Translation and literatures in Spain, 2003-2012

This essay aims to explore the significance of translation for the constitution of the various literatures in Spain, as well as the role it plays in their interrelations. Using data provided by the Spanish ISBN agency on literary production during the years 2003 through 2012, it provides a quantitative perspective to assess the impact of translated works in Basque, Catalan, Galician, and Spanish. This analysis questions the traditional understanding of national literatures as the result of autochthonous production, and offers a number of hypotheses on the degrees of interference among the literatures within the Spanish State.