La obra de James Baldwin ante la censura franquista: el contrabando de libros, la conexión latinoamericana y la evolución del sector editorial peninsular

Cornella-Detrell, J. (2015) La obra de James Baldwin ante la censura franquista: el contrabando de libros, la conexión latinoamericana y la evolución del sector editorial peninsular. Represura. Revista de Historia Contemporánea española en torno a la represión y la censura aplicadas al libro, 1(1), pp. 32-60.

Abstract

This article sets out to examine the censorship files devoted to American writer James Baldwin (1924-1987) and the reception of his work in Spain during the 1960s and 1970s. The goals are threefold: first, highlight the importance of the illegal book trade during Franco’s regime, a key aspect of Spanish post-war cultural life which so far has merited little attention. Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time and Another Country, for instance, were imported illegally from Argentina. As will become apparent, attempts to bypass the regime’s repressive policies had a greater impact than is commonly believed. Second, this article will challenge the idea that censorship is a historical episode limited to the period 1938- 1978. While the censorship apparatus was dismantled during the Transition, no measures were taken to limit the long-term effects of censorship. As a result, Spanish publishing houses are still publishing books (such as Baldwin’s Another Country and Go Tell It on the Mountain) with the cuts enforced by censors. Finally, this article will explore the relationship between the Latin American and the Spanish and Catalan publishing industry. By analysing the reception of James Baldwin’s work in Spain, this article will undertake a critical revision of the methodologies used so far in the study of Spanish censorship.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: Censorship, translation, literature, James Baldwin, Franco's dictatorship, Spanish publishing industry
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Cornella Detrell, Dr Jordi
• Authors: Cornella-Detrell, J.
• Subjects: D History General and Old World > DP Spain; P Language and Literature > PC Romance languages; P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General); P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN0441 Literary History; P Language and Literature > PS American literature
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Modern Languages and Cultures > Hispanic Studies
• Journal Name: Represura. Revista de Historia Contemporánea española en torno a la represión y la censura aplicadas al libro
• Publisher: Universidad de Alcala
• ISSN: 1886-9335
• ISSN (Online): 1886-9335