ARABIC CHILDREN'S LITERATURE TODAY: PATRONAGE AND LITERARY CANON

Abstract

An increasing interest in topics related to the Arab and Islamic culture has been observed in the children's literature frame in Spain, not only because of the relevance of the national writers who address such topics (L. Gallego, M. l. Molina, among others), but also because of the quality of the translations. Thus, nowadays we can find writers with a clear Arabic profile, such as A. Begag or 6.
Abdel Qadir, in publishing catalogues. However, these writers must be placed into a Western literature frame, as they are either part of the so called "second immigrant generation” or they have received a writing education in Western countries; and what is more important, they write and they publish in the languages of Western cultures. Nevertheless, access to direct translation from Arabic to Spanish is still rare. Staying clear of stereotypes about Otherness, this paper overviews current Arabic children's literature. lt also presents the publishing line of the most prominent publishers and the output of a whole new generation of female writers who are looking to connect to younger readerships and who reflect an Arabic world going through social and cultural changes.