The epistolary between Francisco Ayala and Erna Brandenberger (1967-2005)

Abstract

riter Francisco Ayala (1906-2009) and the translator and hispanist Erna Brandenberger (1929) cultivated a professional relationship, initiated through correspondence, that lasted for four decades. This article addresses, for the first time, the study of this epistolary archive, which exceeds one hundred letters. Among many other topics, their correspondence covers the translation into German of Ayala's literary and essayistic work, the vicissitudes of the publication process of the translated texts in German publishing houses, and their respective experiences in the literary and publishing world in Spain during the last third of the 20th century. The analysis of this epistolary corpus is expanded with other unpublished archival documents that provide information on their different trajectories, while at the same time delving into the cultural circumstances that contextualize both the translation work of Erna Brandenberger and the intellectual itinerary of Francisco Ayala.