The initiative is led by poet Nuno Garcia Lopes, who stated that the publishing house emerges from “a desire for resistance in a digital-dominated era.” The goal is to revive traditional formats and focus on poetry and literary objects outside the mainstream.
“Creating a publishing house today only makes sense against the current,” said the project’s leader, highlighting that the company aims to restore the materiality of reading through books, pamphlets, and even letters.
“There is a niche of people who still prefer paper and many young people who don’t use it simply because they’re almost unfamiliar with it,” he noted, explaining that Tomar was chosen as the location for personal and symbolic reasons.
“Tomar is the ideal place for good projects. I was born here and believe that today everything can be done from anywhere,” added Nuno Garcia Lopes, further connecting the city to the homage to composer Fernando Lopes-Graça, author of the iconic “Acordai,” which inspires the project’s name and spirit.
The logo and the motto “books with fiber” also reference the concept of “cord” and the old tradition of string literature.
The publisher’s first title will be a collection of 30 years of published and unpublished works by Nuno Garcia Lopes, a 416-page volume designed by Madalena Garcia Chaveiro with illustrations by Catarina Garcia Marques.
The book will be launched on November 27 at the Cine-Teatro Paraíso, as part of the “Outonar” show, followed by presentations in Entroncamento, Sertã, Lisbon, and Alcanena.
Acorda plans to publish works by authors such as 2021 LeYa Prize winner José Carlos Barros and cartoons by illustrator SAL (Gonçalo Figueiredo) starting in early 2026, with a focus on uncommon editorial formats, according to the project leader.
“We want to revive literary objects like loose sheets with poems to be sent by mail. Receiving a letter that isn’t just a bill is an experience that has been lost,” said the promoter, poet, and writer, aiming to restore the emotional dimension of paper.
Other ideas include creating small pamphlets inspired by traditional string literature and affordable editions for circulation at fairs and street events.
While the project is led by Nuno Garcia Lopes, the publisher is based on a “collective of friends linked to art and paper,” focusing on poetry and other expressions less represented in commercial circuits.
“We want to publish what many publishers don’t, like poetry, visual arts, or alternative texts. We invest in what is outside the mainstream but with quality,” he stated.
Without a physical point of sale “for now,” Acorda will predominantly operate through social networks, pre-sales, and distribution through independent bookstores.
“We don’t want to put the cart before the horse. It’s sustainable growth,” Nuno Garcia Lopes remarked, with aspirations to expand the catalog to authors of the Portuguese language.
“Welcoming others is one of the publisher’s principles. Lusophonia has extraordinary craftsmen, and we want to open the doors whenever it makes sense,” he said.
The publisher is also investing in a strong graphic and visual component. “We are promoting the authors, but also the book as an object. Material quality is essential,” he stated.
The debut book is available for pre-sale with a 20% discount until November 26 through the publisher’s email (ac***********@***il.com).
