BDB Bertsolaritzaren datu-basea

Basque literature has long been viewed as a male domain. Only six women appear with regularity in literary histories of Basque literature. In the twentieth century, Basque women began writing in Euskara in greater numbers, but their visibility has remained low or non-existent. Basque critics and female writers alike assert that only a handful of women, perhaps ten, are currently creating written works in Euskara. This lack of women writers is a myth, nurtured by the isolation of the women involved and the acceptance of the existing canon of Basque authors, a canon selected by male critics. Women are writing in Euskara in every genre. They are especially evident in children's literature, drama, and poetry, but they also write short stories and novels. They are active in the effort to teach Basque. Because of this, their creative efforts are often regarded as pedagogical tools instead of literature. Next to Bernardo Atxaga, the Basque-language writer with the highest profile abroad is a woman, Mariasun Landa, whose books are translated into several languages. She is marginalized, however, because she writes children's books. Five women writers and their works are profiled through interviews conducted in the Basque Country. Itxaro Borda, Arantxa Iturbe, Mariasun Landa, Amaia Lasa, and Laura Mintegi talk about their lives, their creative process, and the influences on their works. The names and contributions of 144 women (including 23 oral artists) are presented together for the first time in this herstory of Basque literature, revealing 43 women who were writing before the Spanish Civil War and 78 who wrote after. The myth of the lack of women writers in Euskara is put to rest.

Chapter One: Introduction ...1
Chapter Two: Methodology ...11
Part I : Overview
Chapter Three: Historical Background ...20
Chapter Four: Women in Bertsolaritza ...63
Chapter Five: Women in the PrewarYears ... 109
Chapter Six: Women in the PostwarYears ... 152
Part II: The Interviews
Chapter Seven: Itxaro Borda ...201
Chapter Eight: Arantxa Iturbe ...217
Chapter Nine: Mariasun Landa ...239
Chapter Ten: Amaia Lasa ...271
Chapter Eleven: Laura Mintegi ...28 7
Chapter Twelve: Conclusions ...311
Appendix A: The Interview Questions ...32 5
Appendix B: Questions for theCritics ...33 0
Appendix C-l: Chronological List of Basque
Authors (Canon) ...331
Appendix C-2: Alphabetical List of Basque
Authors ...350
Appendix D: The Women...369
Bibliography ...37