veliz: a term for suitcase, sometimes used in México
veliz: what we carry, what we need, what is dear
veliz: crosses borders, migrates, translates, expands canons
Taking inspiration from the idea of the veliz, in 2015, Veliz Books began crossing literary borders and championing work that transcends time and trends. Based in Houston, Veliz Books is an independent press that annually publishes 3-4 literary books. We publish poetry, creative non-fiction, as well as books in translation. We also publish short story collections that share the less heard about places that are less known. We are dedicated to publishing both emerging and established authors whose works are stylistically complex, even unconventional, and speak to issues in need of voice. Veliz Books helps literature travel and fosters a community of readers and writers passionate about words and language, regardless of where they may live.
We strive to be part of the greater literary community by holding readings for our authors, by taking part in panels on publishing, editing practices, and translation at national conferences, holding workshops with community organizations, and by consulting with emerging presses to help guide them as best we can. To learn more about the consultations, click here.
Laura Cesarco Eglin, Founding Editor/Publisher, Poetry and Translation Editor
Lau Cesarco Eglin is a poet and literary translator from Uruguay. She is the co-founding editor and publisher of Veliz Books. Lau has published six collections of poetry, most recently the chapbooks Time/Tempo: The Idea of Breath (PRESS 254, 2022) and Life, One Not Attached to Conditionals (Thirty West, 2020). Lau translates from the Portuguese, Portuñol, Galician, and Spanish. She is the translator of claus and the scorpion by the Galician author Lara Dopazo Ruibal (co•im•press, 2022). Her translation of Of Death. Minimal Odes by the Brazilian author Hilda Hilst (co•im•press) won the 2019 Best Translated Book Award in Poetry. She co-translated from the Portuñol Fabián Severo’s Night in the North (Eulalia Books, 2020). Lau teaches creative writing at the University of Houston-Downtown.
Tabitha Stone, Publicity Manager/Prose Editor
Tabitha Stone received her MFA in fiction writing from Rainier Writing Workshop in 2020 and her BA in Creative Writing from University of La Verne in 2016. She won the literature prize for Mythos Magazine in April 2022, and her work can also be found in Red Rock Review, Prism Review, The Los Angeles Review, and the Same. She teaches writing at University of Arizona in Tucson and joined Veliz Books as the social media intern in 2022.
Grace Tsichlis, Social Media Coordinator
Grace Tsichlis lived in Texas for most of her life, but now resides in Chicago, IL. She received her MFA in Creating Writing & Publishing from DePaul University in 2024 and her BA in English Literature from Midwestern State University (TX) in 2020. Her work can be found in Crook & Folly, They Call Us, and Raging Opossum Press. When she’s not reading or writing, she loves baking and watching stand-up comedy.
Silvana Ovaitt, Cover Designer
Miranda Arocha Smith, Editorial Assistant
Minerva Laveaga Luna, Co-founding Publisher
Contact Us
Veliz Books
P.O.Box 1701
Houston, TX 77251
info@velizbooks.com
