The girls are coming!Gender, youth and the new Basque literature

Katixa AgirreUniversity of Birmingham. Nov. 23, 2011.

Late but fast

• Political division.• Diglossia, ban.• Multiple dialects, lack of a unified euskara.• Vindication of the language/national

sentiment.

A super brief history of Basque literature

Linguae Vasconum PrimitiaeBernat Etxepare, 1545

Silbero, Silbia, Doristeo eta SirenaJoanes Lazarraga (Circa 1567)

and after that, until 1879…

• Only 101 books will be published• Of which only 4 can be considered literary 1

1 Sarasola, Ibon; Euskal literaturaren historia. Lur. Donostia. 1976

Towards a “normalized” literature?

• Basque Renaissance (1873-1876)• Until the outbreak of the civil war (1936)• 1970s: the emergence of the modern writer.

Any woman in the room?

• Milia Lasturkoren eresia (Dirge for Milia from Lastur). (15th century)

• Bizenta Mogel (1782-1854)• Tene Mujika, Katariñe Eleizegi,

Julene Azpeitia, Sorne Unzueta… (19th-20th)

Along with the “modern” writer…• Arantxa Urretabizkaia

(born 1947). Novel.• Amaia Lasa (born 1948).

Poetry.• Mariasun Landa (born

1949). Children’s books.

The only woman in my textbook back in the early nineties

Itxaro Borda (1959). Novel and poetry.

2002: “Bost idazle/Five writers”

2006: “Zortzi unibertso, zortzi idazle/ Eight universes, eight writers”.

And finally the girls arrive…

• Born in the 70s and 80s.• Have first published very early.• Get significant media attention• Critical mass (around 15/20%)

Born in the 70s

Jasone Osoro, 1998

Karmele Jaio, 2004

Aitziber Etxeberria, 2004

Born in the 70s (II)

Irati Jimenez, 2006

Garazi Goia, 2008

Irati Elorrieta, 2008

Born in the 80s

Katixa Agirre, 2007

Uxue Alberdi, 2007Uxue Apaolaza, 2004.

Iratxe Esnaola, 2010

Nora Arbelbide, 2007

Igartza grant for young writers• 1998. Julen Gabiria, Connemara gure bihotzetan.• 1999. Xabier Etxeberria, Egun denak ez dira berdin. Accesit: Jasone Osoro,

Korapiloak.• 2000. Fernando Morillo, Ortzadarra sutan.• 2001. Unai Elorriaga, Van't Hoffen ilea.• 2002. Julen Gabiria, Han goitik itsasoa ikusten da.• 2003. Asel Luzarraga, Karonte.• 2004. Karmele Jaio, Amaren eskuak. Accesit: Peru Magdalena, Lile.• 2005. Uxue Alberdi, Aulki bat elurretan.• 2006. Jon Martin, Ero.• 2007. Katixa Agirre, Habitat. Accesit: Irati Jimenez, Nora ez dakizun hori.• 2008. Eider Rodriguez, Katu jendea.• 2009. Uxue Apaolaza, Hiltzailea.• 2010. Garazi Kamio, Gerizpeko panpinak.• 2011. Goiatz Labandibar, Interrail.

Euskadi literary award• 1998: Felipe Juaristi, Galderen geografia• 1999: Anjel Lertxundi, Argizariaren egunak• 2000: Lourdes Oñederra, Eta emakumeari sugeak esan zion• 2001: Ramon Saizarbitoria, Gorde nazazu lurpean• 2002: Itxaro Borda, %100 Basque• 2003: Pello Lizarralde, Larrepetit• 2004: Jokin Muñoz, Bizia lo• 2005: Harkaitz Cano, Belarraren ahoa• 2006: Iban Zaldua, Etorkizuna• 2007: Xabier Montoia, Euskal Hiria sutan• 2008: Jokin Muñoz, Antzararen bidea• 2009: Xabier Lete, Egunsentiaren esku izoztuak• 2010: Fermin Etxegoien, Autokarabana• 2011: Ur Apalategi, Fikzioaren izterrak

A generation?• “as following a formula, similar trends have strengthen: a

woman, her first book, a story set out of the Basque Country...” Jon Kortazar / El País, 2007-03-26

• 16 tips to write Erasmus literature (Volgako Batelariak):Love, consuming love, a lot of passion...”set the fiction anyway abroad, a big developed city

preferably”“Skip any political issue”“include a homosexual character”“Apply for the Igartza grant”

These girls, apparently…

• Sell more• Have it easier to get

published• Attract more media attention

than their male counterparts• Write easy, “coolish”

literature.

Variety

• Of genre: poetry, short story, novel, children’s books...

• Of themes: political, romance, civil war, family, crime fiction, social problems...

• Of style: rough, naïf, baroquish…• Some translated, some not.• Some only one book, some very prolific.

Get a taste of it!

and thank you very much!Eskerrik asko!