The Barcelona Review has high hopes, and you have to give them credit. Their aim is to bring you “the best of international cutting-edge fiction in [an] English/Spanish bilingual format.” And, to a certain extent, they may be doing just that. Each of the pieces on their site may be read in either language. But pickings are admittedly slim.
I don’t know if it’s because of all the time required to convert an English short story into Spanish, or because they haven’t yet
received the notice of the writing community, but each bimonthly issue seems to contain no more than two short stories and two dramas. Light reading in either language.
Jill Adams, an American ex-patriot, is currently heading up the project as editor. Last time we spoke she said she that she and her coworkers were trying to get funding for the zine from the reigning government, but that she figured it might not come – due to the fact that zine’s not written solely in the proper dialect, that used by the current ruling party. Or, well, that’s my assessment. I don’t want to say too much. You never know how one might interpret a statement like this. But then again, my acute xenophobia only applies to governments of foreign nations, so maybe you do.
Despite the adolescent physique of the last issue (and, in cases like these, quality is so much more important than quantity), what I found inside was very pleasing indeed. The Barcelona Review definitely stood up to the task of providing its readers a stimulating read. And I’m sure that as readership grows, their contents will, too. Who knows? Maybe then they’ll get their much-needed funding from the Spanish government.
In the meantime, Editor Jill Adams approached me as being open to receiving unsolicited submissions, so I’d send her your work. Their style is along the lines of work you might find in The Atlantic, or New Yorker, and of average length. Around 4,000 words, or so.
About the AuthorRichard Luck is the Founder and Technical Director for Pif Magazine.
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