In 1999, Jaume Vallcorba, then professor of literature at the University Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, ​​founded the publishing Cliff. With an experience of twenty years in the Catalan publishing Quaderns Crema, which had acquired a deserved reputation for quality both its catalog and by the exquisite care of their issues, Vallcorba launched into the creation of a new publisher, conceived as a space transversal reflection on time and genres, with the intention of betting mainly in literature.

Thus, Cliff has undertaken regular publication of essential authors of the best, both heritage and contemporary European literary tradition. One of his greatest satisfactions in this area was the Nobel prize Kertész Imre, who had already published three books. At the same time, he has addressed with great care, publication of key works such as Memories of Afterlife de Chateaubriand, Goethe's Conversations with Eckermann, Life of Samuel Johnson Boswell or tests Montaigne.

The first titles were presented at the Madrid Book Fair 1999 and from the beginning enjoyed an extraordinary acceptance by the reading public and critics. While the main dedication of Vallcorba has been making a catalog, the essence of this catalog is that books can talk to each other without difficulty articulating a coherent landscape. At the same time, it is worth noting the comprehensive care that not only translation and editing of texts, but also their physical presentation, the book as object addresses: books Cliff are printed on paper with a neutral pH and sewn vegetable thread to ensure durability. The publishing house is completely independent and aims to move outside of fashion, in a subtle balance between his intellectual vocation and economics.

In 2002, Jaume Vallcorba received the National Award for best cultural publishing work granted by the Ministry of Culture, and very shortly after the Gold Medal of Cultural Merit of the City of Barcelona and the Grand Order of Cultural Merit of the Republic of Poland, for its contribution to the screening of Polish literature in the Hispanic world.

In 2010, Jaume Vallcorba received the 'Publishing Merit Award' of the Guadalajara International Book Fair (Mexico) and in 2014 was awarded the National Prize of Culture of Catalonia.