La narrativa checa en España desde 1975: presencias y ausencias

Abstract

Attention is paid to the translation of Czech narrative – written in Czech – published in Spain after 1975, pointing out some significant absences. After the Prague Spring in 1969 and the restoration of democracy in Spain, numerous Czech pieces of writing were translated, more in particular those by well known Karel ?apek and by some contemporary exiled or dissident writers, such as Pavel Kohout, Zdena Salivarová, Ota Filip, Iva Procházková, Josef Škvorecký, Ivan Klíma o Daniela Hodrová. It is in the first half of the 80s that a real interest in Czech literature arises. In the field of poetry, that was due to Clara Janés’ fascination for Vladmir Holan and the award of the Nobel Prize in Literature to Jaroslav Seifert. In the field of prose, that was due Milan Kundera’s achievement of worldwide recognition. Although some other writers, such as Bohumil Hrabal or Ji?í Weil were also prominent, the latter was translated at a very late stage. Post-1989 Czech prose has been characterised by the proliferation of diaries and memories, by the production of postmodern fiction and historical novels, feminist pieces and by a number of attempts to recreate the recent past, all of which have been subjected to an uneven flux of translations.