"Relembrando-A Velha Literatura de Cordel e a Voz dos Poetas" really contains three important studies on the "cordel": 1) the revision and translation of Curran's PhD dissertation from 1968; 2) the augmentation of one of the chapters of the dissertation, treating Brazil's best known and pioneering poet Leandro Gomes de Barros; 3) the publication of a now historic series of interviews with forty "cordel" poets and publishers in the late 1970s. Curran dedicates much time and energy to this endeavor because he believes the researches were little known in their original form, and more importantly, with the passage of time and the evolution of the "cordel" and Brazil in general, they now remain as historic documents in Brazil's national cultural history.

A History of Catalan Folk Literature is the fruit of a collaborative effort between fifteen researchers from various universities and research centres who have joined forces to create a broader study of Catalan folk literature that addresses the Catalan linguistic and cultural territories in their entirety. Since the thirteenth century, Catalan culture has created a rich and abundant literary legacy, and since the mid-nineteenth century this has been complemented by a tradition of folklore studies that remains very much alive today. Within this comparatively recent discipline, folk literature has played a particularly important role. The book presents the evolution of Catalan folk literature studies in each of the areas that make up the Catalan linguistic and cultural territories referred to above. The period considered stretches from the mid-nineteenth century, when the beginnings of a scientific interest in folklore emerged across Europe, to the present day.

This collection aims to provide answers regarding what the most recent trends are in research in literary reading. Based on that premise, it contains a rigorously selected and varied roster of investigations that focus on presenting and attempting to interpret and understand the most recent literary trends or tendencies, as well as the reasons for the propensities they create among the masses of young and adult readers. This selection of texts in English, Catalan and Spanish will give the reading specialist an idea of where today’s trends are headed, and how they point towards the formation of a new paradigm in matters of literature.

Recent political developments in Spain regarding Catalonia have prompted scholars from several disciplines to research the singularity of this region and of the territories of the old Crown of Aragon. Against the backdrop of the pro-independence movement, those in favor and against have insisted on the particularity or commonality of Catalonia and the Països Catalans (Catalan-speaking areas) within the Spanish State. From the Catalan point of view, their singularity is not sufficiently recognized, and respect for their institutions and their autonomy is at stake to the point that many prefer to secede from Spain. Singularity or its absence play a relevant role in the construction of identity, which seems to be key in understanding many Catalans' attitudes towards the central government, a fluid concept that allows for a variety of interpretations. History of Catalonia and Its Implications for Contemporary Nationalism and Cultural Conflict is a critical reference book that centers around the topic of Catalan cultural and linguistic identity. With input from renowned scholars in several fields, the chapters explore the issue of Catalan identity from a variety of perspectives. While highlighting the legal and historical component to identity and also sociolinguistics and political linguistics, this book is ideally intended for scholars in the fields of Hispanic studies, history, linguistics, political science, and literary studies as well as practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students interested in contemporary politics and the political developments in Spain regarding Catalonia.