Houston, TX January 2019— The National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) has announced that Arte Público Press, the nation’s largest publisher of U.S.-based Hispanic authors, has received the prestigious Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award. Named after the first president of the NBCC, the award is given annually to a person or institution with an extensive history of significant contributions to book culture. “The award comes as a total surprise because it typically goes to authors,” said Dr. Nicolás Kanellos, founder and director of Arte Público Press. “This recognition will help us amplify voices in Latino literature throughout the United States.” The National Book Critics Circle Awards, considered among the most respected literary awards in America, are bestowed by a jury of working critics and book-review editors. Past recipients include Margaret Atwood and Pulitzer Prize-winner Toni Morrison. “The University of Houston has given Arte Público Press an intellectual space in which to …
Announcing the Esther Campos Collection
Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage, an initiative housed at the University of Houston and dedicated to preserving and making accessible the written legacy of US Latinas and Latinos, announces the launch of the Esther Campos Collection in its Digital Collections platform. The newly available collection celebrates the life and career of Maria “Esther” (Estrada) Campos (1930–2025), a pioneering Mexican-American educator, civic leader and public servant who devoted her life to advancing educational opportunities for Houston’s youth. Born in Houston on October 6, 1930, Campos earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Houston College of Education at a time when few Latinas pursued higher education. She became one of the first bilingual instructors hired by the Houston Independent School District (HISD), later serving as counselor, assistant principal and ultimately as HISD Trustee for District VIII from 1993 to 2003. In recognition of her lifelong commitment to education, …
Bilingual Picture Book Honoring Grandmothers Wins Recognition
HOUSTON, TX—Adriana Camacho-Church’s bilingual picture book, Grandma’s Hair Is Ankle Length / El cabello de Abuela le llega hasta los tobillos (Pinata Books, 2024), is the winner of the Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy’s 2025 Spanish Bell Award in the “Hablar / Talk” category. The awards are an annual recognition of high-quality Spanish picture books that provide excellent support for early literacy skills for young children. A winner is chosen in each of five categories: READ, WRITE, TALK, SING, and PLAY. Winners were selected from a 25-title shortlist—five books per category—chosen by the awards committee. In Camacho-Church’s poetic ode to grandmothers, a young girl likens her abuela’s long hair to strength, security and understanding. The black strands speak of “finding courage in the unknown,” while the white ones represent wisdom and hope. With stunningly beautiful illustrations by Carmen Lop that depict a loving intergenerational relationship playing out against the backdrop of …
Bank Street College of Education Honors Two Piñata Books as Best of 2025 in Spanish
HOUSTON, TX—The Bank Street College of Education Children’s Book Committee named two new Piñata Books to its Best Children’s Books of the Year in Spanish (2025 edition): Pedro and the Monster Eaters / Pedro y los devoradores de monstruos by Xequina María Berbér and It Feels Like Family / Se siente como familia by Diane de Anda. Twenty-five titles reflecting the rich heritage and cultural traditions of the Spanish-speaking world were selected for inclusion. Loosely based on the life of artist Pedro Linares, Xequina María Berbér’s bilingual picture book, Pedro and the Monster Eaters / Pedro y los devoradores de monstruos, pairs the fascinating origin story of one of Mexico’s most well-known folk arts with C. Rod-Unalt’s striking illustrations of the magical creatures. It was praised by School Library Journal as “an engaging and bright treatment of a Mexican sculptor that will inspire burgeoning artists.” Xequina María Berbér is the …
Monster Fighter Extraordinaire’s Latest Adventure Honored as a 2025 Américas Award Commended Title
HOUSTON, TX—The Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP) has named the sixth book in Xavier Garza’s acclaimed Monster Fighter Mystery / Serie Exterminador de monstruos series, Vincent Ventura and the Curse of the Donkey Lady / Vincent Ventura y la maldición de la Mujer Burro, a 2025 Américas Award Commended Title. CLASP founded the Américas Award in 1993 to encourage and applaud authors, illustrators and publishers who produce quality children’s and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean or Latinx cultures in the United States. Up to two annual book awards are offered along with a list of commended titles. More than 200 books were submitted, and Vincent Ventura and the Mystery of the Donkey Lady / Vincent Ventura y la maldición de la Mujer Burro was noted as “remarkable.” The committee said the book “exemplifies distinctive literary quality, sensitive cultural contextualization, exceptional integration of text and …
Ayda Abrar
Contracts & Subrights Coordinator Ayda Abrar coordinates contracts and subrights for Arte Público Press.
Job Announcement: Marketing Director
Position Summary Arte Público Press seeks a highly motivated and creative Marketing Director to lead the press’ marketing, publicity and community engagement strategies. The Director will work collaboratively with editorial, sales and production teams to grow visibility, reach new audiences and amplify the impact of the press’ mission and catalog. This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled communicator and strategist passionate about multicultural literature and Latino communities. Location: Houston, TX Position Type: Full-time, Benefits-Eligible Key Responsibilities Strategic Marketing & Brand Development Design and implement annual marketing and publicity strategies across all imprints and initiatives. Maintain and evolve brand identity, messaging and visual standards across platforms. Publicity & Media Relations Write and distribute press releases, manage media lists and secure coverage in print, broadcast and digital outlets. Coordinate author publicity and events, including interviews, book launches and festival appearances. Oversee book award submissions, trade advertising and catalog outreach. Digital Marketing & Communications …
Meet our 2025 Summer Interns
Arte Público Press, Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage (Recovery) and US Latino Digital Humanities Center (USLDH) welcomed 14 summer interns this year from the University of Houston (UH), Rice University, Harvard Divinity School, University of St. Thomas and Houston Community College. These interns joined 6 UH Graduate Research Assistants to work on and learn a variety of tasks and skills, such as: Scanning of archival items Microfilm scanning Handling and preserving archival texts Inventory of primary documents Organizing collections Creating finding aids Curating exhibits Database research Primary document research Asset management Data management (with spreadsheets) Metadata creation Metadata translation Familiarity with Library of Congress Subject Headings E-book editing and translation Digital archives (Omeka) Digital tools (mapping, timelines, digital collections, OpenRefine) Archival theory Digital humanities theory Academic conference presentations Academic conference posters Planning an academic conference Public writing (Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage blog) Project management Marketing and social …
Launch of Updated Digital Collection Featuring Puerto Rican Poet and Activist Delis Negrón
Arte Público Press’ US Latino Digital Humanities Center (USLDH) at the University of Houston proudly announces the launch of the Delis Negrón Digital Collection, a new addition to the Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage Digital Collections. This bilingual digital collection honors the life and work of Delis Negrón (1901-1956), a Puerto Rican poet, journalist, educator and civil rights advocate who lived and worked in Texas. Donated by Negrón’s family, the collection contains photographs, postcards, handwritten poetry, personal correspondence and clippings from historic Latino newspapers, such as La Prensa, El Jicote and The Laredo Times. Negrón was a prolific writer and a key editorial voice in US Latino civil rights activism, contributing to the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) newsletter and participating in organizations such as the Gran Cadena Fraternal Filantrópica and Sociedad Fraternal Mexicoamericana. The project also includes family reflections, making it a model of collaborative, community-engaged scholarship. …
