Ramos Villar, Carmen

Dr. Carmen M. Ramos Villar is Lecturer in Hispanic Studies at the University of Sheffield. She completed her Ph.D in Portuguese Literature at the University of Bristol. Dr. Ramos Villar has published an article entitled “War as an Internal and External Battleground in Álamo Oliveira’s Até Hoje (Memórias de Cão)” in Portuguese Studies.

The Metaphorical Tenth Island in Azorean Literature: The Theme of Emigration in the Azorean Imagination

2006 0-7734-5576-0
This book explores the theme of emigration within the different genres of Azorean literature, arguing that it results from the historical and social phenomenon of emigration in the archipelago. The authors examined in this book portray a regional, cultural and literary uniqueness that is distinct from, but part of Portuguese literature. The exploration of the relationship between island writers and their emigrant counterparts illustrates the symbiosis between island writers and those of the diaspora, a dialogue that contributes to the evolution of the concept of “Azorean literature.” This produces a negotiation between cultures, and becomes a way in which the writers create a metaphorical “tenth island” that congregates myth and reality, past and present, whether the work is set in the islands or in the Azorean diaspora. The “tenth island” is also synonymous with the position of Azorean literature and its negotiation of a position between being part of a Portuguese literary tradition and mainstream American literature.