Join us for the launch of this study on J. M. Coetzee, followed by a conversation between author Cristóbal Pérez Barra, and David Gallagher

The Embassy of Chile in the United Kingdom is delighted to invite you to the London launch of Hispanic Coetzee: World Literature Beyond the Anglosphere, the new book by Chilean scholar, author and translator Cristóbal Pérez Barra, published by Edinburgh University Press.

In this original study, Pérez Barra offers the first comprehensive interpretation of Nobel Prize-winning author J. M. Coetzee's work from a Hispanic perspective, revealing the profound influence of Spanish-language and Hispanic literary traditions on one of the world's most celebrated contemporary writers. Drawing on unpublished archival material, interviews and Coetzee's work in both English and Spanish, the book reimagines Coetzee's place within world literature beyond the Anglophone sphere.

The evening will open with a brief introduction to the book by David Gallagher; essayist, literary critic, former Oxford academic, former Ambassador of Chile to the United Kingdom (2018–2022), and a long-standing contributor to The Times Literary Supplement, The New York Review of Books and El Mercurio. Gallagher recently reviewed Hispanic Coetzee for The Times Literary Supplement.

The introduction will be followed by a conversation between David Gallagher and Cristóbal Pérez Barra, exploring the book's central arguments, Coetzee's engagement with the Hispanic literary tradition, and the place of Latin America within contemporary world literature. The discussion will conclude with questions from the audience.

Join us for an evening celebrating Chilean scholarship and the rich literary dialogue between Latin America, the Hispanic world and contemporary global literature.

Speakers

Cristóbal Pérez Barra – Author, researcher and translator

David Gallagher – Essayist, literary critic, former Oxford academic and former Ambassador of Chile to the United Kingdom

Venue: Embassy of Chile, London

A wine reception will follow the discussion.

Description supplied by the event organiser.