Description
LIFE WRITING AND LITERARY CAREER
Book Summary
This work offers an in-depth analysis of the figure of Manuel de Faria y Sousa (1590-1649), a Portuguese writer in the Spanish language, through the study and edition of the four biographies written about him. The reader will discover how this author managed his own literary career through strategies such as self-commentary, the inclusion of portraits in his printed works, and the design of title pages. A fundamental book for understanding the construction of authorial identity in the Spanish Golden Age.
What is it about?
The book focuses on the figure of Manuel de Faria y Sousa, an author who developed a diverse and extensive body of work during the late Renaissance. Four key biographies are edited and studied: the Retrato de Manuel de Faria (1650) by Moreno Porcel, the first independent biography of a poet in Spanish; an earlier manuscript version of the same (c. 1648); the biography written by Lope de Vega in the preliminaries of a 1639 book; and the update by the Count of Ericeira in 1733. In addition, Faria's own autobiography, titled Fortuna, is analyzed. The preliminary study reveals how Faria y Sousa was a writer conscious of his authorial role, implementing strategies such as self-commentary on his work, the arrangement of portraits in his publications, the design of title pages, the configuration of a catalogue, and his participation in literary polemics.
Main Topics
- Literary biography of Manuel de Faria y Sousa and his historical context in the Golden Age.
- Construction of authorial identity and management of literary career in the Renaissance.
- Editorial and paratextual strategies: portraits, title pages, self-commentaries, and catalogues.
- Critical edition and study of primary biographical sources from the 17th and 18th centuries.
- Literary relations between peninsular authors, including Lope de Vega.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at researchers, students of Golden Age literature, philologists, and cultural historians interested in literary biography, the construction of authorship, and Renaissance editorial strategies. It will also be of great value to readers specializing in Portuguese literature written in Spanish and in the mechanisms of authorial promotion during the 16th and 17th centuries.
What this book contributes
- Access to the critical edition of four fundamental biographies of a key Renaissance author.
- Detailed understanding of the strategies Golden Age writers employed to build and manage their literary careers.
- A renewed vision of the figure of Manuel de Faria y Sousa, beyond his role as a commentator on Camoens.
- Analysis of paratextual materials (portraits, title pages, catalogues) as tools for self-promotion and the establishment of authorial identity.
- Historical and literary contextualization of the controversies in which Faria y Sousa participated.
Technical Sheet
- Author: Núñez Rivera, Valentín
- Publisher: Universidad de Huelva
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: Biography: literary, Literature: history and criticism, Literary studies: c. 1500-c. 1800
- Collection: Biblioteca Biográfica del Renacimiento E
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication Date: November 2020
- Number of pages: 436
- Weight: 1078 g
Editorial Assessment
This is a work of rigorous scholarship that brings a novel approach to the study of authorship in the Golden Age. Its main value lies in the edition and analysis of biographical materials that have been largely inaccessible until now, combined with a preliminary study that illuminates the strategies for building a literary career. It is particularly relevant for specialists in Golden Age literature and the history of the book, due to its ability to connect individual biography with the editorial and cultural practices of the era.