A Problem of the Presses Translating Ripley’s Believe It or Not for Latin American Markets

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Published: Jun 10, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14434/tc.v18i1.41345
Keywords:
Latin American Book Publishing, Editorial Albatros, Ripley, Believe It Or Not
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Essays
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Nora Benedict
University of Georgia

Abstract

While the Latin American book industry flourished in the mid-twentieth century, technological and economic challenges hindered the production of certain types of works. In this article I examine the Mexican firm Editorial Albatros’s failed attempt to publish Ripley’s Believe It or Not in Spanish during the 1940s. Drawing on archival material, I analyze the interplay of translation practices, printing technologies, and market dynamics that shaped Editorial Albatros’s failure. I ultimately highlight the broader implications of technological compatibility and material resources in global publishing, as well as the enduring appeal of Ripley’s work for Latin American audiences.

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Author Biography

Nora Benedict, University of Georgia

Nora Benedict is an Associate Professor of Spanish and Digital Humanities at the University of Georgia. Her research centers on Latin American literature, book history, and questions of access and maintenance surrounding both digital and print cultures. Her first monograph, Borges and the Literary Marketplace (Yale 2021), explains how the Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges’s general involvement in the publishing industry influenced not only his formation as a writer, but also global book markets and reading practices. She also co-edited the Oxford Handbook of Jorge Luis Borges with Daniel Balderston. Beyond her research on Borges, her second monograph in progress, Global Interdependence in the Latin American Book Market, 1940–1970, examines how international publishing firms directed their energies toward Latin America, what kinds of strategies they employed, and which areas they targeted as they began to enter the market and forge collaborative alliances.

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