A poc a poc
A poc a poc is a collection of short stories, aphorisms, and photographs recounting the emotional journey of a young woman who emigrated from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Valencia, Spain. The pieces of work gathered in this book were written and captured little by little (a poc a poc), in her home and adopted cities. While this collection does not expressly narrate the emigrant experience, it emotionally and poetically shows the joys and the sorrows, the ambition and nostalgia of starting a new chapter in life, and the uprooting of leaving one’s homeland.
This work is available in two languages: British English and Argentinian Spanish.
Mora Ojea
Mora Ojea is an Argentinian multi-disciplinary artist who settled in Valencia, Spain, at the end of 2020. In 2022, she published her first collection of short stories and photography, A poc a poc with éditions pépé. A few months later, she launched a closed-door concept restaurant called Puerta 8 in Valencia. It grew as she travelled around Spain, Argentina, and elsewhere. From 2023, she taught herself how to mix and started to perform as a DJ in private, then public, events, both in her hometown and in her adopted city.
Book
Back cover
‘The exposed and elusive soul is the essence of these texts. To relish, little by little, following its music, without trying to understand, but understanding it all. ‘Why bother trying to understand if living transcends all understanding?’ Clarice would say. With that spirit, one is able to immerse themselves in their reading, which will surely captivate those who are looking for the inexpressible, this complex ‘it’ — the central point of the living — that dwells in us’.
Author’s note
‘A poc a poc arose as a direct offspring of spontaneity. The texts have been written (sometimes, vomited), as spontaneity springs from the emotions one may feel when looking for an exit door. The idea of publishing them – and the editorial design – resulted from the dazzling spontaneity that is so typical of Pénélope, as well as her care, which shaped every step of our creative process. The music that envelopes these poems ensued from the sensible spontaneity of Juan Ignacio, to whom I will forever be grateful for teaching me how to tango when we were thirteen. The translations were made possible thanks to the spontaneity that emerged from James's passion for languages and his love of Rioplatense Spanish. To those who read, I urge you to pick up what sparks spontaneity in you’.
first edition (2022)
100 x 210 mm (3.9” × 8.3”)
84 pages
150 copies
British English, Argentinian Spanish
ISBN 978-2-9579763-2-4
Learn more Add to cart (€14)
Postcards
We extracted 4 aphorisms and 4 photographs from the book to design postcards for all those who, like Mora, turned their lives around; whether they moved to a nearby village, settled half a world away, or took a trip. Share your joys and sorrows with sensitivity and poetry.
first edition (2022)
105 x 148 mm (4.1” × 5.8”)
colour
double-sided
British English, Argentinian Spanish
a set of 4 postcards
€6
Learn more
Temporary tattoos
The cover of the book A poc a poc displays an illustration drawn by Lucy Blue and tattooed on Mora Ojea’s right ankle. It shows her old living room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We extracted it to print temporary tattoos.
first edition (2022)
32 x 42 mm (1.3” × 1.7”)
colour
a set of 5 temporary tattoos
Learn more Add to cart (€4)
Stories in music
Musician’s note
‘During my stay in Valencia, I arranged to meet with my friend Mora, whom I have known for more than a decade. That day in the bar, she recited Balcón 2020 to me; the freshness of this text, free of stilted vocabulary, made me think it was the perfect material to be told in music.
When it comes to composing music for a text, one tries to dive into it – to soak up its content and access its essence.
Sometimes, as if someone had whispered into our ear, we listen to a melody telling us where to go. A melody as plain as a yawn. As if it were born from another composer's appreciation, not our own. Other times, we look for these melodies from our varied musical knowledge and the more technical components of music. This process also renders songs that are just as beautiful as those that were born naturally. But the path to get there is very different: here, we look for the melodies until we can find them. In the first case, the melodies find us’.
first edition (2022)
Spotify
Listen (free)
Illustrated poetry — Silvia Marz Alfonso, tatsmood
Pensa (mientos) senti
Launching September 2024
Pensa (mientos) senti is a collection of illustrated poems. Genuinely imbued with sensitivity, its author explores personal, romantic and spiritual fulfilment. Written over a decade, her verses express joy, doubt and melancholy...
Learn more
Photography — Catherine Walsh
Zoom books
Zoom books is a collection arising from three photo shoots during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Forced to remain in her flat in Dublin, Ireland, the photographer arranged video calls with three dancers located in Poland, Norway...
Learn more
Feminist analysis — Pénélope Delaur
Women on the streets
Women on the streets analyses the streets and squares named after women in Valencia, Spain, from a statistical, urbanistic, historical and feminist perspective. By studying the limited number of signs named after women in Spain...
Learn more