Group 62 absorbs Periscope Editions

BarcelonaGrupo 62 has acquired majority ownership of Ediciones del Periscopio. With this business transaction, the imprint led by Aniol Rafel and Marta Rubirola becomes part of the group. We'll be able to sell the books we were producing without any restrictions and also maintain the distribution we had. We'll work as we have until now, but with greater ease," explains Rafel.

The publisher assures that this is not an urgent decision nor one made reluctantly, but rather one they have made "after two good years," according to Rafel. "A large group gives peace of mind." The alliance will provide them with more resources and strengthen the presence of their books and authors in new spaces and markets. "In principle, everything is an advantage. As a business, Periscopi will remain committed "to literature, readers, and the defense and dissemination of the Catalan language and culture."

For his part, Grupo 62's editorial director, Emili Rosales, welcomed the incorporation of Periscopi "We are very happy to have reached this agreement." local, and has a very unique way of publishing and reaching readers. It is an enrichment to be able to add them to the diverse approach we have at Grup 62," says Rosales. The operation responds to the desire to incorporate "labels that maintain personality" with the aim of "making the offer of literature in the Catalan language as broad as possible," Rosa adds. since 2013.

Ediciones del Periscopio, led by Aniol Rafel, was born in 2012 with a small structure, but soon positioned itself at the forefront of the market. Over the last decade, it has become one of the leading labels in independent publishing in Catalonia, unrelated—until now—to the major groups. Periscopio is one of the publishers that has received the most Llibreter awards, with titles such as Soul by Wajdi Mouawad (2014), Ice giants by Joan Benesiu (2015), Unknown by Manuel Baixauli (2020), Construction materials by Eider Rodríguez (2024) and the recent Only earth, only rain, only mud by Montse Aubets (2025). Periscopio has published in Catalan great international authors such as Sally Rooney, Gabrielle Zevin, Kent Haruf and Colson Whitehead.

For several years now, the three major groups (Penguin Random House, Planeta, and Abacus) have been acquiring independent labels in a series of publishing mergers. In 2019, Penguin Random House bought The Bell, founded by Josep Maria Espinàs and Isabel Martí, and in 2021, La Magrana. That same year, Enciclopèdia Catalana he kept Vienna, the publishing house of Isabel Monsó and Enric Viladot. The last move, before the change of Periscope, was the acquisition of Abacus and Jaume Roures of all the stamps of Enciclopèdia Catalana, last year.