Publishing, the Rules of the Trade

Promotional poster for Lucifera

Elvifrance, Private collection, © Elvipress

Produced without a care for aesthetics or the narrative, these illustrated books are imported from Italy and translated. In order to avoid the costs of destruction before publication, when the Supervisory Committee refuses to approve a book, Bielec made a first run of thirty books. Other strategies, including a specific distribution network, allowed him to amass best-sellers. Whatever the political bent of the government, the bans still rained down on him. There was no support from either side; the production of Elvifrance offended for many reasons: wide popularity, illustrated, without any cultural alibi.