Bordighera Press

Bordighera Press is an independent publishing house founded in 1989 by Fred Gardaphé, Paolo Giordano, and Anthony Julian Tamburri. Its work centers on Italian culture and the experiences of Italian and Italian-descended communities in North America. The press publishes both creative and scholarly material, seeking to present Italian American life in a broader and more varied way than the stereotypical portrayals that had often shaped public discussions of the community. The press developed from the intellectual and editorial ambitions behind the anthology “From the Margins, Writings in Italian Americana.” That origin reflected a desire to create a sustained platform rather than a one-off publication: a venue where writers, scholars, and cultural commentators could address the history, identity, language, literature, and social experience of Italians and Italian Americans. Its publishing program consequently spans literary works and academic or critical writing. Bordighera Press organizes its book publishing through four named series: the Bordighera Poetry Prize series, Crossings, Saggistica, and Via Folios. Together, these series provide formats for poetry manuscripts, cultural crossings and identity-oriented writing, nonfiction or critical scholarship, and shorter folio-length works. The press has also operated two journals, VIA and Italiana, extending its role beyond individual books into recurring literary and scholarly publication. From 1998 through 2013, the press administered the Bordighera Poetry Prize. The prize recognized the best poetry manuscript in English by an American poet of Italian descent. It was intended to encourage emerging Italian American authors, immigrants, and descendants of immigrants while helping sustain awareness of the Italian-language tradition within an English-language North American literary environment. Bordighera Press is based in Indiana and has editorial offices in New York City. Its institutional identity is therefore tied to both an American publishing base and a wider North American cultural network. The available reference material does not establish a corporate parent, public listing, revenue figures, current executive roster, or a detailed account of its distribution arrangements. Its distinctive positioning is cultural and editorial: it functions as a specialist independent press for Italian and Italian American literary, scholarly, and cultural expression.

Bordighera Press was established in 1989 by Fred Gardaphé, Paolo Giordano, and Anthony Julian Tamburri. Its formation grew out of the anthology “From the Margins, Writings in Italian Americana” and from the founders’ shared concern that Italian American culture was too often represented through limited or stereotypical images. They sought to build a publishing institution capable of documenting a fuller range of Italian and Italian American experience through both popular and scholarly works. The press’s editorial mission developed around Italian culture in North America, with particular attention to literature, cultural identity, intellectual history, and the lives of Italians and their descendants. Rather than limiting its program to a single genre, Bordighera Press created several series that could accommodate different forms of writing. These include the Bordighera Poetry Prize series, Crossings, Saggistica, and Via Folios. The series structure allowed the press to publish poetry, critical and scholarly work, cultural writing, and shorter literary or intellectual texts within a coherent specialist catalog. A significant part of the press’s literary role was its Bordighera Poetry Prize. Awarded from 1998 to 2013, the prize was for the best poetry manuscript in English by an American poet of Italian descent. Its stated cultural purpose was to encourage emerging Italian American writers, immigrants, and their descendants, while keeping the Italian-language tradition visible within a predominantly English-language literary setting. The prize also reinforced the press’s interest in linking contemporary literary production with questions of heritage, language, and cultural continuity. In addition to books and book series, Bordighera Press has published two journals, VIA and Italiana. These periodical publications broadened the press’s contribution from individual titles to continuing scholarly and literary exchange. They also provided additional venues for work addressing Italian and Italian American culture in North America. The publisher is based in Indiana and maintains editorial offices in New York City. This arrangement gives the press an institutional base in the United States alongside an editorial presence in one of the country’s major centers of Italian American cultural activity. The available sources identify Bordighera Press as an independent publisher but do not provide reliable information about a parent organization, ownership structure, financial performance, current management, or detailed distribution operations. Its documented historical significance rests primarily on its role as a dedicated platform for Italian and Italian American writing, research, and cultural discussion.

• 2013

  Bordighera Poetry Prize period concludes

  [1]Bordighera Pressen.wikipedia.org

  The documented run of the Bordighera Poetry Prize ends after operating from 1998 through 2013.

• 1998

  Bordighera Poetry Prize begins

  [1]Bordighera Pressen.wikipedia.org

  The press begins awarding a prize for the best English-language poetry manuscript by an American poet of Italian descent.

• 1989

  Bordighera Press is founded

  [1]Bordighera Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Fred Gardaphé, Paolo Giordano, and Anthony Julian Tamburri establish the independent press to expand representations of Italian and Italian American life beyond stereotypical portrayals.

An independent specialist publisher providing literary and scholarly platforms for Italian and Italian American culture, identity, history, and creative expression in North America.

• Poetry series and prize · 1998

  Bordighera Poetry Prize

  A book series associated with the press’s poetry prize, which recognized English-language poetry manuscripts by American poets of Italian descent. The prize and resulting publications supported emerging writers, immigrants, and descendants of Italian immigrants while connecting contemporary poetry with Italian American cultural memory and the continuing significance of the Italian-language tradition.

• Book series

  Crossings

  One of Bordighera Press’s named publishing series. Its inclusion in the press’s program reflects the publisher’s broader interest in cultural movement, identity, and the experiences that connect Italian, Italian American, and North American contexts. The available source does not provide a complete catalog description or list of individual titles.

• Scholarly and nonfiction series

  Saggistica

  A series devoted to nonfiction, criticism, and scholarly writing within the press’s Italian and Italian American cultural remit. The series name signals an emphasis on analytical and research-oriented work, although the available reference does not specify its full editorial scope or individual publication list.

• Short-form book series

  Via Folios

  A named Bordighera Press series intended for folio-length or otherwise shorter works. It forms part of the press’s effort to publish varied literary and cultural formats alongside full-length books and scholarly studies. Specific format standards and current publication status are not established by the available source.

• Journal

  VIA

  One of the two journals associated with Bordighera Press. It extends the publisher’s work into serial literary and scholarly communication concerning Italian and Italian American culture in North America. The available reference does not provide publication frequency or a complete account of its current status.

• Journal

  Italiana

  A journal published by or associated with Bordighera Press. Its role is consistent with the press’s focus on Italian and Italian American cultural, literary, and scholarly expression. Detailed editorial information, frequency, and current publication status are not specified in the available reference material.

1. 1Bordighera Pressen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Bordighera Press official websitebordigherapress.org