(Un)Bordering Gibraltarian Literary Culture: Identity and Recognition

• Autores: Rafael Vélez Núñez, Giordano Durante
• Localización: Difficult neighborhoods: the semiotics of conflict in culture / Sachiyo M. Shearman (ed. lit.), Wladyslaw Chlopicki (ed. lit.), Wladyslaw Witalisz (ed. lit.), Linda G. Kean (ed. lit.), 2025, ISBN 9781469696553, págs. 43-56
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This paper explores the burgeoning, yet at times contested, literary culture and production of Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory with a complex postcolonial identity. Despite its rich history and unique socio-political context, Gibraltarian literaturefaces skepticism regarding its existence and value, often dismissed as parochial orlacking in quality. This analysis challenges these dismissals by highlighting the growing body of work produced by Gibraltarian writers, including novelists like M. G.Sanchez, poets like Rebecca Calderon, and playwrights like Julian Felice. The paperargues that Gibraltarian literature, while still developing, exhibits characteristics ofa minor literature, as defined by Deleuze and Guattari, where individual voices contribute to a collective, often politically charged, utterance. It examines the reasonsbehind the denial of this literature, including elitism, cultural cringe, and misconceptions about self-publishing and thematic diversity. Furthermore, it showcasesthe increasing international academic interest in Gibraltarian writing, evidenced byscholarly publications, conference presentations, and literary awards. Ultimately, thepaper asserts that Gibraltarian literature exists and is a vital expression of the territory's evolving identity, defying simplistic definitions and challenging entrenchedprejudices. It underscores the importance of recognizing and critically engaging withthis literature, not as a mere extension of British or Spanish literature, but as a distinctand valuable contribution to the global literary landscape