Exoticism and Familiarization: Studies in Hispano-Russian Literary Relations

The reception, familiarization and influence of Russian writers in late 19th- century/early 20th-century Spain has been a long-neglected area of investigation, and is overdue for reassessment now. This thesis studies certain characteristic moments of that process, beginning with the situation typical of much of the 19th century, in which a major Russian author like Pushkin was at least a presence, though still decisively an exotic one, on the Hispanic literary horizon. A not dissimilar status attended those figures in the Hispanic literatures who were known to readers in Russia. (The case of Brazilian literature is taken as a particular example.) There followed, as far as Russian literature in Spain was concerned, a phase of intelligent, if still largely second-hand reporting by individuals enjoying some special advantage for that purpose (Valera, Ganivet) and of enthusiasic and discriminating critical advocacy (still through intermediaries) by serious readers (Pardo Bazan, Leopoldo Alas). The former, in particular, emerges as a figure of crucial importance, and her role in the familiarization (of Spaniards with Russian literary culture), must be seen as an essential part of her own literary vocation. Already in this generation, the impact of Russian writing as a creative influence begins to be apparent, and its importance as such in the years around and after 1900 is typified in the examples of Unamuno and Pio Baroja. Once the availability of major Russian texts had been established, the way was open for this influence to extend more widely than acknowledged examples reveal, and a formalist analysis of plays by Chekhov and Lorca is used to suggest how this possibility operates. Here, a further decisive element in the process of familiarization comes into play: the social and institutional similarities between Spain and Russia - not least with regard to the "woman question" in the years under review. Finally, after a period when political factors achieved what was virtually a "freeze" in cultural contacts, the renewed sense of European belonging affecting both post-Franco Spain and post-Brezhnev Russia has facilitated a new surge of interest in Russia in the Spanish cultural and popular media - again, interestingly, with a publication for women - the magazine Telva - notably to the fore

Understanding the National Student Survey: investigations in languages, linguistics and area studies

This report is a summary of interviews and focus groups with around 100 students and 50 members of academic staff in departments of languages, linguistics or area studies at nine universities in the UK. In recent years, concerns have been expressed about the ambiguity of some of the statements which students are asked to respond to in the National Student Survey (NSS). This project set out to get a better understanding of how students and staff understand the questions. The interviews and focus groups were carried out by members of academic staff at the nine institutions who each then wrote an individual report of their findings. This summary is designed to enable wider distribution of these findings without identifying individual staff, institutions `or departments

Chekhov as performed in the theatres of present-day Madrid

This article discusses plays and other works by Chekhov as performed in translation in contemporary theatres in Madrid presenting, in the main, my findings from the interviews I had with three theatre directors dedicated to bringing a more authentic vision of Chekhov to the Madrid stage. Juan Pastor, Ángel Gutiérrez and Irinia Kouberskaya have accomplished much with their theatre groups and theatres in Madrid with regard to the promotion of Chekhov's theatre on the Spanish stage. Two of these theatre directors, Gutiérrez and Kouberskaya, have wide experience of Russia and of Russian theatre traditions. Innovative aspects of certain of the Chekhov productions of these three directors, which include The Three Sistsers/Las tres hermanas and The Seagull/La gaviota, are commented upon and their roles as popularizers of Chekhov's drama are considered

A life between music and the Gulag: the enigma of Carolina Codina by Margaret Tejerizo

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