The Colombian Political Novel 1951-1987 ― A Critical Contribution

This book explores the environment and cultural context of Colombian political novels published between 1951 and 1987. Challenging the label of «novelas de la violencia», the author analyses them as products of their own historical time and takes into account their broader implications, such as their representation of the society they narrate. These novels are shown to be the product of political and ideological issues: the real preoccupations of the writers were the balance of power, social dysfunctionality and the need for reform in a society transitioning from rural to urban. These issues are traced in a close reading of representative novels, in which feature letrados and intellectuals and their role in the evolution of society, culture, literature and power in twentieth-century Colombia. With its critical-theoretical approach, this book constitutes a significant and innovative contribution to the debate on Latin American culture and literature.

Alvaro Quiroga-Cifuentes holds a PhD in Latin American Studies from University College London, a master’s degree in the Analysis of Politics, Economics and International Relations and a Licenciado in Philosophy and Literature. For his work as a cultural journalist for the Colombian newspaper El Espectador, where he maintained a book review column for its Magazin Dominical, he received the Colombian Book Chamber award in 1987. As a researcher, he took part in a project on Colombian literature at IEPRI/UN/Colciencias (Colombia). He has worked as a lecturer in literature, culture and sociology in Latin America and in the UK, where he currently works as an independent researcher and consultant on Latin American topics.