Jewish Imaginaries of the Spanish Civil War: In Search of Poetic Justice

Jewish Imaginaries of the Spanish Civil War explores the intersection of Jewish history, the internationalist cultural phenomenon of the Spanish Civil War, and the Shoah through a study of Jewish textualities. It examines a variety of narrative fiction, non-fiction, memoir, poetry, epistles, journalism, and music in Yiddish, Spanish, French, German, and English, revealing non-canonic authors and exploring themes of antisemitism, orientalism, and philo-Sephardism. These writings offer perspectives on memorial and post-memorial literatures triggered by transhistorical imagination and challenge canonical literature. The book revindicates the polyglossia of Jewish cultures and literatures in the context of genocide and epistemicide and proposes a new understanding of cosmopolitan imaginaries in Jewish literature.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 18 April 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

A groundbreaking exploration into the literary and Jewish dimensions of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) emerges through Jewish Imaginaries of the Spanish Civil War. This innovative field of research delves into the intersection of Jewish history and the internationalist cultural phenomenon that emerged from the war, encompassing the Republican exile and the Shoah. By focusing on the Spanish Civil War as a pivotal point, this volume offers a novel definition of Jewish textualities, emphasizing the intricate interplay of multiple poetic modes. Through a comprehensive examination of a diverse range of narrative fiction, non-fiction, memoir, poetry, epistles, journalism, and music in Yiddish, Spanish, French, German, and English, these essays unveil previously non-canonical authors across the Western world. They explore these works within the broader contexts of antisemitism, orientalism, and philo-Sephardism, among other cultural phenomena. Jewish writings from the war offer invaluable insights into the collision of old traditions and new experimentations, framed by the urgency of migration and the messianic hope. These works provide unique perspectives on memorial and post-memorial literatures sparked by transhistorical imagination, many of which challenge canonical literature's narratives. They manifest subtle forms of dissidence through language, structure, sound, and thought, aligning with the anti-fascist struggle.

This book serves as a powerful testament to the polyglossia of Jewish cultures and literatures in the face of genocide and epistemicide. It proposes a fresh remembrance of the cultural phenomena generated by the Spanish Civil War, urging a reevaluation of the cosmopolitan imaginaries in Jewish literature. By delving into the complexities of this historical period, Jewish Imaginaries of the Spanish Civil War contributes to a deeper understanding of the multifaceted tapestry of Jewish experiences and their enduring impact on global culture.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501379413