In Memoriam—Enrique Folch, 1934–2005

By Carmen Ospina -- Críticas, 1/15/2006

Paidós publisher, editor, and long time defender of the exchange of ideas between Spain and Latin America, Enrique Folch, died on December 14. He was 71.

Folch was devoted to the cultural diffusion of the Humanities and Social Sciences through the Spanish branch of Paidós, the nonfiction publishing house founded in Argentina in 1945 that later opened offices in Barcelona in 1979 and was renamed Paidós Ibérica after being bought by Grupo Planeta in 2002.

Son of a Barcelona bookseller, Folch’s interest in the world of books started at an early age. He worked at his father’s bookstore since the age of 16 and then at Librería Ancora y Delfín and Alianza Editorial. Soon after Franco’s fall, Folch oversaw the creation and consolidation of the Barcelona branch of Paidós, which became the publisher’s main hub.

As part of his efforts to promote the circulation of ideas between Spain and Latin America, Folch opened and directed the Mexico branch of Paidós until the time of his death. The ideas of Richard Rorty, Charles Taylor, Hannah Arendt, and many other important intellectuals, social scientists, and philosophers of our time owe its diffusion in the Spanish-speaking world to Folch’s tenacious efforts.

Folch is survived by his wife Norma Fenoglio, director of Ediciones Oniro, a publisher of books on parenting, child development, Eastern philosophy, health, and medical self-help. Críticas is saddened by the loss of such an important contributor to the world of Spanish letters.