TALAN LITERATURE: ANTONI TAPIES. PAPERS GRlSOS CREUATS. 1977. STEPHEN WlRTZ GALLERY COLLECTION. SAN FRANCISCO TRANSLATIONSOF CATALANLITERATURE HAVE MADE PROGRESS IN MANY DIFFERENT SPHERES. CATALAN LITERARY WORKS HAVE STIRRED THE CURIOSITY OF PUBLISHERS ALL OVER THE WORLD WHO HAVE HAD THEM TRANSLATED INTO THEIR OWN LANGUAGE. ORIOL PI DE CABANYES DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUCIÓ DE LES LLETRES CATALANES CATALONIA 1 DOSSIER XAVIER CORBER~.AUTUMN BOAT SING. 1 982 t's now a long time since those the theatre, it is one of the artistic prac- places their work within the broader years when the presence of Cat- tices in which the social use of the Cata- parameters of the world as a whole. ralan literature in the country's lan language has advanced conside- Frorn 1939 until only a short time ago, bookshops was almost an act of nation- rably. Now that the period of resistance only the dedicated enthusiasrn of Cata- al affirrnation. The persecution of Cat- is well behind us, now that Catalan has ' lan-lovers al1 over the world, usually alan meant that cornpared to other lit- recovered the official status that had linked to universities and teaching, erature few titles were published in our been denied it and has been able to made the publication of Catalan literary language and few outlets were avail- develop unfettered, the challenge of works outside our country possible. To- able to them. The sixties marked the turn- our days is to consolidate the home day, a Copernican revolution has taken ing point in this trend and frorn that market and make sure that Catalan lit- place and Catalan literary works have mornent on Catalan publishing grew in erature finds a permanent place on the stirred the curiosity of publishers al1 a geornetrical progression. The genera- international markets. It is essential that over the world who have had them tion that had been unable to learn in we publicize Catalan literature abroad translated into their own language. Catalan at school used their language if we are to be accepted as part of the Merce Rodoreda's novels, for example, for literary creation and chose it when it new Europe we are building. The Euro- have been unanimously acknowledged carne to reading. The danger that the pean Union rnust act as a sounding by the European publishing world and Catalan language might disappear was board for the spread of Catalan litera- al1 her most important books translated. thus held at bay. With the period of ture, at the sarne time as Catalonia ben- And following the European transla- prohibition over, renewed steps were efits, as it has always done, from al1 the tions, horizons are enlarged. Suffice it taken in the deterrnination to place our contributions of the other countries of to soy that La placa del Diamant has roots in tradition. Europe. been translated into a total of eighteen Today, the situation of Catalan litera- For a relatively srnall market like the languages, from those of our European ture is similar'to that of other countries Catalan one, being able to measure the neighbours to Vietnamese, Chinese, with a comparable number of inhabi- degree of acceptance of Catalan litera- Bulgarian and Swedish. In Sweden it tants and there has been definite pro- ture abroad provides a stirnulus both has even been heard in the form of a gress in its linguistic sphere. Along with for authors and publishers, since it radio novel. MEDINA CAMPENY. LA CENSURA. 1974 Similarly, the works of Salvador Espriu, no longer depends solely on the inter- Thanks to these grants, the latest Cata- Lloreng Villalonga, Pere Calders, Joan ests of Catalan-lovers in universities. lan literature is no longer unknown Perucho, Jacint Verdaguer, Montserrat There are now collections of feminist outside our borders. In the same way Roig, Josep María Espinas, Víctor Mora literature which include Catalan authors that a large part of the literary works by and Manuel de Pedrolo have been in their catalogues, and of philosophical Catalan authors are simultaneously pub- translated into a total of at least seven and religious literature which include lished in Spanish, other cultural lan- languages. And the medieval novel Ti- Ramon Llull. The Catalan literature of guages are beginning to make regular rant lo Blanc celebrated the five-hun- today has successfully recovered the in- translations of Catalan works welcome. dredth anniversary of its first edition in ternational presence it had five hundred While no more than 1 10 translations of Valencia with the promise of further years ago. Catalan books were published during translations into Swedish, French, Chi- Since its restoration in 1987, the obiect the sixties, 73 of which were into Span- nese and German to add to its recent of the Institució de les Lletres Catalanes ish, more