edizioni la meridiana

What edizioni la meridiana does

Edizioni La Meridiana is an independent Italian publishing house (legal entity La Meridiana S.r.l.) founded in 1987 in Molfetta, Puglia, by individuals associated with the social movement of Bishop Antonio Bello. The publisher originated in the climate of engagement around peace, nonviolence, and marginalization that surrounded don Tonino Bello, and has over 37 years built a 25+-series catalog covering education, conflict mediation, psychology and social work, critical spirituality, parenting, peace studies, LGBT themes, memory, and accessible culture. The company operates with approximately 10 employees and sells physical books, e-books, audiobooks, and accessible books (InBook/CAA — Comunicazione Aumentativa Alternativa, plus tactile and high-readability formats), including the Parimenti collection for readers with cognitive and linguistic disabilities, produced under the supervision of Centro Studi INBook.

The core business model is direct-to-consumer e-commerce through lameridiana.it, supplemented by an Italian bookstore channel (Per le librerie), a global audiobook distribution footprint, and dedicated B2B contacts for schools and associations, with teacher purchases enabled via Italy's Carta del Docente voucher. Book unit prices are low (e-books from €2.84, physical titles typically €14–€20, remainder books at 75% discount). Beyond publishing, the company operates a separate formation platform (formazione.edizionilameridiana.it) delivering paid professional development — most notably the FacilitAzione course at €150 for 20 hours — alongside recurring live events such as the Artigiani dell'imprudenza lecture series and institutional partnerships including Milano BookCity 2021 with the Sistema Bibliotecario Milanese.

The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no public listing. Its go-to-market is hybrid: digital storefront plus event-driven community engagement, anchored by a small but loyal audience of teachers, parents, social workers, associations, libraries, and accessibility-focused readers, all concentrated within Italy.

Name

edizioni la meridiana

Legal name

La Meridiana S.r.l.

Website

https://lameridiana.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Edizioni La Meridiana is an independent Italian publishing house founded in 1987 in Molfetta, specializing in educational, social-impact, and accessible (InBook/CAA) books and training courses for teachers, parents, social workers, associations, and readers with disabilities across Italy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), Health & Wellbeing Curriculum (EDAGAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reading & Literacy Intervention Materials for Learning Disabilities (Dyslexia, Decoding, Comprehension) (EDAGAMAH), Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC), Social Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Political Science) (EDAGABAD)

Keywords

• Independent book publishing
• Accessible educational publishing
• Augmentative communication books
• Teacher training courses
• Social education literature

Headquarters

HQ city

Molfetta

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Physical Book Sales: Sale of physical books through the company's e-commerce website and to bookstores, schools, and associations. Products are priced individually (one-time purchase) ranging from approximately €2.84 to €28.00 per title.
2. E-books and Audiobooks: Digital versions of books sold through the website. Some titles available as e-books at discounted prices. Audiobooks also available on major platforms.
3. Formation and Training Courses: Paid professional development courses for teachers, educators, social workers, and parents offered through formazione.edizionilameridiana.it. Examples include 'FacilitAzione' course (150 euros for 20 hours) and autobiographical writing courses. Additional revenue from author events and seminars.
4. Promotional/Discounted Sales: Remainder books (libri d'occasione) sold at 75% discount; promotional campaigns such as 'Genitori si cresce' offering bundled titles at reduced prices; seasonal promotions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Edizioni La Meridiana is an Italian independent publishing house founded in 1987 in Molfetta, Puglia, that publishes and sells physical books, e-books, and audiobooks across 25+ thematic series covering education, peace/nonviolence, critical spirituality, social psychology, parenting, and accessible culture. The publisher specializes in accessible publishing through its Libri in CAA (Augmentative and Alternative Communication symbols) and tactile book programs for readers with cognitive and linguistic disabilities. It complements its catalog with paid professional training courses (e.g., FacilitAzione at €150 for 20 hours) for teachers, educators, and social workers via a dedicated formation platform.

Product overview

Edizioni La Meridiana is an Italian publishing house founded in 1987 in Molfetta, specializing in educational, social, and accessibility-focused content. The company offers a multi-format portfolio comprising physical books, e-books, audiolibri (audiobooks), and Libri in CAA (Accessible books using Augmentative and Alternative Communication symbols). The core publishing business is complemented by training services through its dedicated formation platform and the 'Scuola Francesco Berto'. The company is particularly known for its accessible publishing program (INBook/Parimenti collection) which produces books in CAA symbols for readers with cognitive and linguistic disabilities, as well as tactile books. Key thematic areas include education, peace studies, social psychology, spirituality, and parenting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Physical books (Libri cartacei) Physical printed books across 25+ thematic series covering education, peace/nonviolence, critical spirituality, social psychology, parenting, LGBT themes, memory/history, accessible culture, and children's educational pathways. Prices range from approximately €14 to €20 for most titles (e.g., 'La supervisione relazionale' €18.99, 'Genitori efficaci' €18.50, 'Felicemente stressati' €16.50). Sold via the publisher's e-commerce site, bookstore distribution, schools, and associations.
• E-books

