Literature in Quimantú: an uncomfortable revolution

Abstract

We present a reflection on the literary collections published by the Editora Nacional Quimantú during the Unidad Popular government, understanding them as part of the tensions existing between a revolutionary imperative and an economical one. The appreciation of literature and the elaboration of an international literary canon are related to the democratic purpose characteristic of Quimantú, but they also relate to the political configuration of the Unidad Popular’s government and the differences existing in the cultural field concerning the role intellectuals should have in the creation of a new culture. The utopia of a classless society reveals, at the same time, the attraction and the discomfort intellectuals felt towards the new popular reader that emerges. Paratext in literary books offer a scene for the expression of different positions concerning the relationship between literature and revolution, while different literary reading models, closely linked to the political, social and cultural changes being promoted by the government, are proposed to the reader.