A Cartography of Afro-Descendants in Chilean Literature and Literary Studies

Abstract

This article maps the presence of Afro-descendant subjects and representations in Chilean literature and literary studies from the mid 19th-century to the present. It seeks to systematize the different literary turning points that have contributed to delineating this area of study, establishing connections between the historical contexts and the development of the literary and critical field within the country. Divided into four sections, the article examines the presence of Afro-descendants in Chilean literary history, the impact of transnational intellectual networks, the introduction of Caribbean studies in Chile, as well as current immigrant writers and the translation of Afro-descendant authors.