CATALAN LITERATURE MOD.1

Catalan Literature can be chosen by students of Iberian Studies in the Degree Program in European, American and Postcolonial Literature.
This year topic will be: "The Catalonian Nation: history and literature".
The course will focus especially on Catalan cultural identity in history, spanning from the War of the Spanish Succession to present times. The most relevant training objectives are:
Reaching a knowledge and capacity for interpreting some of the most important features in Catalan history and literature in the period considered, especially as far as the theories of the catalan nation are concerned.
Developing an ability to use acquired knowledge for interpreting current events as long-term phenomena.
Shaping cognitive tools in order to help students to form his or her own opinion in Catalan history and culture.

The most relevant training objectives are:
Reaching a knowledge and capacity for interpreting some of the most important features in Catalan history and literature in the period considered, especially as far as the theories of the catalan nation are concerned.
Developing an ability to use acquired knowledges to interpret current events in Catalonia as long-term phenomena.
Shaping cognitive tools in order to help students to form his or her own opinion in Catalan history and culture.
Developing specific skills, competencies, and points of view related to the texts of the catalan theorists of the nation.

No previous knowledge in Catalan Studies is required. During lectures some competencies in Catalan language will be offered in order to understand the readings.

The course will offer some general features on catalan history, starting from the War of the Spanish Succession up to XXI century, according to the most recent historiography. Lectures will then focus on the six following topics:

1. An introduction to Catalan history and culture: similarities and differences between Spain and Catalonia
2. The Spaniards and Catalonia. The Catalans and Spain: Valentí Almirall ed Enric Prat de la Riba.
3. "Modernisme" and "Noucentisme": political institutions and literary tradition.
4. The Second Republic and the Spanish Civil War.
5. The "New Renaissance" of contemporary literature.
6. Catalonia today.

Some outstanding works and authors of the period will be chosen and discussed during each class, among them: Oller, Verdaguer, Maragall, d'Ors, Sagarra, Rodoreda, Pedrolo, Joan Sales, Sanchez Piñol.

Students are required to read the following books: 1. The two books under letter a). 2. Three books chosen among b.1, b.2., b.3. e b.5.
A list of readings in English for students unable to read Italian, Catalan or Spanish will be also available. Students are requested to ask the professor for the list during the first lectures.

a) Introduction to Catalan Studies:

J. Cagiao y Conde - G. Ferraiuolo - P. Rigobon (eds), La Nazione catalana. Storia, lingua, politica, Costituzione nella prospettiva plurinazionale, Napoli, Editoriale Scientifica, 2018 [just the pages 25-139]

b) Novels and poetry (also available in Italian and English translation).

b.1. Joan Sales, Uncertain glory, Houston, American Institute for Catalan Studies, 2002 (available at Ca' Bernardo's Library). There is a further English translation by Peter Bush (unavailable at the Department Library) published in 2014 by MacLehose Press-Quercus Editions.

b.2. Manuel de Pedrolo, Mecanoscrit del segon origen, Barcelona, Edicions 62, u.e. (trad. it. Roma, Atmosphere, 2011)

b.3..Mercè Rodoreda, La Plaça del Diamant, Barcelona, Club Editor (trad. it. Roma, La Nuova frontiera, 2009).

b.4. Lluís Llach, Les dones de La Principal, Barcelona, Ed. 62 (Italian translation Venezia, Marsilio, 2016. No English translation available for this book at the moment.

b.5. Poetry by J. Verdaguer, J.Maragall, Carles Riba, Salvador Espriu, Josep Carner, Miquel Martí i Pol and some prose works by Eugeni d'Ors will be partially available on-line.

INSTEAD OF THE CONVENTIONAL EXAMINATION (SEE UNDER "MODALITÀ ESAME") STUDENTS CAN CHOOSE TO PREPARE A PAPER WHICH WILL BE DISCUSSED WITH THE PROFESSOR INSTEAD OF THE EXAMINATION. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE PAPER, PLEASE ASK THE PROFESSOR.

Conventional lectures with the aid of films, slides, documentaries and interviews.
SEE FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION UNDER "ALTRE INFORMAZIONI"

Italian

The course will be taught mostly in Italian: sometimes a basic knowledge of Catalan (and/or Spanish) will be useful to understand the documents handed out during lectures. Part of the bibliography of the training program will be provided and handed out to attending students during lectures.

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