Willow Sea is a fresh independent publisher, a standalone project led by Mireia Bazu, an education consultant who left the San Juan coast for a quiet town in Marina Alta two years ago to chart a new course in the world of books.
The house was born with a clear mission: to publish picture books for children while maintaining a strong editorial stance. Each story aims to contribute to a kinder world by protecting children, safeguarding animals, and caring for the planet.
Just Olivia marks the publisher’s debut title and will reach bookstores in Spanish, English, and Catalan/Valencian this coming October. The tale follows five-year-old Kai, who longs to tell a story but doesn’t know where to begin, until his little dog Olivia shows him daily that the most remarkable adventures are right by his side.
Bazu wrote the text, and the illustrations are by Marjoram Pirela, a Venezuelan artist now based in Alicante.
The editor, a business graduate with a background in marketing and cinema, shaped this story from the author’s motherhood and the close bond with her own chihuahua. The book originated years ago, becoming a bedtime favorite for her son, and upon moving to El Verger she began to wonder why she hadn’t created a publishing house to host this and similar works.
This story explores the magical bond between children and their animal friends while inviting readers into fantasy adventures. It also touches on love, diversity, and a world without labels, as the author explains. Three more stories are already in the author’s collection, with plans to invite additional writers into the catalog in the medium term, maintaining a respectful approach to children, animals, and nature as long as the works align with the core mission of literature that matters.
“The goal isn’t just to publish books; it’s to publish works that help create a better world, especially through three guiding themes. The stories should embrace different creatures and adapt to their needs,” says the editor, noting that the project grows from a love of books and a desire to offer something meaningful in a culture dominated by short attention spans and social media. She envisions campaigns that nourish young readers with values from the start. It may be challenging, but they aim to move the needle on a smaller scale. Born in Barcelona and raised in Alicante, Mireia lived for a long time in Switzerland before choosing El Verger as a place where life is quieter and more in tune with nature.
Mar de Sauces has just begun its journey, launched last May and with the website live for about a month. The team is waiting to see how the first book, offered in a special pre-sale edition, performs. The plan is to expand the catalog to other regional writers and broaden the map first. Finding authors who fit this philosophy and the line they have drawn is not easy, but that remains the intention. The long-term aim is to publish works in three languages, yet the first step is to test the waters and learn from early reception.
Mar de Sauces joins other recent publishers in the area, such as Fun Readers in Bigastro, founded seven years ago and specializing in children’s and youth literature with roughly thirty titles emerging in the province and beyond the city center, and Degomag, which began in Ibi in 2018 and has already released its eighth book.