Telling the story of Emme Edizioni means giving credit to a publishing house that has played a fundamental role in the development of children’s publishing in Italy. The approach of its founder, Rosellina Archinto, still influences in a decisive way all those Italian publishers who, like us, deal with images.
20 Agust 2024
Founded in 1966 in Milan by Rosellina Archinto, Emme Edizioni was a publishing house at the forefront in terms of introducing new publishing canons aimed at young children.
The intent was to modernize children’s publishing in Italy, which still remained stuck in antiquated and sometimes moralistic educational models. The publisher had lived in New York until 1963, maturing an international mindset.
Archinto’s approach was inspired by various European trends, particularly French and Nordic ones, which valued the aesthetic, stimulating and imaginative aspect of books.
As Marta Sironi writes in the afterword to Una storia lunga come, “Rossellina Archinto’s publishing house had radically innovated Italian children’s publishing; it was the only one then to publish books designed by designers.”
As evidence of this, throughout her career, Archinto collaborated with both Italian and international renowned illustrators, such as Bruno Munari, Leo Lionni, Iela Mari, Maurice Sendak or Colin McNaughton.
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Success and challenges
Despite critical acclaim, the publishing house’s experimental approach entailed high costs, such that economic sustainability was a constant challenge for the company.
In 1986 Archinto made the decision to sell to Petrini of Turin. In 1990 the publishing house came under the control of Einaudi and finally, the following year, it was acquired by EL, now a 50-50 subsidiary of the Mondadori Group.
The decision to sell marked the end of Emme Edizioni’s history as an independent entity. Nevertheless, Archinto’s approach to children’s publishing continues to profoundly influence the Italian publishing industry.
The legacy of Emme Edizioni
Archinto cleared new and daring themes for the time but very common today, such as diversity, emotions, and the everyday challenges of children. Its focus on book design then set new and higher quality standards for the industry.
The publishing house also experimented on formats, introducing large size books, hardbacks, leporelli, and several other innovations that are popular today.
Archinto collaborated with internationally renowned illustrators, bringing foreign talents to Italy that influenced readers’ tastes and expectations.
In conclusion, the legacy of Emme Edizioni is still vibrant and present today, impacting the way any publisher involved in illustration, including us at Lazy Dog, conceives their books.
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Rosellina Archinto, born March 10, 1963, in Milan, Italy, is a well-known figure in the Italian cultural and artistic scene, with a career spanning several disciplines in addition to publishing, including film and literature. Read her full biography.