than 650 translations have successful incursions into the American, (Institute of Catalan Literature) has been been published since 1981, more than British and Dutch markets. Other to promote the translation of Catalan 400 of them into Castilian. Outside our authors with books translated into six literature into other languages. Catalan country, in Europe, people's knowledge langu,ages include Pere Gimferrer, Quim presence at the international fairs and of Catalan literature is growing al1 the Monzó and Jesús Moncada. writers' congresses has helped publi- time. We are still a long way from the Translations of Catalan literature have cize the grants awarded by the Institució level of normality we would like to see, made progress in many different de les Lletres Catalanes to foreign pub- but the outlook is positive and a clear spheres. The criteria for what is translated lishers to cover the cost of translation. cause for hope. ¤ Select Bibliography of English Translations Since 1985 (Anthologies) Catalonia, a Self-Portrait, Edited and CATALAN STUDIES: TRANSLATIONS AND CRlTlClSM 1 Vfctor: Cataih translated from the Catalan by Josep (Caterina Albett i Para&) Miquel Sobrer. Bloomington; Indiana- Joanot Martorell & Martl Joan de Galba sotitude polis: Indiana University Press, a novel of Catatonia cop. 1992. 239 pp; 24 cm. (A Midland I book; 883) TiMNT Lo BLANC Bibliography pp.221-223. Index. In- cludes texts by Joan Amades, Pere Cal- The Complete Translation ders, Salvador Espriu, J.V.Foix, Joan Fuster, Quim Monzó, Josep Palau i Fa- BY RAY LA FONTAINE bre, Josep Pla, Baltasar Porcel, Merce Rodoreda, Montserrat Roig, Carles Sol- devila and Jaume Vicens Vives. ISBN 0-253-28883-5 (paperback). ISBN 0-253-35290-8 (clothbound). \ Calders, Pere (Selected Prose) The Virgin of the Railway and Other Stories; Pere Calders; translated from the Catalan by Amanda Bath. Warmins- ter: Aris & Phillips, cop.1991. 152 pp.: il.; 21 cm. (Hispanic Classics. Catalan Lit- erature) with an introduction by Francesc Vall- Moncada, Jesús Bilingual CatalanlEnglish text. Catalan verdú. New York; London: W.W.Nor- (Cami de sirga) title: la verge de les vies ialtres contes. ton, cop. 1989. XXXIII, 153pp.; 22 cm. The Towpath, Jesús Moncada; trans- Contains: La verge de les vies; Una cu-. Bilingual CatalanlEnglish text. Poems ta- lated from the Catalan by Judith Willis. riositat americana; Ruleta russa; Dema ken from: Cementiri de Sirga; Can~ons London: Harvill, 1994. 247 pp.; 22 cm. a les tres de la matinada; El millor amic; d'Ariadna; Les hores; Mrs. Death; El ca- ISBN 0-00-273005-7. L'edat d'or; L'exprés; Historia natural; minant i el mur; Final del laberint; La pell ISBN 0-00-271 284-9 (board) L'arbre domestic ; LU'Hedera Helix"; de brau; Llibre de Sinera; Setmana San- Perucho, Joan L'espiral. ta. (1es Histcjries naturals) ISBN 0-85668-546-1 (clothbound), ISBN 0-393-02608-6 (board). Natural History, Juan Perucho; trans- ISBN 0-85668-547-X (paperback). lated by David H.Rosentha1. London: Foix, J.V. Minerva, 1990. XI, 186 pp.; 20 cm. Catala, Víctor (Pseudonym of Caterina (Selected poetryl ISBN 0-7493-9 1 02-2 Albert i Paradís) When 1 sleep, then 1 see clearly: Selec- (Solitud) ted poems of J. V.Foix, translated from Rodoreda, Merce Solitude; a novel, by Victor Catala (Ca- the Catalan with an introduction by Da- (El Carrer de les Cam&lies) terina Albert i Paradis); translated from vid H.Rosentha1. New York: Persea Camellia Street, Merce Rodoreda; the Catalan with a Preface by David Books, cop. 1988. 68 pp.: ill., 21 cm. translated and with an introduction by H.Rosenthal; with the Author's Fore- Bilingual CatalanlEnglish text of some David H.Rosentha1; foreword by Sandra word to the Fifth Edition. Columbia: poems. Catalan title: És quan dorrno Cisneros. Saint Paul: Graywolf, 1993. Readers International, cop. 1992. 2 16 que hi veig clar 186 pp.; 22 cm. pp.; 20 cm. ISBN 0-89255-1 30-5 ISBN 1-55597-1 92-X (board) Fastehrah Award 1909. Cover title: So- Ruyra, Joaquim litude: a novel of Catalonia. Originally Martorell, Joanot (El Rem de trenta-quatre) published as a serial by the magazine (Tirant lo Blanc) The Long Oar = (El rem de trenta- Joventut, 1904- 1905. ISBN 0-930523- Tirant lo Blanc: the complete translation, quatrel, Joaquim Ruyra; translation, in- 92-X. ISBN 0-930523-91 -1 (board). Joanot Martorell, Marti Joan de Galba; troduction and notes by Julie Flanagan. translated from the Catalan by Ray La Warminster: Aris & Phillips, 1994. 1 39 Espriu, Salvador Fontaine. New York: Peter Lang, cop. pp.; 23 cm. (Hispanic Classics, ISSN (Selected poetryl 1993. 820 pp.; 23 cm. (Catalan studies; 0953-797-X) Selected Poems of Salvador Espriu, Se- 1, ISSN 1058- 1642) Bilingual CatalanIEnglish text) lected and translated by Magda Bogin, ISBN 0-8204- 1688-6 ISBN 0-85668-605-0 .