Jot Down Books and DIPC present DIPC Kultura / Cultura DIPC, a collection devoted to the popularization of science and humanities

In collaboration with Donostia International Physics Center, Jot Down Books presents DIPC Kultura / Cultura DIPC, a collection of popular science books that seeks to occupy a unique space on the Spanish publishing market. The collection emerged with the conviction that the most demanding popularization requires works that take both the public and knowledge seriously, and needs solid institutional support if it is to be produced under the conditions it deserves. DIPC, an internationally renowned center for physics and related disciplines based in Donostia, provides the scientific backing and broad cultural perspective that has always characterized its public activity. Jot Down Books provides its publishing expertise and catalogue, already well-established in the field of essays and culture.

The project kicked off in May 2025 with Kosmos by Antoine Letessier-Selvon, a particle physicist who has managed to turn the history of the universe into an accessible narrative without compromising on rigor. That first title set the tone for the collection: books that can be read for pleasure by anyone with a sense of curiosity, yet which do not lose sight of the complexity of the subjects they address. The collection is now presenting two simultaneous new releases that confirm this commitment and which branch out into the humanities.

Umberto Eco (declasificado) by Mayte Aparisi explores the archives and the lesser-known facets of the Italian semiologist, engaging with the Spanish public from a proximity rarely found in attempts to get closer to the author of The Name of the Rose. Aparisi has intimate knowledge of Eco’s world and, rather than offering yet another biographical synthesis, presents a portrait comprising discoveries, cross-referenced conversations and materials that qualify the intellectual’s public image.

Conexiones by Gustavo A. Schwartz maps out the unexpected links between disciplines, ways of thinking and historical figures that culture tends to compartmentalize. Schwartz, a physicist and a driving force behind projects such as Mestizajes at DIPC, has spent years working on that porous frontier between science and the humanities, and the book encapsulates a perspective that the collection seeks to champion as one of its core themes.

Over the coming months, DIPC Kultura / Cultura DIPC will be adding titles that underscore the project’s international commitment. October will see the release of Before the Big Bang by Gian Giudice, a theoretical physicist at CERN; the book delves into the speculative realm of what might have preceded the origin of the universe. In November, The Irresistible Attraction of Gravity by Luciano Rezzolla will be published; he is one of the most well-known voices in the study of black holes and gravitational waves. The collection will then continue with Garabatos by Amand Lucas, and De poesía y (con)ciencia by Clara Janés, in which the poet and essayist once again crosses the threshold between language and scientific knowledge that has been a hallmark of her work for decades.

The collection will publish works in both Spanish and Basque, depending on the characteristics of each book, without requiring a systematic dual publication. That way, each title finds the language that best suits its nature, depending on the author, the target audience and the production circumstances. This flexibility means that a coherent catalogue can be created without sacrificing the language diversity that DIPC represents by virtue of its location and mission. Producing popular science books, which are authored by leading international figures, in Spain today requires meeting costs that the market alone can scarcely cover. DIPC’s collaboration enables meticulous translations to be commissioned, high editorial standards to be maintained, and makes the books available in bookshops at a reasonable price. In this respect, the collection also seeks to provide a practical argument in favor of cultural and scientific patronage as a means of expanding the publicly available publishing space.

DIPC Kultura / Cultura DIPC is published with the aim of building a stable catalogue that grows each year with new additions. Umberto Eco (desclasificado) and Conexiones are now available in bookshops. With these titles, the collection enters fully into its consolidation phase. The collection’s editorial board comprises Juan José Gómez-Cadenas, Lorena Escudero, Ricardo Díez-Muíño, Nora González and Ángel L. Fernández-Recuero. This make-up, which combines leading scientific figures with experts in publishing and cultural management, ensures the balance between academic rigor and a commitment to popularization that the collection seeks to maintain in each of its titles.