About

Papaya Press was founded by Sandro J. Ortega-Riek in Los Angeles in 2020 as an outlet for zines, cartonera books, handmade paper, prints, and collage.

Papaya Press publications include Pain Is (2024), The Trans Swimmer: A Guide and Personal History (2024), Home (2024), and Cartonera Zine (2025). Ortega-Riek has exhibited at Los Angeles Zine Fest and his books can be found in collections at Baylor University, Chapman University, the Maryland Institute College of Art, Scripps College, and UC Santa Barbara.

The anthology Tell Me About the Dream: Poetry Inspired by the Work of Richard Siken is forthcoming in September 2025. More information about the project is available here.

More information about the press, including a portfolio of past publications, can be found at on the Papaya Press website. Follow @papayapressla on Instagram for updates!