Planeta and Madrina Sévigné Launch Spanish Literature Push
Two publishing ventures, the global giant Planeta and the new independent house Madrina Sévigné, have simultaneously announced plans to focus on Spanish
On September 15, two separate announcements spotlighted Spanish literature in France. The independent house Madrina Sévigné revealed its inaugural seven-title program for 2027, while the global Grupo Planeta confirmed the return of its own publishing brand to France, also planning a first release for August 2027.
Nathalie Caume, founder of Madrina Sévigné, told Livres Hebdo that the near-simultaneous arrival of her former Spanish parent company on the same segment shows it is a good idea. Her project, developed over the two years since she left Editis, is unrelated to Planeta's announcement.
Two Models, Two Scales
The two publishers represent different models and scales. Madrina Sévigné starts as a team of two: Nathalie Caume and Mathilde Oliveau. They are supported by Delnoch Publishing, a shared structure set up by Alain Névant that takes capital stakes in the houses it accompanies. Distribution in France is handled by Hachette Diffusion Littérature. The goal is about ten titles per year from 2028, split across three collections: Madrina Sévigné, Viva Madrina, and Madrina Noir.
In contrast, Planeta is playing the group card. Editorial direction is entrusted to Claire Do Sêrro, formerly of Robert Laffont, NiL, and Stock. Distribution will be via Dilisco (Albin Michel). The plan is to ramp up to 20 titles per year from 2028, split equally between fiction and non-fiction, and between Francophone and foreign works, with a stated focus on Hispanic voices. Jesús Badenes, director general of the editorial division of Grupo Planeta, stated they wish to build in France a project with its own identity, sustainable and capable of durably creating value for authors, readers, booksellers, and the entire sector.
A Largely Untapped Reservoir
Nathalie Caume points to a catalog reservoir that remains largely untapped in France due to a lack of space in major group programs. She argues that books must be moved out of the foreign literature paradigm, citing the rise of Spanish series and cinema as a signal of French public appetite. This opens a project for booksellers and librarians regarding shelf placement and visibility for a segment still poorly identified commercially.
The Inaugural Catalogue of Madrina Sévigné (2027)
Aiming for about ten titles per year at cruising speed, the new house announces seven titles for 2027 across three collections, on a tight monthly schedule.
| Month | Title | Author | Collection | Translator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | La bouche pleine de blé | Mayte Gómez Molina | Madrina Sévigné | Aloïse Denis | First novel by a Madrid poet, winner of the 2023 Miguel Hernández national poetry prize, about impostor syndrome in the art world. |
| March | Black, Black, Black | Marta Sanz | Madrina Noir | Alexandra Carrasco-Rahal | Literary crime novel by one of the most recognized Spanish writers (Herralde Prize, finalist for the Nadal Prize). |
| May | Maisons propres | María Agúndez | Viva Madrina | Mathilde Oliveau | Social comedy about domestic work and its feminist paradoxes; author's second novel. |
| August | La Ville | Lara Moreno | Madrina Sévigné | Carole Fillière | Choral novel about three women in a Madrid building; a leading author for Spanish publisher Lumen. |
| September | Canijo, comme un clou | Fernando Mansilla | Madrina Sévigné | Mathilde Oliveau | Story about a heroine's arrival in Seville in the 1980s, by a figure of the Sevillian underground. |
| October | Progenie | Susana Martín Gijón | Madrina Noir | Judith Vernant | First installment of a crime trilogy led by Inspector Camino Vargas; audiovisual rights optioned. |
| November | Amiga mía | Raquel Congosto | Madrina Sévigné | Not specified | First novel about a friendship breakup between two architects. |
Nathalie Caume has entrusted the graphic identity to Mickaël Cunha, with a principle of covers illustrated by contemporary Spanish artists. Cristina Lama, represented by the Seville gallery Delimbo, will illustrate the first title.
