Cornabou - Revista de Literatura Infantil i Juvenil

Articles
Catalan Children's Literature

Andreu Sotorra

Books for children and young people represent an important part of Catalan publishing outpout. The main channel of distribution is linked to schools. And, with the exception of highly populars editions which go hand with a high audio-visual profile, their sales in bookshops ar low, something which has placed the maintenance of illustrated albums, for exemple, in danger, these being a key stage for first readers.

Catalan literari creation tends to import more than it exports, even though there are exemples which ar certainly susprising, as is the case of the series 'Les tres bessones' [The Three Twins] a television adaptation of which starring the three main characters has been broadcast in 130 countries and translated into more than 30 languages.

Children's books range from carefully published editions, with carefully sequenced images that urge one to use of language, through to illustrated stories with a little text, as well as short stories. There are also constant adaptations of traditional tales and abridged versions of Catalan classics, as well as collection of poems by both classic and contemporary authors. Theatre, a vital form of expression within Catalan society, also has several collections aimed at very young actors.

The appearance in Catalan of classic authors of world literature for children has resulted in a catalogue containing multiple translations and adaptations. What is more, contemporary autohors working in other languages are translated on a continual basis, especially those coming from German and English literature, and, to a lesser extent, those from French and Nordic literature. On the contrary, translation into other languages is few and far between and exists only in isolated cases and never as the result of publishing policy. Despite this, illustrated literature has a rich tradition, and, in some cases, established channels for distribution, especially in the European market.

Publishers and the public administration contribute, each in their own way, to literary creation for children. some publishers organise literary awards in search of new original texts and new authors. Institutional grants are also available. At the moment, over a hundred writers dedicate thelselves to Catalan children's and juvenile literature, some of them with a considerable amount of published titles under their belt, much of it reprinted constantly for over more than thirty years.

ANDREU SOTORRA

Catalan Writing, n. 17-18, november 2002, p. 96.