Harper Collins – Rayo.

This fall HarperCollins Publishers has begun publishing the first list of books under its newly formed imprint, Rayo, an imprint created to publish titles for and about Latinos in both English and Spanish. Rayo (the word is Spanish for flash of lightning) was established to create a distinct literary voice geared to the needs and interests of the rapidly growing Hispanic marketplace within the U.S. The imprint, a bilingual first in that it will publish original titles in simultaneous English and Spanish editions directed to the tastes and interests of a uniquely Hispanic-American, bilingual audience, will publish approximately 12 titles a year beginning in September 2001 under the guidance of Rayo Editorial Director, Rene Alegria.

While HarperCollins has a long history of publishing many high profile Hispanic authors, including Isabel Allende, Oscar Hijuelos and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Rayo is intended to provide a springboard for emerging Hispanic-American writers and themes, embracing the slogan “One Culture. Two Languages.” Unlike most other Spanish language imprints of major trade publishers, HarperCollins did not create Rayo primarily to sell translations of English-language bestsellers. “There is a groundswell of energy and creativity rising out of the Hispanic community in this country; young voices, developing issues and distinct cultures that make up a larger heritage. Our goal is to publish books that give life to that evolving culture,” says Alegria.

The impressive roster of authors Rayo will be publishing in the next few seasons includes Isabel Allende, Victor Villasenor, Jorge Ramos, Luis Rodriguez, Ilan Stavans, Esmeralda Santiago, Carolina Garcia-Aguilera, and Renan “El Cucuy” Almendarez.

Rayo’s first title is Victor Villasenor’s 13 Senses, the long-awaited sequel to his 1991 bestselling memoir, Rain of Gold. 13 Senses, which went on sale in late August, has already elicited a lot of excitement among booksellers. The book recently received a glowing review in the Washington Post Book World, calling it a “stirring memoir of a single marriage, but also a timeless love story.” Villasenor will also soon be the subject of an interview on PBS television’s national nightly newscast, “The Newshour with Jim Lehrer.” The Spanish version, Trece Sentidos, will hit stands October 23rd.

Meanwhile, the Spanish edition of Isabel Allende’s new novel, Retrato en Sepia, will be published by Rayo in September and the English edition (Portrait in Sepia) by HarperCollins in November. In Winter 2002, Rayo will begin to repackage and launch each title in the Allende backlist in Spanish Language editions, which include all of her fiction, as well as her bestselling memoir Paula.

To help increase awareness of Rayo within the Hispanic community, HarperCollins plans to publish a Rayo e-newsletter in English and Spanish this fall that will target bilingual book readers with information about upcoming authors and titles. The house will also begin excerpting portions of Rayo books in Spanish on its web site.

“This is a tremendously exciting development for HarperCollins and a bilingual first. Rayo is our response to the diverse and growing Hispanic marketplace, where there is not only a need for books published in Spanish, but also increased desire for books of interest to the Hispanic community written in English,” said Jane Friedman, President and CEO of HarperCollins Publishers. “Rene brings a high level of creativity and vision, along with a solid grasp of the Hispanic market, to his critical role in developing this imprint which we believe will set the standard for showcasing new Hispanic writers.”

Rene Alegria recently served as a managing editor for HarperCollins, HarperBusiness, Cliff Street Books and HarperCollins Large Print Books. In his new role as Rayo Editorial Director, he reports to Carie Freimuth, Senior Vice President and Associate Publisher of the HarperCollins General Books Group.

Rayo is publishing Jorge Ramos’ The Other Side Of America — an expose of the Latin-American immigrant experience — for the first time in English in January 2002. Jorge Ramos is the widely popular news anchor on Univision, who regularly beats the ratings of the traditional network evening newscasts in Miami, Houston, and Los Angeles. Rayo will follow the publication of The Other Side Of America with a never-before-published autobiography by Ramos about his own immigration to the U.S. from Mexico and his rise in television journalism, which will come out in Fall 2002 in simultaneous English and Spanish editions.

Luis Rodriguez, the best-selling author of Always Running, his acclaimed memoir about escaping gang life in Los Angeles, will have Rayo publish his first work of fiction, The Republic Of East LA. The collection of short stories is due out in April 2002 in both English and Spanish. Ilan Stavans, an award-wining author who has just begun hosting his own national PBS television show (“La Plaza”), will have Rayo publish Hispanic Condition: Future Power of a People in November. The book is an examination of the five major groups that make up the diverse spectrum within the United States Hispanic community.

Renan “El Cucuy” Almendarez, the hugely popular, top-rated radio host on KCSA-FM in Los Angeles, whose morning show is number one (among both English and Spanish stations) in the number one market in the country, will share the story of his life and rise to fame in his first book, to be published by Rayo in Summer 2002.

Also in Summer 2002, Rayo will publish Carolina Garcia-Aguilera’s first non-mystery novel, One Hot Summer. One Hot Summer follows three thirty-something single girlfriends as they make their way through the ups and downs of life, while dazzling readers with a peek into the hilariously glitzy, fast-paced world of single-Latina Miami. Latin women are likely to embrace this novel enthusiastically as it illustrates a new cultural literary genre that combines the glamorous drama inherent in Spanish-language soap operas (telenovelas) with true American feminist empowerment. A former private investigator, Garcia-Aguilera is well known for her highly acclaimed Lupe Solano mysteries, Bloody Waters, Bloody Shame, Bloody Secrets, A Miracle in Paradise, and Havana Heat and is sure to strike gold with this foray into mainstream fiction.

In fall 2002, Rayo will reissue Esmeralda Santiago’s America’s Dream, originally published by HarperCollins in 1996. Santiago’s first book, When I was Puerto Rican, premiered to much critical and popular acclaim and established Santiago as an author on the forefront of the Latin literary movement. Rayo is honored welcome this celebrated author into its publishing fold.