Concepción Gimeno de Flaquer (1850-1919): Her Personal Letters, Short Stories, and Journalism: (Series in Literary Studies)

Concepción Gimeno de Flaquer (Alcañiz, 1850-Buenos Aires, 1919) was a Spanish journalist, newspaper editor, and author, who dedicated her life to the world of letters. She was also an intrepid international traveler at a time when it was not easy to cross the Atlantic. As a transatlantic author, she wrote novels, short stories, essays, opinion pieces, social commentary, and theater reviews. This book explores how Concepción Gimeno de Flaquer's evolution as a writer was closely linked to the development of her political-literary project, in which a feminist activist agenda plays an important role. This critical edition contributes to existing research on Gimeno de Flaquer by examining a collection of texts that have not been studied in-depth. This monograph-length publication is the first one to feature a translation of significant portions of Gimeno de Flaquer's work. 'Concepción Gimeno de Flaquer (1850-1919): Her Personal Letters, Short Stories, and Journalism' includes ten letters that Concepción Gimeno wrote to the Spanish actor and theatre entrepreneur Manuel Catalina y Rodríguez (1820-1886), seven short stories, and a selection of her seventeen most representative newspaper articles.

About the Author :
Ana I. Simón Alegre is an Assistant Professor at Adelphi University (Center of African, Black and Caribbean Studies; New York). In 2011, she earned her PhD from the Universidad Complutense of Madrid, specializing in Iberian studies, popular culture, gender and sexuality, and transatlantic studies. Professor Simon Alegre's recent scholarship addresses issues of gender and sexuality in the work of Pre-Spanish Civil War women writers (1873-1936). She is the author of "Prensa, publicidad y masculinidades a través del periódico madrileño, 'El Álbum Ibero-Americano' (1890-1909)" ('Historia y MEMORIA, ' 2021), "Algo más que palabras: Investigar y enseñar siguiendo la senda del lenguaje inclusivo," in 'Por un lenguaje inclusivo: Reflexiones y estudios sobre estrategias no sexistas en la lengua española' (Academia Norteamericana de la Lengua Española, 2021), and "Face to face with Carmen de Burgos. The influence of other women writers on her career and her work," in 'Multiple Modernities. Carmen de Burgos: Author and Activist' (Routledge, 2017). She is the editor of the volume 'Del salvaje siglo XIX al inestable siglo XX en las letras trasatlánticas: una mirada retrospectiva a través de hispanista' (Vernon Press, 2022), and she recently co-edited the volume, 'Queer Women in Modern Spanish Literature: Activism, Sexuality, and the Otherness of the 'chicas raras'' (Routledge, 2022) with Professor Lou Charnon-Deutsch. She is presently preparing a Spanish critical edition of 'Concepción Gimeno de Flaquer's novellas' for the press Renacimiento. In 2022 Professor Simón Alegre was elected as the president of the Feministas Unidas association (United Feminists).

Review :
From Madrid to Mexico City and later Buenos Aires, Concepción Gimeno de Flaquer was a powerful voice among female Spanish literary circles between the 1870s and the 1910s, both as a journalist and as the founder of such periodicals as "La Ilustración de la Mujer," "El Álbum de la Mujer," and "El Álbum Ibero-Americano." Devoted to the advancement of gender causes, women's right to vote, and the universal right to education, she was a pioneer of modernity. This book includes a selection of Gimeno de Flaquer's writings: ten private letters, seven short stories, and seventeen newspaper articles carefully selected for this fully annotated critical edition. Ana I. Simón Alegre puts the author in conversation with contemporary readers through precise historical contextualization, revealing her importance in the fields of gender equality and transatlantic connections in the Spanish-speaking world. Benita Sampedro Vizcaya Professor of Spanish colonial studies; Dorothy and Arthur Engle Distinguished Professor in Literature Hofstra University This is an accomplished study that effectively achieves its aim to bring visibility and new insight to the life and writings of Concepción Gimeno de Flaquer. The work is thoroughly researched, clearly organized, and well-written. As such, it represents an important contribution to the multiple audiences Simón Alegre aims to reach. The breadth of information and depth of detail in the introductory material is impressive indeed. The author provides valuable insight and fascinating analyses of Gimeno de Flaquer's life and work. Dr. Kyra A. Kietrys Chair & Professor of Hispanic Studies Davidson College, North Carolina