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Donostia-San Sebastian.  The Center for Basque Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno has published the first history of Basque literature in English in Basque Literary History. The work was presented yesterday in Donostia and was attended by a large group of experts who collaborated on the anthology.  

The work was edited by Mari Jose Olaziregi, Literature professor at the University of the Basque Country and Director of the Promotion and Dissemination of Euskera at the Etxepare Basque Institute.  Nearly a dozen academics worked on various chapters of the work, including: Jesús María Lasagabaster, Igone Etxebarria, Joxerra Garzia, Aurelia Arkotxa, Beñat Oyharçabal, Jean Haritschelhar, Lourdes Otaegi, Patri Urkizu, Xabier Altzibar, Xabier Etxaniz, José Manuel López and Estibalitz Ezkerra. The book was translated into English by Amaia Gabantxo.

Collective Work

During the presentation Mari Jose Olaziregi explained that the book took six years of work and that it is a collective work rather than a work put together by a team. She also added that the anthology provides a vision of the evolution that Basque literature has undergone.

For his part, Center for Basque Studies director, Joseba Zulaika, announced that the Center would be distributing copies of the book to 300 US libraries as well as selling them in book stores in the Basque Country and on the internet.  He also said that later on, a pdf of the book would be added to the Center’s website.

Zulaika stressed the importance of publishing works in English for the dissemination of Basque themes, given that “otherwise it is impossible to have a presence in an international context, nor can you be present in the English-speaking academic world.”