Abstract
According to Pascale Casanova, Paris would be the capital of "minor" literatures and of "small" languages (those which have difficulty circulating and are rarely translated). Whilst some Basque authors, such as Bernardo Atxaga or Kirmen Uribe, succeeded in being translated by prestigious Parisian publishing houses, others did not, although they tried, such as Itxaro Borda. How can a minor/small literature gain access to the capital of the "World Republic of Letters" (Casanova), enjoy a wider appeal and boost its worlding? Is it related to the literary image of the Basque Country as constructed by these authors? Is their consecration easier when they confirm the image of a "minor/small literature"? What is the importance (and the consequence) of being awarded with Spain's National Prize of Literature, of having passed through the filter of the Spanish literary system? Why are French (self-)translations of Basque-writing authors from the French Basque Country not published in Paris and become part of minor/small literature written in a major language (Bertrand/Gauvin)? The case studies of four Basque contemporary writers — Bernardo Atxaga, Kirmen Uribe, Aurelia Arkotxa, Itxaro Borda — whose works have been translated into French, show different ways and strategies of spreading Basque contemporary literature in French. Whilst Atxaga and Uribe have been published in Paris, Arkotxa and Borda remained (or wanted to remain) in the "periphery". After interviewing the four writers and their translators, this paper analyses how the translations took place and explores different questions related to the idea of "minor/small literature".
First Page
6
Last Page
14
Recommended Citation
Frederik, Verbeke. 2019. "Paris and the Worlding of Minor/Small Literatures: The Case of Basque Literature." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 39, (1): pp.6-14. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol39/iss1/10
