ABSTRACT

Translating the Crisis discusses the multiple translation practices that shaped the 15M movement, also known as the indignados (‘outraged’), a series of mass demonstrations and occupations of squares that took place across Spain in 2011 and which played a central role in the recent global wave of popular protest. Through a study of the movement's cultural and intellectual impact, as well as some of its main political evolutions (namely Podemos and Barcelona en Comú), Fernández shows how translation has contributed to the dissemination of ideas and the expansion of political debates, produced new intellectual and political figures, and provided support to political projects.

Drawing on fieldwork, interviews, and a large repertoire of sources in various languages, this monograph provides an in-depth study of the role of translation in the renewal of activist language, the development of political platforms,  and the creation of new social references, while also presenting a critical perspective on its limitations and shortcomings. Combining first-hand experience of the Spanish reality with a keen transnational awareness, Fernández offers a nuanced, present-day perspective on the political events taking place in Spain and connects them with wider transformations across the world.

This book is invaluable for scholars and researchers in Translation Studies, Spanish Studies, Social Movement Studies, and Politics.

chapter |10 pages

Introduction

Translating the crisis

chapter 1|15 pages

The many voices of opposition

Activism and translation in a global context

chapter 2|23 pages

Translation-as-tradition

The 15M between past and present

chapter 3|20 pages

The ‘commons’

Rethinking collective agency

chapter 4|21 pages

Towards the care strike

Translation and the rise of the feminist movement

chapter 5|17 pages

Sea, sun, and dissent

Activist critiques of the ‘Spanish model’

chapter 6|22 pages

Podemos

Successes and contradictions of a ‘translational’ party

chapter 7|8 pages

Conclusion

The ongoing task of translation