Quantifiable outcome

• Milano BookCity 2021 event — accessible reading presentation with LIS interpretation and AAC symbol subtitles, demonstrating public/institutional recognition of accessible publishing mission.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sistema Bibliotecario MilanesecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2021The Sistema Bibliotecario Milanese (Milan Library System) partnered with Edizioni La Meridiana to host events at Milano BookCity 2021. Biblioteca Chiesa Rossa di Milano was the venue for the presentation of 'A Said piaceva il mare' (InBook/CAA accessible format), with accessible presentation in LIS and AAC symbols. This partnership enabled the publisher to reach a wider audience including institutional stakeholders such as the Comune di Milano (Ass. Lamberto Bertolè, Diana De Marchi) and Biblioteche Rionali Milano (Federica Tassara).
• Centro Studi INBookcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2021The Centro Studi INBook provides supervision for the Parimenti InBook collection dedicated to accessible reading for young adults with cognitive and linguistic disabilities. This partnership ensures the scientific and methodological quality of the CAA symbol-based publications.
• Laboratorio Librarsi / Progetto Calamaio del CDH Accaparlante di BolognaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2021Collaborated on the translation of 'Canto di Natale' by Charles Dickens into CAA symbols for the Parimenti collection. Announced during Milano BookCity 2021 as the next InBook release.
• Biblioteca del Liceo Scientifico Albert Einstein (Molfetta)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2019The publisher organizes the 'Artigiani dell'imprudenza' lecture series at this school library. The series features public lectures on educational figures (Alberto Manzi, Claudio Imprudente, don Tonino Bello) open to teachers, educators, and the general public. Venue partnership enabling community educational events.
• Associazione ComunitazioneminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 31 January 2019The publisher partners with Comunitazione for the 'FacilitAzione' training course, with experts Giulio Ferretto, Ilaria Magagna, and Melania Bigi conducting facilitation training for teachers and educators.
• Rino Gigante (Professor)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Professor Rino Gigante provided the initial inspiration for the 'Artigiani dell'imprudenza' initiative and ongoing educational gatherings at the publisher's venue, connecting educators and professionals for shared reflection.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Centro Studi Erickson: Italian publisher specialized in education, special-education needs, and inclusive learning materials. Direct competitor in the SEL/educational publishing and learning-disability accessibility space, with comparable catalog depth and overlapping teacher/educator customer base.
• Carocci Editore: Italian academic and social-sciences publisher with overlap in social-themes, education, and humanities. Comparable mid-size independent-publisher profile and catalog scope.
• Giunti Scuola: Italian educational publishing brand of Giunti Editore focused on K-12 textbooks and teaching materials. Direct overlap with La Meridiana's school-channel and teacher customer base, though at significantly larger scale.
• FrancoAngeli: Italian publisher with strong social-sciences, psychology, and social-work catalog. Directly comparable to La Meridiana's 'Psicologia/Lavoro sociale' series and its social-worker/educator customer persona.
• Terre di mezzo Editore: Italian publisher focused on social themes, sustainability, and disability/inclusion. Closely comparable mission-driven niche positioning and overlap in SEL/peace-education/social-work catalog themes.

Broad incumbents

• Zanichelli: Major Italian educational publisher with deep K-12 and academic textbook portfolio. Overlaps with La Meridiana's teacher/school channel but at much broader mainstream scale.
• Pearson Italia: Italian arm of global educational publisher Pearson. Overlaps with La Meridiana's K-12/teacher customer base and SEL content, but operates at far larger scale with broader portfolio.
• Rizzoli Education: Italian educational publisher covering K-12 and higher-education textbooks. Overlaps with La Meridiana's teacher/school distribution but at significantly larger institutional scale.
• Mondadori Education: Educational arm of the largest Italian publisher. Competes for school procurement and teacher mindshare, though with a much broader, mainstream-oriented catalog.
• Feltrinelli: Major Italian trade and educational publisher with a school-oriented division. Overlaps with La Meridiana's teacher-channel and bookstore distribution but operates a much broader general-trade portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lameridianaed
• YouTubeyoutube.com/lameridianaedizioni?gl=IT&hl=it
• Facebookfacebook.com/lameridianaedizioni
• Instagraminstagram.com/edizionilameridiana
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edizioni-la-meridiana

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about edizioni la meridiana