We recently connected with Oriana Peñaranda and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Oriana thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

BIPOC authors and their books often receive a fraction of marketing attention from publishers and booksellers, big or small. Although many in the industry believe there is value in promoting diverse stories, rarely is there concrete support. Authentic representation in bookselling and publishing is essential for several reasons. It validates diverse identities and experiences, fostering readers’ sense of belonging and empowerment. It promotes cultural understanding and empathy by offering insights into unique perspectives and lifestyles. Additionally, authentic representation broadens readers’ horizons, challenging stereotypes and encouraging critical thinking. Ultimately, it helps build bridges across communities and nurtures future generations of writers and readers who value diversity and inclusion. To claim there is not enough of a market to dedicate resources for the promotion and selling of diverse books is to deny their critical impact.

Oriana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Oriana Peñaranda, and I am a Venezuelan-American immigrant. I grew up in Miami and currently live outside Washington, D.C.

I love books.
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I have always loved books and their power to transport us to different worlds, teach us new things, and connect us with others. My family used to call me a “come libros” because I was always trying to satiate an endless appetite for literature. However, I seldom saw my experiences as a Latina immigrant represented in the stories. In general, most of the books I enjoyed centered on white experiences. And we continue to see this trend in today’s bookselling.

I founded Xolo Books to help people decolonize their reading habits, support BIPOC stories, and demand authentic representation. Books have the power to change lives, and I am proud to be a part of that transformative process. I want to challenge myself and the Xolo Books community to use our power to uplift BIPOC voices. Whether you’re looking for a new novel, a cookbook, or a memoir, I am here to help you find the perfect book for your needs.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

A few years ago, I attended an accelerator program called Launch Latinx that gave me a community of Latinx entrepreneurs that I frequently lean on. Being an entrepreneur is very lonely, which often creates doubts and insecurities. But this group is always there to uplift, celebrate, and support me whenever possible.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Bookselling is both something I never expected to do and my wildest dream. As an immigrant from Venezuela, for the longest time, my focus was to pursue a professional career that came with the financial stability my family and I coveted. But my mind would continuously daydream about running a cozy bookstore with an endless catalog of diverse books to explore. I would dream of recreating the haven that was my childhood local bookstore—a place where book lovers of all ages could escape, explore, and learn. But I kept my dreams of bookselling on hold, hoping I could make it a reality in retirement. When the COVID-19 pandemic shook our world, it caused a substantial internal paradigm shift in me. The pandemic made it clear that pursuing my career for stability was coming at a tremendous personal, mental, and emotional cost. The weight of expectations I was carrying was unsustainable and crushing. Many years ago, my family and I took a leap of faith in immigrating to the United States, hoping our lives would be safer. With that same spirit, I took a chance on myself to turn my daydreams into reality. In November 2020, I opened Xolo Books – an online bookstore dedicated to intersectional and anticolonialist literature.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.xolobooks.com/
• Instagram: @xolobooks
• Other: TikTok – @xolobooks Threads – @xolobooks

Image Credits
All pictures taken by Oriana Peñaranda