the authors and paying special attention to typographical composition, to now a hybrid studio dedicated to artistic experimentation, historical preservation, and community memory. While the studio welcomes participation from all, it primarily supports the work of Latin American and Caribbean artists, particularly women and other people of the periphery.
