Humanitas Media, a new nonprofit publisher for human rights literature, has launched and announced its first title: Joshua Colangelo-Bryan’s Through the Gates of Hell: American Injustice at Guantanamo Bay, slated for October 14.
The St. Paul, Minn.–based organization was founded by Tracy Aaenenson, who also serves as president of the publishing program, and seeks to “brings together leading experts in human rights and activism to elevate narratives that inspire global solidarity, justice, and human dignity,” per an announcement. Humanitas will employ 10 staff and plans on publishing two titles this year and ramping up to four titles per year moving forward, said a spokesperson. Humanitas titles will be distributed in the U.S. by Simon & Schuster.
Through the Gates of Hell tells the story of Colangelo’s human rights advocacy work as a lawyer representing Jaber Muhammed, a detainee at Guantanamo Bay, after 9/11. At Guantanamo, “the two men forged a profound bond in their shared pursuit of justice” despite its “dehumanizing conditions,” per the publisher.
“This is a period of extreme demagoguery,” Colangelo told PW. “But what happens when you sit down at a table across from someone and actually start talking? The demonization no longer operative, because you’re dealing on a personal level.”
Aaenenson said that Through the Gates of Hell exemplifies the type of stories Humanitas wants to publish going forward, adding that Humanitas is a mission-driven organization with the goal of changing minds. People need to hear about human rights abuses “in a way that will resonate with them,” she said, which means writing with a focus on the “dignity of the people in the book.”
In addition to books, Humanitas will publish articles on their website. Aaenenson also expressed enthusiasm about branching into the theater and opera spaces. Colangelo, who also serves on Humanitas’s board of directors, added that the team is already in talks with a playwright about adapting Through the Gates of Hell, which is mostly dialogue-based, to the stage.
The organization is steered by an advisory board that includes Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Kearney; Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab; and Sophie Richardson, co-executive director of the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders.
Humanitas is actively seeking new titles, and Aaenenson invites literary agents to their most “heartfelt,” message-based nonfiction books. The next title from the publisher, by human rights activist Brian Dooley, is slated for fall 2026.