Stampa Alternativa

Stampa Alternativa is an Italian independent publishing house founded in Rome in 1970 by Marcello Baraghini. Inspired by American and British alternative press movements, it began as a counter-information agency and service centre addressing topics ignored by both institutions and self-styled revolutionary movements: sexuality, drugs, renewable energy, travel and quality of life. Its early pamphlets were sold at the political price of 300–500 lire. From the early 1970s the publisher was known for provocative initiatives such as the Press Card, a photojournalist card issued cheaply to anyone who requested it, and it still offers the possibility of publishing under the label 'supplemento a Stampa Alternativa' to bypass Italian press-law requirements. In 1975 it published 'Contro la famiglia. Manuale di autodifesa per minorenni', which sold over 60,000 copies and triggered a national scandal, a television campaign against it, and a trial in which Baraghini was sentenced to 18 months without benefits; all available copies were seized, but the book was reissued in 1995 for the publisher's 25th anniversary. In 1987 the company structure widened with the creation of Nuovi Equilibri Srl, with Angelo Leone joining Baraghini in managing the house. In the early 1980s Stampa Alternativa launched the Sconcerto series: square volumes designed to hold a vinyl record, featuring then little-known new wave artists such as The Cure and The Smiths, with biographies, lyrics and Italian translations. A parallel series covered Italian underground music, accompanied by the magazine Vinile. When vinyl declined, the series was replaced by Sonic Book, with similar aims but accompanied by a CD. The Grande Sconcerto series continued to publish essays on Italian social, political and singer-songwriter music as late as 2020. The Millelire series, launched in 1989, revolutionised the Italian book market. These bare, unadorned pamphlets cost 1,000 lire (about €0.52) and promoted proletarian reading. In the 1990s alone 20 million copies were sold, including 2–3 million of Epicurus's 'Letter on Happiness' and the successful 'Papalagi'. In 1994 the series received the Compasso d'Oro award for communication and graphics. Production ceased in 2002, though the books continued to be sold in streets and squares, and early Millelire titles were later reissued as freely downloadable e-books. In 1994 Stampa Alternativa published the first part of Goliarda Sapienza's 'L'arte della gioia' in the Millelirepiù series; after the author's death in 1996 it published the complete work in 2002 and 2006 before selling the rights to Einaudi. The publisher also created Millelire containers, such as the Marlboro box (inspired by the cigarette pack) for a noir series, and an Internet collection curated by Roberto Cicciomessere and Agorà Telematica.

Stampa Alternativa was founded in Rome in 1970 by Marcello Baraghini, inspired by the American and British alternative press. In its early years it operated as a counter-information agency and service centre, addressing topics ignored by both institutions and revolutionary movements: sexuality, drugs, renewable energy, travel and quality of life. Its pamphlets were sold at the political price of 300–500 lire. From the early 1970s it was known for provocative initiatives, such as the Press Card, a photojournalist card issued for a trifling sum to anyone who requested it, certifying the holder as a photojournalist correspondent of Stampa Alternativa, an agency registered with the Court of Rome. The publisher still offers the possibility of using the label 'supplemento a Stampa Alternativa' to bypass rules requiring a journalist registered with the Order of Journalists to be legally responsible. In 1975 the volume 'Contro la famiglia. Manuale di autodifesa per minorenni' sold over 60,000 copies and caused panic and indignation. Senator Mario Tedeschi of the Italian Social Movement, director of Il Borghese, inaugurated a television election campaign denouncing the book. Civic committees collected signatures in almost all Italian parishes to have it seized. Baraghini faced a long trial and was sentenced to 18 months without benefits. All available copies were seized, but the book was reissued in 1995 for the publisher's 25th anniversary. In 1987 the company structure widened with the creation of Nuovi Equilibri Srl, with Angelo Leone joining Baraghini in managing the house. In the early 1980s the Sconcerto series appeared: square volumes designed by Giacomo Spazio to contain a vinyl record, featuring new wave musicians then little known in Italy, such as The Cure and The Smiths, with biographies, lyrics and Italian translations. A parallel series dedicated to Italian music was accompanied by the magazine Vinile, conceived by Giacomo Spazio and conducted by Gigi Marinoni, Giacomo Spazio, Laura Mars and Carlo Albertoli. Spazio later founded the independent record label Vox Pop. When vinyl disappeared, the series was replaced by Sonic Book, with similar aims but accompanied by a CD. The Grande Sconcerto series continued to publish essays on Italian social, political and singer-songwriter music as late as 2020. The Millelire series, launched in 1989, revolutionised the Italian publishing market. These pamphlets, with a bare, unadorned format, cost 1,000 lire (about €0.52) and promoted proletarian reading. The success was enormous: in the 1990s alone 20 million copies were sold, including 2–3 million of Epicurus's 'Letter on Happiness' and the successful 'Papalagi'. In 1994 the series received the Compasso d'Oro for communication and graphics. In 2002 production ceased, though the books continued to be sold in streets and squares, and early Millelire titles were reissued as freely downloadable e-books. In 1994 Stampa Alternativa published the first part of Goliarda Sapienza's 'L'arte della gioia' in the Millelirepiù series, a work rejected by other publishers as too experimental and immoral. Two years after the author's death (1996), it published the complete work in two editions, in 2002 and 2006 in large format, before selling the rights to Einaudi after the book was also published in France. The need to publish several Millelire books together led to special containers. The first series was 'Giallo, nero e mistero': ten noir volumes by authors such as Loriano Macchiavelli, Marcello Fois and Andrea Pinketts. The container was called Marlboro, inspired by the cigarette pack. The success opened the way to other collections whose containers parodied consumer product boxes, including the Internet collection curated by Roberto Cicciomessere and Agorà Telematica.

• 2006

  Large-format edition of 'L'arte della gioia' published before rights sold to Einaudi.

• 2002

  Millelire series production ceases; complete 'L'arte della gioia' published.

• 1995

  Reissue of 'Contro la famiglia' for the publisher's 25th anniversary.

• 1994

  Millelire series awarded the Compasso d'Oro for communication and graphics.

• 1994

  Publication of the first part of Goliarda Sapienza's 'L'arte della gioia' in the Millelirepiù series.

• 1989

  Launch of the Millelire series.

• 1987

  Creation of Nuovi Equilibri Srl; Angelo Leone joins management.

• 1975

  Publication of 'Contro la famiglia', selling over 60,000 copies and causing a national scandal.

• 1970

  Founded in Rome by Marcello Baraghini.

Independent, countercultural and accessible publishing, known for ultra-low-cost books and provocative initiatives.

• Millelire

  Ultra-low-cost pamphlet series launched in 1989, sold at 1,000 lire.

• Sconcerto

  Square volumes containing a vinyl record, featuring new wave musicians.

• Sonic Book

  Successor to Sconcerto, with a CD instead of vinyl.

• Grande Sconcerto

  Series of essays on Italian social, political and singer-songwriter music.

• Millelirepiù

  Series that published Goliarda Sapienza's 'L'arte della gioia'.

1. 1Sito in costruzionestampalternativa.it
2. 2Stampa Alternativait.wikipedia.org
3. 3Wikidatawikidata.org