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Target
Vol. 34:4 (2022) ► pp.565–601

“Against everything and everybody”

Translated texts in Star-Books (1975–1982) and the birth of the Spanish counterculture

ORCID logo | University of León
| University of León

The Star-Books collection, published by Producciones Editoriales S. A. from 1975 to 1982, is a foremost example of the post-Francoist counterculture and one of the best chronicles of this period of Spanish history. The collection became a viable platform for various national and international authors who had remained silenced for decades at a time when books were still subjected to official censorship. Star-Books stood out for its eclectic nature and its rebellious spirit, reflected in the striking covers and themes, which clashed against Francoist orthodoxy. This paper highlights the collection’s role in promoting the counterculture in Spain and sheds light on how censorship operated in this period. Detailed analyses of the sociopolitical context, the Star-Books catalogue, the available censorship materials, and several collection titles show the more permissive nature of post-Francoist censorship.

Keywords: translation, censorship, Francoist Spain, counterculture, book collections
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The countercultural scene in Spain: 1960s and 1970s
    • 2.1The origins of the Spanish counterculture
    • 2.2The counterculture in Barcelona
    • 2.3Two key countercultural ventures: Star and Star-Books
    • 2.4Producciones Editoriales’s publication plan
    • 2.5Francoist censorship and the counterculture
  • 3.Methodology and tools
  • 4.The Star-Books catalogue (1975–1982)
    • 4.1Publication data
    • 4.2Censorship data
  • 5.Case studies: Aullido, Con destino a la gloria, and Gasolina y otros poemas
    • 5.1Allen Ginsberg: Aullido: Selección de poemas de Allen Ginsberg (1976)
    • 5.2Woody Guthrie: Con destino a la gloria (1977)
    • 5.3Gregory Corso: Gasolina y otros poemas (1980)
  • 6.Discussion
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
  • Star-Books catalogue sources
Published online: 31 May 2022
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/target.20173.lob
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