Literary critics as cultural mediators between Spain and the United Kingdom in the Romantic British Pressthe case of Ángel Anaya

Abstract

[Abstract] The cultural and literary exchange between Spain and the United Kingdom in the Romantic period was powered by newspapers and literary maganizes in which members of the public could find both reviews and announcements of new publications of Spanish literature being produced in London. This information appeared not only in periodicals issued in the metropolis of London and the city of Edinburgh, but also in Ireland. This chapter explores the role of the Spaniard Angel Anaya, a literary ciritic, anthologizer and translator based in London,who wrote various books, notably La belleza. Silva (1790?), El teatro español (1817-18) An Essay on Spanish Literatura containing its History, from the commencement of the Twelfth Century, to the present time (1818). Although there is speculation about the reasons for his presence in the United Kingdom, little is known about il. He has been considered a liberal in exile, Following the accession to the Spanish throne of Ferdinad VII, although this may be contradicted by the dedication of his essay to the Spanish ambassador sent to Britain by Ferdinand. Additionally, his mastery of Italian and French, and references in his texts to members of the Society of Jesus have led some to believe that he was an expelled Jesuit. This study of this, hitherto rather unknown, aspect of the history of Spanish literature heds light on both the author's origins and -more importantly- the dissemination of Spanish culture in the English-speaking world