Dictionary of the Literature of the Iberian Peninsula [2 Volumes]

Book excerpt: Contributions of Iberian-born writers have gone largely unrecognized by most European and American readers. The rich history of literary achievements in the Iberian Penninsula is now available in this unprecedented dictionary. Defining literature in the broad sense, the Dictionary includes historical, religious, cultural and philosophical writings as well as prose, poetry, and drama from the Iberian Peninsula. Virtually all entries have been composed by noted scholars and are complemented wherever possible by bibliographies of primary texts and selected critical studies as well as existing English translations of primary texts. This two-volume work generally includes literature from the tenth century to the mid-1980s and--with a few exceptions--is limited to writers born in the Iberian Peninsula. A guide to determining the format of the Dictionary was the classic Diccionario de Literatura Espanola by German Bleiberg and Julian Marias. But this updated and reworked version devotes more attention to writings by formerly neglected or forgotten works by female authors and to writers in major languages other than Spanish in the peninsula, including Portuguese, Catalan and Galician. There are also entries on major time periods, movements, and other topics. Titles of works discussed are translated to English. Wherever possible, the text of each entry is followed by a three part bibliography; and some cross-referencing. The Dictionary will appeal to English-speaking non-specialists as well as scholars of Iberian literature.